Classic Butter Chicken Recipe (Fresh Tomatoes)

Published: Mar 20, 2025 by Tanvi Srivastava 1 Comment

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Rich, buttery, and irresistibly creamy, this restaurant-style butter chicken recipe is pure comfort in every bite. Tender, juicy chicken coated in a silky smooth makhani sauce (made the authentic way with fresh tomatoes) make it the kind of dish that keeps you coming back for more! Marinate the chicken overnight (trust me, it’s worth it!), and this homemade version comes together in about an hour. Scoop it up with naan or serve it over fluffy basmati rice for a meal that hits all the right notes!

Believe me when I say this recipe has been in the works long before my food blog even existed. You ask why? Because my husband is a true butter chicken snob! It’s a classic dish in Indian restaurants, but despite having over 40 Indian restaurants here in Vegas, he only swears by 1 or 2.
 
That’s exactly why I set out to perfect my own butter chicken recipe, one that delivers the same indulgent flavors he loves, right at home. After countless recipe trials and tweaks spanning many years, my homemade version checks all the boxes. And now, I’m sharing our butter chicken recipe with you!

Butter Chicken

Originally called murgh makhani, this iconic chicken curry was created in the 1950s at Old Delhi’s Moti Mahal restaurant to repurpose leftover tandoori chicken. Today, it is one of the most beloved Indian dishes worldwide.

Butter Chicken is the kind of curry that makes you pause after the first bite. Juicy, tandoori chicken is coated in a luscious tomato based makhani sauce. It is is mild, creamy, and infused with the warm aroma of spices. Then there is a subtle yet distinct fragrance of kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) that adds an unmistakable depth to every morsel.

My Top 6 Tips for Best Butter Chicken

1. Use Chicken Thighs – In India, mostly, you will mostly find bone in chicken makhani and I grew up eating it that way. However, now for home-cooked version, I prefer using boneless chicken thighs for their juicy texture and deep flavor. They hold up beautifully and stay tender when simmered in the sauce without drying out/getting stringy.
2. Charred Shredded Chicken– A key element of restaurant-style butter chicken is the slightly smoky, tandoor-kissed flavor. Remember that it all began with leftover tandoori chicken? To replicate the smokiness at home, we will smoke the marinated chicken for 1-2 minutes and then sear the tandoori chicken on high heat until it’s beautifully charred before shredding it into the sauce.
3. Don’t skimp on Butter & Cream – Butter chicken gets its signature luxurious taste from? You guessed it—butter and cream! Don’t hold back on these two ingredients. It is an indulgent dish and is best enjoyed that way.
4. Let The Sauce Shine – Butter Chicken is ALL about the sauce. So don’t overcrowd it with too much chicken. The makhani sauce is the star and it should generously coat the chicken while leaving plenty to scoop up with flatbreads or mix with rice.
5. Consistency of the Makhani Sauce – In my recipe trials, I initially used too many cashews and the sauce turned dense and heavy. I realized that while cashews add richness, too many make it thick and pasty. In another attempt I did not thin the sauce enough and it affected the texture. The ideal consistency is smooth pourable yet thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6. Don’t overly spice it – If you are a regular reader, you would know that I am very spice forward in my recipes. However for butter chicken, you don’t need to use a ton of whole spices (I only use green cardamom & cinnamon) or ground spices. Let the taste of tomates shine! Go easy on strong spices such as garam masala powder to let the mild buttery taste take center stage.

Ingredients For Marinating Chicken

• Yogurt – You need thick(super important!),plain yogurt. I am a proponent of whole yogurt, but skimmed yogurt will work fine as well. Thick yogurt (or hung curd) prevents the marinade from runing off while cooking the chicken. Yogurt also adds a nice tang and tenderizes the chicken.
• Ginger & Garlic Paste – I stock homemade garlic paste and ginger paste seperately but its totally fine to use homemade or store bought ginger garlic paste.
• Ground Spices – You’ll need garam masala, cumin powder, and coriander powder. For the signature vibrant reddish hue, we’ll add kashmiri red chili powder with a touch of turmeric- this combination of “colorful” spices naturally enhances the color of makhani sauce and eliminates the need for food coloring. If you have fewer spices in your cabinet, store-bought tandoori seasoning works well for the marinade.
• Mustard Oil – Mustard oil is an authentic addition to most north indian marinades including tandoori marinade. You can sub with ghee/ neutral cooking oil.
• Dry Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi)– Non negotiable if you ask me! They add a unique pleasant aroma to marinade as well as the sauce. They are easily available in indian grocery stores or online. Unfortuately, there is no substitute, just leave them out if you cannot find.

