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Hotel style butter chicken with parotha in a kadai from the front.
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4.88 from 41 votes

hotel style butter chicken

This is how they make butter chicken at the best restaurants.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: butter chicken, murgh makhani
Servings: 2
Calories: 826kcal
Author: romain | glebekitchen

Ingredients

quick chicken tikka

  • 3 chicken thighs boneless, skinless
  • 2 tbsp tandoori masala - avoid brands that are high in salt
  • 1 tsp kasoor methi
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil

butter chicken

  • 2 tbsp neutral oil e.g. vegetable
  • 2 tsp garlic ginger paste
  • 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder leave it out if you want really mild.
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp kasoor methi
  • 1 cup makhani gravy - with cashews. Recipe link below.
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp honey to taste
  • cream to drizzle

Instructions

quick chicken curry

  • Make sure you've made your makhani gravy before you start. Combine the tandoori masala, kasoor methi, salt and oil in a bowl large enough to hold all the chicken.
  • Add the chicken and combine with the marinade. Use tongs. This stuff will stain your hands and you will not be happy at all.
  • Marinate for about an hour. Pre-heat your oven to 400F while this is going on. Use convection mode if you have it. I hear an air fryer is good for this as well. Place a sturdy baking sheet in the oven to pre-heat.
  • Transfer the chicken (remember your tongs) to the pre-heated baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook for about 6 minutes. Flip all the pieces and return to the oven. Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160-165F. This should take another 4-8 minutes or so. Really depends on how big your chicken thigh pieces are.
  • Set the chicken aside. Try not to snack too much. I didn't include extra chicken tikka this time.

butter chicken

  • Pre-heat a pan large enough to hold all the ingredients over medium low heat.
  • Add 2 tbsp oil.
  • When it starts to shimmer add the garlic ginger paste. Stir continously until it stops sputtering. This should take about 30 seconds. You don't want it to colour up too much. Be careful.
  • Add the kasoor methi, salt and kashmiri chili powder (if using). This recipe is on the mild end of medium spice so if you like a little warmth leave it in. It makes a difference. It also makes a difference to the colour of the final dish.
  • Stir to combine and let bubble for about 45 seconds. Watch your pan. You don't want the spices to stick or burn at this stage.
  • Add the makhani gravy. Stir to combine and bring to a lively simmer. Simmer about a minute.
  • Add the honey and stir to combine.
  • Add the chicken. Continue to simmer until the chicken is warmed through - about a minute assuming it's not coming from the fridge.
  • Stir in the butter and cream. Adjust the consistency with a little water or chicken stock (bouillon cubes are mostly salt not stock so don't use that) at this point to get it to a nice restaurant texture. I can't really tell you exactly how much because it depends on how hard your simmer was as well as your exact timing. I use about 3-4 Tbsp. Sometimes a bit more.
  • Butter chicken is nice with a drizzle of cream. It makes it look a bit more special but it's not necessary - just fun!
  • Enjoy.

Notes

You can use any chicken tikka recipe you like. Just make sure you have roughly 3 thighs worth. The quick chicken tikka is just my regular quick naga chicken tikka without the naga. If you want butter chicken with kick don't fear the naga.
The makhani gravy used in this butter chicken includes the cashews but not the butter and cream. Take it to the red gravy point. It works with the full makhani gravy recipe as well - it will just be a little richer.
 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 826kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 1833mg | Potassium: 1957mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 5878IU | Vitamin C: 80mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 6mg