Summary: Chicken pieces are seared in a yogurt marinade, then simmered in a tomato base with butter, cream and garam masala. The sauce is only lightly sweetened and enriched with butter added at the end. Total time 75 minutes, serves 6.
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Category: Poultry · Indian Cuisine
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Quick overview
- Dish: Butter Chicken – chicken in a mild creamy tomato sauce with butter and aromatic spices
- Category: poultry, indian-cuisine
- Cuisine: Indian
- Main ingredient: Chicken thighs, 1000 g (boneless and skinless, diced) (quality specification)
- Guide: 12 most famous Indian dishes: traditional recipes from Indian cuisine
- Total time: 75 minutes (25 min preparation + 50 min cooking)
- Difficulty: Medium
- Servings: 6 (Serving size: 464 g)
- Key technique: Sealing meat in yogurt marinade and slow-simmering tomato base with butter
- Preparation types: Pan-frying, roasting marinated meat
- Dietary info & allergens: milk (plain yogurt, butter, ghee, cream)
- Suitable for: Family dinner, dinner with friends, festive multi-course table, and meal prep for several days ahead.
- Nutritional values (per serving): 505, Protein: 40.1 g, Fat: 33.0 g, Carbohydrates: 11.8 g
- Storage: 3 days in the fridge, 1 month in the freezer
- Pairing: Indian light lager, dry Riesling, salted lassi
- In short: Chicken pieces are seared in a yogurt marinade, then simmered in a tomato base with butter, cream and garam masala. Total time 75 minutes, 6 servings.
WAGUU says: “Butter chicken is not about the butter. Butter is the last sentence, not the first word.”
Key facts
| Preparation time: | 25 |
| Cooking time: | 50 |
| Temperature: | Sealing meat 180–200 °C, simmering sauce 85–90 °C, butter added below 80 °C |
| Number of servings: | 6 |
In a nutshell
Butter chicken has two layers: the charred flavour of marinated meat and a velvety tomato sauce where the butter must not burn. Order matters – spices must bloom in fat, tomatoes must cook down to sweetness, and butter goes in at the end when the sauce is no longer boiling. Adding butter at the start gives a greasy sauce with a bitter aftertaste.
Ingredients
Base serving: 6 servings • Serving size: 464 g
| Ingredient | Amount | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| boneless chicken meat | 1000 g | boneless, skinless thigh, diced into 3 cm cubes |
| plain yogurt | 200 g | full-fat, thick, at room temperature |
| ginger | 25 g | fresh, finely grated |
| garlic | 6 cloves | fresh, finely chopped |
| chopped tomatoes | 500 g | peeled, no added salt |
| crushed tomatoes | 400 g | crushed, unsweetened |
| onion | 3 pcs | medium, finely chopped |
| butter | 60 g | fresh, unsalted |
| ghee | 40 g | clarified butter, for high heat |
| cream | 150 ml | double cream, 30% fat |
| garam masala | 2 tsp | freshly ground blend |
| ground coriander | 2 tsp | ground, roasted |
| ground cumin | 1 tsp | ground, roasted |
| turmeric | 1 tsp | ground |
| ground red chilli | 1 tsp | sweet and hot paprika in a 2:1 ratio |
| sugar | 1 tsp | caster, to balance acidity |
| fresh coriander | 20 g | fresh, for garnish |
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Two layers of flavour: Marinated meat brings charred flavour, the sauce brings sweetness from tomatoes and butter. Together they make a dish that tastes mild but not bland.
- Flour-free sauce: Thickness comes from cooked-down tomatoes and cream, so the sauce isn’t floury and doesn’t need starch thickeners.
- A dish that keeps: The next day the sauce is even better as the spices meld. It keeps in the fridge for three days and in the freezer for a month.
Guaranteed success: Tomatoes contain acid that keeps meat firm. That’s why the meat is first sealed in yogurt, where milk protein coats the fibres, and only then covered with the tomato base. Butter and cream are added off the heat because above 90 °C milk fat separates and the sauce splits. Salt comes from the marinade, butter and tomato purée, so only season after tasting.