Ingredients For Butter Chicken Sauce

Fresh Tomatoes (Hero Ingredient)

If you truly want to make authentic butter chicken, use fresh tomatoes! In India, canned tomato products aren’t common, so makhani sauce is traditionally made with fresh ones. Seeing Indian Michelin-star chefs use them in their butter chicken recipes only reinforces what I’ve always known. Growing up, I watched my mom make butter chicken with fresh tomatoes every single time. And so do I. Here are my tips for choosing the best tomatoes for makhani sauce.

• Use ripe, juicy and pulpy tomatoes that are not overly sour. I prefer vine-ripened tomatoes that are available year-round here in US. Summer tomatoes are the best but winter tomatoes ripen well in a warm spot at home.
• Many recipes will tell you that fresh tomatoes are extra work since you need to blanch or peel them. Trust me, there is no need! Simply cook down the tomatoes with rest of the ingredients and they will break down beautifully(even tomato skins). Blend the sauce using a high-speed blender for a perfectly smooth texture. I use Vitamix.
• If you want to use canned tomatoes, choose unflavored whole tomatoes preserved without vinegar or other acidic preservatives. Chop or slice them and cook them down in the sauce. I tested this recipe with different canned tomato products (including passata) and it tasted good but I had to adjust the sugar slightly to balance the tanginess.

Other Ingredients

• Kashmiri Chili Powder – Kashmiri red chili is the second hero ingredient in butter chicken. It is another non-negotiable. I use both dried kashmiri chilies (medium heat) for a slight kick and powdered (mild warmth) for depth. The powder comes from ground dried Kashmiri chilies. When blended with turmeric and cashews, it creates a rich, reddish-orange hue and also adds a subtle smoky depth.
• Whole Spices – You need just two whole spices – green cardamom and cinnamon. Don’t use lot of cinnamon as it can get overpowering.
• Onions – Two of my favorite Indian cookbooks (50 Great Curries of India and Dishoom) feature onion-free butter chicken recipes. Their approach inspired me to challenge myself and experiment with an onion-free makhani sauce. I tested it multiple times, but each time, the sauce felt a bit too tart for our liking. It lacked the extra depth and the subtle, mellow sweetness that onions bring.Onions help balance the flavors, so I ultimately decided to include them in my version.
• Butter -There’s no holding back on butter in this recipe. One of my husband’s top comments during my recipe trials was, “Add more butter!” In our books, less butter—or worse, butter-free butter chicken—simply doesn’t exist. So go ahead, add it with your heart!
• Raw Cashewnuts – If you want a silky smooth, rich butter chicken like restaurants, use the cashews. I feel that they do give a nice body to the sauce but they can be skipped for nut free version.
• Garam Masala Powder– Is the only ground spice I use in my makhani sauce. It’s taste and aroma can get overwhelming pretty quickly. Start with ¼ teaspoon and stop adding beyond ½ teaspoon depending on the potency of your garam masala.

How To Make Butter Chicken

Marinate Tandoori Chicken Tikka

• Trim the fat around the chicken thighs and cut them into thirds, or into four pieces if they’re large. Using a sharp knife, slice each piece flat at an angle against the grain for  maximun sear and even cooking. For a visual guide, please refer to the video.
• In a large bowl, place the chicken and add all the marinade ingredients.
• Toss everything together so that each chicken piece is well coated. For best results, use your hands (wear gloves to prevent staining and lingering spice aromas).
• Let the chicken marinate for at least one hour at room temperature. For maximum flavor and tenderness, refrigerate overnight—that’s my go-to method!

Prepare the Makhani Sauce

• While the chicken marinates (or the next morning), begin preparing the makhani sauce. If you marinated a night before, remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and let it sit on kitchen counter to bring it closer to room temperature.
• In a cooking pot (I use 4 qt), heat the oil over medium heat. Temper it with whole green cardamom pods and cinnamon stick.
• Add the onions and fry them for 3 to 4 minutes until softened with a slight hint of color. Avoid browning, as that would intensify the onion’s flavor and overpower the bright, fruity notes of the tomatoes. Butter Chicken is a mild dish and its flavors should be balanced, without any one aromatic or spice dominating the taste of sauce.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the deseeded whole Kashmiri red chili (if using), raw cashews, ginger, garlic, kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, and butter. Sauté everything for 1–2 minutes taking care not to burn the chili powder. Adding butter at this stage (as compared to right in the beginning) prevents it from browning or burning.

