Creamy Butter Chicken Masala Recipe | Easy Homemade Indian Curry

If you have been looking for a creamy and delicious Butter Chicken Masala, you are in the right place. I absolutely love Indian food, and this is easily one of my favorite recipes to make at home. There is something so comforting about a warm bowl of curry, some soft flatbread and a cosy night at home.

I love making Indian food, but I used to find some recipes a little intimidating. The long ingredient lists and hard-to-find spices made me feel like I needed to visit a special grocery store just to get started.That changed when I started making Butter Chicken Masala at home.

I was surprised by how easy it can be to make a rich, smooth and restaurant-style butter chicken using simple ingredients that are easy to find. The tender marinated chicken, buttery tomato sauce and warm spices come together beautifully.

Serve it with warm naan, roti or rice, and you have a comforting curry that is perfect for a cosy dinner at home.

If you are craving an easy and satisfying Indian curry, this Butter Chicken Masala is definitely worth trying.

The Story Behind the Flavor

The secret to a delicious butter chicken masala is more than just adding cream to tomato sauce at the end. I like to build the flavour in layers.

First, the chicken is  coated with a spiced yogurt marinade and left to rest. This gives the spices time to penetrate the meat, keeping it exceptionally tender and juicy.Then the chicken is seared until golden. Once it comes out of the pan, don’t wash that pan!

Those browned bits at the bottom are absolute flavour gold. The aromatics go straight into that same pan, followed by tomatoes and spices, which are simmered and then blended into a silky-smooth base. Finally, a generous finishing touch of butter and cream brings everything together into a luscious makhani gravy.

And when the tender chicken goes back into that rich sauce, you have a curry that feels like it came straight from your favorite restaurant.

Step 1: Prep the Aromatics

Grind the Aromatics: Take fresh ginger, garlic cloves, and green chilies, and grind them together using a mortar and pestle or a small food processor until they form a smooth, fragrant paste.

Step 2: Marinate the Chicken

Add 800g chicken pieces to a large mixing bowl. Add minced garlic, ginger, chopped green chili, lime juice, salt, black pepper, and turmeric. Mix well until every piece of chicken is evenly coated.

Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes. This first marinade helps tenderize the chicken and adds flavor.

Tip: “The secret to flavorful butter chicken starts with a good marinade.”

Step 3: Add the Second Marinade

Add thick curd, mustard oil, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, dried oregano, kasuri methi, salt, and a small pinch of red food coloring.

Mix well until the chicken is completely covered in the creamy spice mixture.

This second marinade gives the chicken its rich flavor and helps create the delicious coating you expect from Indian butter chicken.

Step 4: Add Smoky Charcoal Flavor

For a delicious tandoori-style flavor, use the traditional Dhungar method.

Place a small heat-safe metal bowl or an aluminum cup in the center of the chicken. Heat a piece of charcoal until it is glowing hot, then carefully place it in the bowl.Add a few drops of oil or ghee over the hot charcoal. Once it starts smoking, immediately cover the chicken bowl tightly with a lid.

Let the chicken absorb the smoke for about 2 hours. If you are short on time, 15–20 minutes will still give the chicken a nice smoky flavor.

Step 5: Make the Butter Chicken Sauce

Add the chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, crushed garlic, crushed ginger, coriander stems and roots, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cashews, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, and ½ cup of water to a large pan.Mix everything well.

Step 6: Cook the Makhani Sauce

Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes.Cook until the tomatoes and onions become very soft and mushy. This helps create a rich and flavorful base for the creamy butter chicken masala.

Step 7: Sear the Chicken

Remove the lid from the marinated chicken and give it a quick mix.Heat a heavy-bottomed pan or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer.Cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden and slightly charred.

The chicken does not need to be fully cooked yet. It will finish cooking later in the butter chicken sauce.

Step 8: Blend the Sauce Until Smooth

Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly. Remove the whole spices if you prefer.Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy.

For a silky restaurant-style butter chicken sauce, strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. This removes any small pieces of tomato skin or cashew.

Step 9: Cook the Butter and Ginger

Place the clean pan back over medium-low heat and add 50g butter. Once the butter melts, add the julienned ginger, slit green chilies, and a small pinch of red chili powder.

Cook for a few seconds until fragrant.

Step 10: Add the Makhani Sauce and Chicken

Pour the smooth makhani sauce into the pan and mix gently.If the sauce is too thick, add a little water to reach your preferred consistency.Add salt and honey or sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.Add the seared chicken along with any juices left on the plate. Stir gently to combine.