Recipe overview
Preparation: 25 min | Cooking: 50 min | Difficulty: Medium | Servings: 6 | Type: Main course | Origin: Indian
Detailed method
Overall progress: 0 % done
Phase 1: Marinade and resting the meat – 30 min
Equipment: bowl, cling film, fridge
1. Whisk the yogurt in a bowl with grated ginger, half the garlic, half the garam masala, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric and ground paprika. The mixture should be smooth and thick like double cream.
2. Put the meat cubes into the marinade and rub them with your hands so the mixture coats all sides. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate to rest.
VKB: The marinade clings to the meat in a thin, even layer and does not slide off. After taking the meat out of the fridge, it feels firm to the touch and the marinade colour has soaked into the surface.
Before you move to the next step:
Do not leave the marinade at room temperature. The acid in the yogurt starts to break down the meat and the surface turns pale. Keep the meat in the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for twenty minutes before cooking.
Phase 2: Sealing the meat – 10 min
Equipment: large frying pan, tongs
1. Heat half the ghee in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Take the meat cubes out of the marinade and let them drain so the marinade does not end up in the pan.
2. Place the meat in the pan so the pieces do not touch, and let them brown on each side. Transfer to a plate and do not pour out the pan juices.
VKB: The surface of the meat is matte and golden brown, still pink inside. Brown bits remain in the pan and must not turn black.
Before you move to the next step:
If the meat releases water and steams, the pan was not hot enough or there was too much meat. Fry in two batches and let the pan heat up again between them.
Phase 3: Tomato base (masala) – 25 min
Equipment: heavy-based saucepan, wooden spoon
1. In the same fat, fry the onion until translucent, add the remaining garlic and ginger and fry just until fragrant. Sprinkle in the remaining garam masala and stir until the spices release their aroma.
2. Add the whole peeled and chopped tomatoes and crush them with the wooden spoon. Simmer the base over low heat until the liquid evaporates and the oil separates from the tomatoes at the edges of the pan.
VKB: The base is thick, dark red and glossy, the oil has separated and sits on the surface in a thin layer. The taste is sweet from the tomatoes, not sour.
Before you move to the next step:
Let the base cook down properly until sweet. Tomatoes drained too early stay sour and the sauce will be watery. If the tomatoes are too sour, add a teaspoon of sugar.
Phase 4: Combining meat and sauce – 12 min
Equipment: saucepan, lid
1. Return the meat and any juices from the plate to the pan with the base and stir. Add a splash of water so the sauce does not catch on the bottom, cover and simmer over low heat until the meat is tender.
2. Stir during simmering and check the consistency. The sauce should be as thick as double cream, not a thin soup.
VKB: The meat can be cut with a spoon but holds its shape. The sauce coats the meat, leaves a continuous film on the spoon and does not run off immediately.
Before you move to the next step:
A hard boil dries out the meat and splatters sauce all over the kitchen. Keep the liquid just below boiling point and stir slowly so the meat does not fall apart.
Phase 5: Finishing with butter and cream – 8 min
Equipment: small pan, whisk
1. Melt the butter with the paprika in a small pan. Let it foam gently, do not let it brown, then pour it into the saucepan while stirring constantly.
2. Warm the cream first in a mug so it is not cold, then pour it in a thin stream. Take the pan off the heat and do not boil the sauce any further.
VKB: The sauce is velvety smooth, glossy and bright orange. The flavour is rounded with butter and cream, the spices stay in the background.
Before you move to the next step:
Cold cream curdles in a boiling sauce. Always warm it and add it off the heat. If the sauce still curdles, strain it and whisk it back together.
Phase 6: Adjusting and serving – 5 min
Equipment: serving dish, spoon
1. Taste the sauce and adjust with salt, sugar and the remaining garam masala. Spices are added to a finished sauce just before serving so the aroma stays fresh.
2. Pour the butter chicken into a warm dish, spoon cream over the top, add a sprig of coriander and a few drops of melted butter.
VKB: The aroma is buttery and spicy at the same time, the sauce clings to rice. On the plate the sauce does not spread to the sides.
