The Only Butter Chicken Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Over time, we have experimented with so many recipes, and this one truly turned out incredible. We took a completely different approach—no cashews and no onions—and the result is absolutely mind-blowing.
By deliberately stepping away from traditional heavy cashew pastes and onion bases, the bright, natural sweetness of the tomatoes and the warmth of whole toasted spices take center stage. The sauce is simmered down into a concentrated, make-ahead gravy base, then combined with tender, yogurt-marinated charred chicken, a splash of cream, and a final touch of butter. It delivers all the rich, velvety comfort you expect from a classic butter chicken, but with a cleaner, sharper, and far more balanced flavor profile that lets every single spice shine through.
Ingredients
For the Ultimate Butter Chicken Base Gravy
600 g tomatoes, cubed
125 ml cooking oil (or ½ cup + 2 tbsp)
2 bay leaves
6–7 green cardamoms
2 black cardamoms
2 medium cinnamon sticks, broken
1 tbsp + 1 tsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 ½ tbsp tomato paste
1 ½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
1 ¼ tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
¾ tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp honey
Pinch of sugar
1 green chili
¾ tsp dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi)
For the Chicken Marinade
1 kg chicken
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp roasted cumin powder
½ tsp garam masala
3 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt (or strained yogurt)
1 tsp mustard oil
To Finish the Dish
¾ cup to 1 cup whipping cream (or cooking cream)
2 tbsp butter
Step-by-step Instructions
1. Prepare the Gravy Base
Blend 600 g cubed tomatoes until completely smooth. Set aside.
Heat 125 ml cooking oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add bay leaves, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, and broken cinnamon sticks. Stir until fragrant.
Lower the heat and add 1 tbsp + 1 tsp garlic paste and 1 tbsp ginger paste. Cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in 1 ½ tbsp tomato paste, 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri red chili, and 1 ¼ tsp salt. Mix well.
Pour in the blended tomato puree. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
Cover partially (leaving the lid slightly open) and simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until the sauce reduces and oil separates.
Add 1 tsp garam masala, ¾ tsp roasted cumin, 1 tsp honey, a pinch of sugar, 1 green chili, and ¾ tsp dried fenugreek leaves. Stir well, cover, and cook on low heat for another 5 minutes.
Let the gravy cool. (Note: You can store this base in a separate jar—refrigerate for 3–4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. You need ¾ cup of this base per batch).
2. Marinate and Cook the Chicken
In a large bowl, combine 1 kg chicken with 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili, ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp roasted cumin, ½ tsp garam masala, 3 tbsp Greek yogurt, and 1 tsp mustard oil. Mix thoroughly and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat a stainless steel pan over medium-low heat using a skim of oil from the prepared gravy (or cook on an outdoor grill).
Place the marinated chicken in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes. If it sticks, lower the heat and wait for the chicken to naturally release from the pan before flipping.
Flip the chicken, cover partially, and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Flip again and cook covered for another 8–10 minutes, monitoring the heat to prevent burning.
Transfer cooked chicken under a high broiler for 5 minutes until lightly charred, keeping a close eye on it.
3. Combine and Finish
Carefully remove the chicken from the broiler and return it to the pan.
Pour in the prepared tomato gravy base along with ¾ cup to 1 cup of whipping cream. Stir well.
Simmer gently on low heat for 10 minutes.
Stir in 2 tbsp of butter right before removing from the heat. Serve warm.
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