Silky Butter Chicken
Tender tandoori-marinated chicken in a rich, velvety tomato and cream sauce with aromatic Indian spices. The ultimate comfort curry.
🛒 Ingredients
- 800g chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- 1 cup full-fat yogurt
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 50g unsalted butter
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 inch fresh ginger
- 400g tin crushed tomatoes
- 150ml heavy cream
- 1 tsp sugar
- to serve basmati rice and naan bread
👨🍳 Method
- 1
Combine yogurt, half the spices, and 1 tsp salt. Coat chicken thoroughly and marinate 4+ hours (overnight is best).
- 2
Grill or broil chicken on high heat until charred at edges, about 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
- 3
Melt butter in a large pan. Sauté onions on medium-high until dark golden, 15-20 minutes.
- 4
Add garlic and ginger paste, cook 3 minutes. Add remaining spices, stir 1 minute.
- 5
Add tomatoes, simmer 15 minutes until deeply reduced and oil separates.
- 6
Blend the sauce until silky smooth (immersion blender works well). Return to pan.
- 7
Cut chicken into chunks, add to sauce with cream and sugar. Simmer 10 minutes.
- 8
Finish with a swirl of cold butter for extra silkiness.
💡 Chef's Tips
- →The longer the marinade, the more tender and flavorful the chicken.
- →Charring the chicken first adds essential smoky depth.
- →Blend the sauce completely smooth — texture is key to authentic butter chicken.
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