Equipment needed
| Utensil | Ideal size | Alternative | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| wide heavy-based frying pan | 28 cm diameter | cast-iron casserole or sauteuse | a thin pan warps during frying and the meat catches in one spot |
| saucepan for the sauce | 3 l capacity | deep frying pan with a lid | a small pan splatters sauce during simmering and burns it on the sides |
| kitchen thermometer | up to 250 °C | check by the bubbles at the edge of the sauce | without a thermometer the sauce easily goes above 90 °C and the cream curdles |
| marinade bowl | 2 l capacity, glass or ceramic | plastic bowl with a lid | reactive metal in the bowl reacts with the yogurt acid and gives a metallic taste |
Shopping list
Nutritional profile
Values per 1 portion (without side dish). Calculated from average nutritional values of ingredients.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 portion | Per 6 portions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 456 kJ / 109 kcal | 2113 kJ / 505 kcal | 12678 kJ / 3030 kcal |
| Fat | 7.1 g | 33.0 g | 198.0 g |
| of which saturates | 3.6 g | 16.6 g | 99.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 2.5 g | 11.8 g | 70.8 g |
| of which sugars | 2.4 g | 11.2 g | 67.2 g |
| Protein | 8.6 g | 40.1 g | 240.6 g |
| Salt | 0.1 g | 0.5 g | 2.9 g |
Reference intake of an average adult (8400 kJ / 2000 kcal).
WAGUU Professional level
- Professional standard: Tested recipe with precise ratios and visual checkpoints.
- Tip 1: Tested recipe with precise ratios and visual checkpoints.
- Tip 2: The marinade clings to the meat in a thin, even layer and does not slide off. After taking the meat out of the fridge, it feels firm to the touch and the marinade colour has soaked into the surface. Do not leave the marinade at room temperature. The acid in the yogurt starts to break down the meat and the surface turns pale. Keep the meat in the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for twenty minutes before cooking.
- Tip 3: The surface of the meat is matte and golden brown, still pink inside. Brown bits remain in the pan and must not turn black. If the meat releases water and steams, the pan was not hot enough or there was too much meat. Fry in two batches and let the pan heat up again between them.
- Tip 4: Prepare the ingredients on the worktop in small bowls beforehand. Indian cooking relies on spices added in a precise order, and there is no time to portion ingredients during cooking.
The science behind it
Yoghurt is acidic, and its milk proteins coagulate when heated. This forms a thin layer on the surface of the meat that holds in moisture and carries the spices into the meat. Turmeric and paprika are fat-soluble, so they are first bloomed in ghee. Tomato purée contains pectin, which naturally thickens the sauce after simmering, so no flour or starch is needed.
Fine Dining – Professional Techniques
- Plating: Pour the sauce into the base of a deep white plate in a thin layer and place three pieces of meat in the centre. Use a spoon to spread a crescent of cream around the edge.
- Texture contrasts: Add a crunchy element – toasted cashews or a thin slice of naan dried in the oven. The contrast with the smooth sauce is what the guest notices first.
- Temperature contrast: Place a coriander leaf and a few drops of ghee on the meat. The fat binds the spice aromas, and the fragrance is released at the table.
- Aromatic additions: A spoonful of chilled yoghurt with mint, served separately, provides a temperature contrast. The guest can refresh their portion at any point during the meal.
Sensory radar
- Appearance: The sauce is deep orange and glossy, with a buttery layer visible between the pieces of meat and a sprig of green coriander on top.
- Aroma: First butter with paprika, then sweet tomatoes, and finally warm garam masala with coriander.
- Taste: Sweet tomato meets the gentle acidity of yoghurt, and finally the warmth of the spices lingers in the mouth.
- Texture: The meat is tender and juicy, the sauce velvety and thick, coating the spoon in a continuous film.
Pairings
- Indian pale lager: A light lager with high carbonation cleanses the palate of the buttery sauce. Serve chilled at 5–7°C.
- Dry Riesling: A Riesling with high acidity cuts through the fat from the cream and butter. Choose dry, not off-dry.
- Salted lassi: A salted lassi made from yoghurt, water and a pinch of cumin. The salty and sour notes keep pace with the tomato sauce.
Variations
- Butter chicken with chicken breast:: Slice the breasts thinly, marinate for a shorter time, and leave them in the sauce for only five minutes. The dish is lighter and ready sooner.
- Vegetarian version with cauliflower:: Replace the meat with cauliflower florets and firm tofu. First roast the cauliflower in the oven until golden brown, then add it to the sauce.
