Description
Tender chicken simmered in a silky tomato, cream, and butter sauce with warm garam masala and gentle spice. Comforting, crowd-pleasing, and perfect with naan or basmati rice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus 1/2 teaspoon for sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons garam masala, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 1/2 cups tomato puree
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon cumin, coriander, 1 teaspoon garam masala, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add chicken, coat well, and marinate at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Melt 1 tablespoon butter, add marinated chicken in batches, and sear until lightly charred on the edges, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
- Lower heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same skillet, then the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato puree and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the raw tomato smell mellows and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Carefully blend the sauce until smooth using an immersion blender or countertop blender, then return it to the skillet.
- Stir in heavy cream, sugar or honey, and the remaining 1 teaspoon garam masala. Season to taste with salt.
- Add seared chicken and any juices back to the pan. Simmer gently 8 to 12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and chopped cilantro. Rest 2 minutes so the flavors settle.
- Serve hot with basmati rice or warm naan, garnishing with more cilantro and a swirl of cream if you like.
Notes
- Make-ahead: Marinate chicken up to 24 hours. The finished curry tastes even better the next day.
- Sauce smoothness: Blending is the secret to that restaurant-style velvety finish.
- Heat level: Add chili powder or fresh green chilies to taste if you prefer it spicier.
- Lighter option: Swap part of the cream with whole milk or stir in Greek yogurt off heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 150mg
Keywords: butter chicken, murgh makhani, creamy chicken curry, Indian curry, weeknight dinner, naan, basmati rice