• Stir in the tomatoes, salt, and sugar. Mix well and let cook over low-medium heat for 2–4 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to soften. Do not add water as tomatoes will naturally release their juices. This way we get intense tomato flavor.
• Sprinkle the garam masala and kasuri methi. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Let the mixture simmer for 15–20 minutes. Check occasionally to ensure it doesn’t dry out; if needed, add a splash of water. Once the tomatoes turn soft and jammy, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down.

Cook The Chicken

To replicate the char and smokiness of a tandoor at home, we will cook the chicken on a super hot grill pan or skillet(cast iron, hard anodized or stainless stee, all skillets work as long as you are using a heavy one)

• Dhungar(Smoking The Chicken)- Just before cooking the marinated chicken, give it a smoky flavor. To do this, place a small bowl or a piece of foil in the center of the marinated chicken. Heat a small piece of charcoal until red hot using tongs over an open flame. Carefully place the hot charcoal in the bowl, add a few drops of ghee or oil, and immediately cover the bowl with a lid to trap the smoke. Let it sit for 1–2 minutes, then remove the charcoal. Avoid long smoking as it can lend an unpleasant bitterness.
• While the sauce mixture cools, heat a grill pan, griddle, or skillet over high heat. Lightly grease it with ghee or any high-smoke-point oil, then arrange the chicken in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd else the chicken will start steaming. Cook in batches.
• Let sear on both sides until golden brown and nicely charred. Check for doneness using a meat thermometer—the internal temperature of chicken should reach 165°F. Alternatively, bake in the oven at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, then broil for the 3 to 4 minutes for a charred finish.

• Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before shredding it into thin strips. Set aside.

Combine Tandoori Chicken & Makhani Sauce

• While the chicken cools, blend the makhani sauce. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, then transfer the cooled sauce to a high-speed blender (I use Vitamix blender). Blend on medium until completely smooth. See? No extra prep needed for fresh tomatoes!

Tip -I don’t recommend using an immersion blender, as the tomatoes & cashews need a powerful blend to achieve a velvety smooth sauce. If you aren’t using high speed blender, strain the blended sauce if necessary.

• Pour the blended sauce back into the cooking pot over low heat. Since the cashews make the sauce thick and are prone to sticking, keep the heat gentle.
• Add the shredded chicken and butter. Pour ⅓ to ½ cup of water into the blender jar to catch every last bit of that velvety sauce (no way we’re wasting it!) Swirl and pour it into the pot and stir everything together.
• Let the curry simmer on low heat until the butter melts, the sauce gently bubbles, and small buttery pools start to form on the surface.

• Stir in the heavy cream, then taste and adjust the salt and sugar if needed. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of crushed kasuri methi for extra aroma. If you like, a dash of garam masala can be added at this stage.
• Simmer for 5–7 minutes, just until the cream is warmed through. Don’t let it boil.
• Your butter chicken is ready! Garnish with chopped cilantro if you like. While rich Indian sauces aren’t traditionally topped with fresh herbs, there are no hard rules. Serve warm.

Serving & Storage

Butter Chicken is best served with indian flatbreads such as my easy no yeast naan or plain paratha and jeera chawal (cumin flavored rice). You can make a fresh salad like kachumber salad on the side. If I am making it for a party, I would make a lentil dish such as yellow dal tadka as well.

Store leftovers in the fridge for 2–3 days. Reheat on the stovetop for the best texture. Naturally, the sauce will thicken. Thin out with little water while reheating. Since this dish is quite rich in fat, I don’t recommend using the microwave, as it tends to cause significant fat separation.

Recipe Notes

1. Whole Kashmiri red chilies do add a considerable kick. Skip them for kids. If unavailable, use a dash of cayenne pepper powder to taste.
2. For a melt-in-the-mouth butter chicken, marinate the chicken for up to 10-15 hours to tenderize it. 
3. When cooking in the oven, don’t forget to broil at the end for a smoky char. Add chicken juices remaining in the baking dish to the makhani sauce for extra flavor.
4. A tablespoon of sugar sounds a lot but trust me the tartness of tomatoes and the kick of whole kashmiri red chili offsets it. Don’t worry your butter chicken won’t be sweet. 
5. Add salted butter carefully. Adjust salt at the end once it’s melted into the sauce.
6. For make-ahead preparation, marinate the chicken and prepare & blend the sauce a day in advance. Hold off on adding the cream until just before serving. When ready to cook, grill or bake the chicken, add to the sauce, then stir in the cream and butter. Let it simmer briefly, then serve!