Allergens and dietary information
Contains: milk (yoghurt, butter, ghee, cream) • Gluten: no, the recipe is gluten-free (rice or naan served separately) • Not suitable for: people with an allergy to milk and dairy products
Suitable for
Family dinner, dinner with friends, a festive table with multiple courses, or preparing meals for several days ahead.
Ingredient substitutions
- boneless chicken: boneless turkey thigh or firm tofu (marinate for the same length of time)
FAQ
Which cut of chicken is best for butter chicken?
Boneless, skinless thighs. They are juicier and won’t toughen during simmering. Breast can be used, but reduce the simmering time by a third and add the meat to the sauce only in the last ten minutes.
Why is the butter added at the end?
Milk fat separates at temperatures above 90°C and the sauce can split. So butter belongs in a sauce that is no longer boiling, and should just melt into it.
How can I thicken the sauce if it’s too thin?
Simmer it gently for longer to evaporate the water. A spoonful of cream cheese or two tablespoons of ground cashews also help. Starch will make the sauce cloudy.
Is butter chicken very spicy?
No, the heat can be kept low. Mix paprika in a ratio of two teaspoons sweet to one hot, and add chilli at the table.
Can butter chicken be frozen?
Yes, it keeps for a month in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently with a spoonful of water. Add the butter after reheating.
What to serve with butter chicken?
Basmati rice, naan or roti, and a small bowl of yoghurt with cucumber. The sour yoghurt separates each bite and keeps the flavour fresh.
WAGUU Petr advises: Cooking for 6 or more?
6–8 people: Make the masala (fried spice base) in double quantity and store half in the fridge. When cooking for more people, use two pans rather than one large one – the spices won’t fry evenly in too thick a layer. • 10+ people: A grill or a cast-iron pan heated to maximum in the oven can replace a tandoor. Prepare the naan dough and chicken marinade the day before and keep them in the fridge – both flavour and texture will be better.
Sides and serving
Serving: Serve butter chicken in a deep bowl, with basmati rice or naan on the side, and a spoonful of cream and a sprig of coriander on top. A small bowl of yoghurt with cucumber goes with the meal to balance the sauce.
Storage and reheating
Fridge: 3 days • Freezer: 1 month • Reheating: Fridge: 3 days • Freezer: 1 month • Reheating: gently to 75°C, with a spoonful of water, add butter after reheating
Author: WAGUU Petr & Team • Published: 9 Oct 2026 • Updated: 10 Oct 2026
More recipes from the article
Guide: 12 most famous Indian dishes: traditional recipes from Indian cuisine
Chicken Tikka Masala – pieces of marinated chicken in a spiced tomato and cream sauce
Tandoori Chicken – chicken marinated in yoghurt and spices and cooked at high temperature
Biryani – aromatic layered rice with meat, saffron and a blend of spices
Rogan Josh – slow-cooked lamb in an aromatic sauce with Kashmiri spices
Chana Masala – chickpeas simmered in a tangy sauce of tomatoes, onions and aromatic spices
Chana Masala – chickpeas simmered in a tangy sauce of tomatoes, onions and aromatic spices
Dal Tadka – lentils flavoured with fried spices, garlic, onion and chilli
Masala Dosa – thin crispy fermented rice and lentil pancake with spiced potatoes
Samosa – fried triangular pastries filled with potatoes, peas and spices
Chole Bhature – spiced chickpeas with large fried leavened bhature breads
Naan – traditional Indian flatbread cooked at high temperature in a tandoor
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Common mistakes
- Marinade and resting the meat – Don’t leave the marinade at room temperature. The acid in the yoghurt will start to break down the meat and the surface will turn pale. The meat should go in the fridge and be allowed to come up to room temperature for twenty minutes before cooking.
- Sealing the meat – If the meat releases water and steams, the pan was not hot enough or there was too much meat. Fry in two batches and let the pan reheat between them.
- Tomato base (masala) – Let the base really cook down until sweet. Tomatoes drained too early will remain sour and the sauce will be watery. If the tomatoes are too sour, add a teaspoon of sugar.
- Combining meat and sauce – Too rapid a boil will dry out the meat and splatter the sauce all over the kitchen. Keep the heat just below boiling and stir slowly so the meat doesn’t fall apart.