This creamy butter chicken masala curry is a delicious chicken curry made with bite-sized pieces of seasoned chicken simmered in a creamy and rich tomato sauce.
Butter chicken is one of the most popular, if not the most popular Indian curry dish. Chances are you’ve ordered it at your favorite Indian restaurant.
This is hands down one of our favorite curries. It is a creamy, tomato curry, that has a rich nutty taste, that is slightly sweet and tangy. Paired with butter naan, and you’ve got a match made in heaven.
Our Butter Chicken Masala is equally rich, tangy, creamy. And it is easy to make and ready in about 30 minutes, so we hope it will be a staple in your kitchen like it is in ours!
If you’re looking for more classic Pakistani or Indian dishes, you might also love:
- Korma: Chicken braised in a Yogurt sauce
- Keema Aloo: Ground Beef & Potato Curry
- Karahi Chicken: Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce
- Chicken 65: Fried Chicken in Chili Garlic Sauce
Butter Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken – butter chicken is usually made with bite-sized boneless pieces.
- Tandoori masala is a classic spice blend often found at Asian stores and can be used in other recipes like Tandoori Chicken. Our recipe for tandoori masala is on the recipe card.
- Almonds, Cashews, Sesame Seeds, and Poppyseeds – a paste of these nuts and seeds add a buttery, nutty taste and richness to the butter chicken masala.
- Tomato – using crushed tomatoes is the most convenient recipe and will give you that bright red color for the curry. You can also use fresh tomatoes.
- Ghee (Clarified Butter) / Butter / Oil – Typically, Butter or Ghee is used for this curry and makes for a rich and indulgent curry.
- Ginger-Garlic Paste – This is a popular addition to lots of Pakistani and Indian dishes. It is made with equal parts of crushed ginger and crushed garlic. If you opt to make your own, you can make a big batch ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for about two weeks.
- Heavy cream or sour cream – The heavy cream gives butter chicken its famous creamy consistency. You can also use sour cream instead.
How to make Butter Chicken?
- Make the cashew/nut paste: Grind together the cashews, poppyseed, sesame seed, and almonds. Add a little water if needed to make—smooth paste.
- Saute the chicken: To a pan on low heat, add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a couple of minutes. Then increase to medium heat, add boneless chicken pieces, and cook until no longer pink. Add the tandoori masala.
- Add in the Spices: Add 2 tablespoons of the tandoori masala, and cook for a few minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients (except cream): Add crushed tomatoes, cashew paste. Mix well. If using sour cream, add it now.
- Simmer on low heat: for 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Stir in the heavy cream and turn off the heat.
How to serve Butter Chicken?
This Butter Chicken is a great chicken curry to pair with indulgent Pakistani/Indian bread and rice. Our favorites are:
- Paratha: a flaky, layered flatbread
- Tandoori Naan
- Bagara Rice with Jeera
Serve it alongside your favorite salad, and a yogurt sauce like refreshing Mint Raita.
If you give this Butter Chicken recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1-1 ½ lb Chicken breast cut into bitesized pieces
- 2 tablespoons Tandoori masala store-bought or homemade (see below)
- 7-10 almonds blanched
- 7 -10 cashews
- 1 tablespoon Sesame seed
- 1 tablespoon Poppyseeds
- ½ cup Tomato, crushed or 1 fresh tomoato chopped
- 4-6 tablespoons Ghee (Clarified Butter) or butter or oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
- ½-¾ cup heavy cream or sour cream
Tandoori Masala
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 5-7 black pepper, whole
- 2 black cardamom
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Mace/Javentri small piece
- 1 inch cinammon stick
- 2 star anise leaves
- 2 red chilli, whole dried
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chilli powder
Instructions
Tandoori Masala
- Roast all the whole spices (except for salt and kashmiri red chili powder) on low heat, until fragrant.
- Once cooled, grind using a spice grinder. Add in kashmiri red chili powder and salt. Stir together to mix well.
- Store in an air tight jar, in a cool, dry place.
Butter Chicken
- Grind the cashews, poppyseed, sesame seed and almonds. Add a little water if needed to make. smooth paste.
- To a pan on low heat, add ginger-garlic paste and cook for couple of minutes.
- Increase to medium heat, add boneless chicken pieces, and cook until no longer pink.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the tandoori masala, and cook for a few minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, cashew paste. Mix well. If using sour cream add it now.
- Simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and turn off the heat.