Step 11: Simmer with Cream

Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.Add the fresh cream and gently mix it into the sauce.Let the butter chicken simmer on low heat for 8–10 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.

The chicken will soak up the rich, creamy, buttery sauce.

Tip: Add the cream before simmering so it blends smoothly into the tomato sauce and gives the butter chicken a creamy, velvety texture.

Step 12: Finish the Creamy Butter Chicken

Remove the lid and stir in the fresh cream, crushed kasuri methi, and a small pinch of garam masala.Mix gently until the sauce becomes creamy, smooth, and glossy.Turn off the heat and finish with a small drizzle of cream and fresh cilantro, if desired.Serve your creamy butter chicken masala hot with naan, roti, basmati rice, or your favorite Indian side.

Final Tip: “This homemade butter chicken is rich, creamy, smoky, and full of Indian flavors—perfect for an easy restaurant-style dinner at home.”

Creamy Butter Chicken Masala Recipe | Easy Homemade Indian Curry

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Creamy Butter Chicken Masala is the ultimate combination of savory, spiced, and rich flavors. Tender marinated chicken is cooked until beautifully golden, then simmered in a velvety tomato-butter sauce. It’s comforting, incredibly flavorful, and much easier to make than it looks!

• Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins

Ingredients

First marination

• Chicken: 800g (boneless thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces)
• Garlic: 5 pods (minced or paste)
• Ginger: Small piece (minced or paste)
• Green Chili: 2 (finely chopped or slit)
• Lime Juice: 1 tsp
• Salt: ½ tsp
• Pepper Powder: ½ tsp
• Turmeric: ⅛ tsp

Second marination

• Curd (Plain Yogurt): 3 tbsp (thick or Greek yogurt works best)
• Mustard Oil: 2 tbsp (gives an authentic tandoori tang)
• Red Chili Powder: 1 tbsp (Kashmiri chili powder works wonderfully for color)
• Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder: 1 tsp
• Garam Masala: 1 tsp
• Dried Oregano: ¼ tsp
• Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves): ½ tsp
• Salt: ¼ tsp
• Red Food Coloring: A pinch (optional, for that iconic restaurant hue)

For makhani sauce base

• Tomatoes: 5 large (chopped)
• Onion: 1 large (chopped)
• Garlic: 5 pods (crushed)
• Ginger: Small piece (crushed)
• Coriander Stems with Roots: 4 (the root and stem pack a massive punch of flavor)
• Bay Leaf: 2
• Cinnamon Stick: 1 small piece
• Cardamom: 4 pods
• Cashews: 50 g (adds natural creaminess and body)
• Red Chili Powder: ½ tbsp
• Coriander Powder: ¼ tsp
• Cumin Powder: ¼ tsp
• Salt: ½ tsp
• Oil: 2 tbsp
• Water: ½ cup

For Tempering & Assembly

• Butter: 50g
• Ginger: Cut into thin juliennes (a few pieces)
• Green Chili: 2 (slit)
• Red Chili Powder: ½ tbsp (for the butter flash / tadka)
• Water: As needed to adjust gravy consistency
• Salt: As per taste
• Honey or Sugar: 1 tsp (to balance the tomato acidity)
• Fresh Cream: ¼ cup
• Kasuri Methi: ¼ tsp (crushed between your palms)
• Garam Masala: A pinch

Instructions

1. (1st Marinade): Mix chicken with garlic, ginger, green chili, lime juice, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Marinate for 30 minutes.
2. (2nd Marinade): Layer curd, mustard oil, spices, and food coloring directly over the chicken. Mix well.
3. (Charcoal Smoke): Place a small foil cup with a glowing hot charcoal and a few drops of oil in the center. Cover tightly for 2 hours to infuse smoke.
4. (Sear): Sear chicken in a hot pan or grill until nicely charred and half-cooked. Set aside.
5. (Makhani Base): Add all base ingredients (tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, stems, whole spices, cashews, spices, salt, oil, water) into a large skillet.
6. (Simmer): Cover and simmer on medium-low for 12–15 minutes until tomatoes are completely soft and mushy.
7. (Blend): Remove whole spices, let cool slightly, and blend until completely smooth and velvety. Strain if desired.
8. (Tadka): Melt butter in a pan. Sizzle julienned ginger, green chilies, and a pinch of red chili powder briefly.
9. (Combine): Pour in blended sauce, adjust consistency with water, and add salt, honey/sugar, and seared chicken.
10. (Cook): Simmer on low for 8–10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
11. (Finish): Stir in fresh cream, crushed kasuri methi, and a pinch of garam masala. Turn off the heat and serve hot!

Notes

Tips & Tricks at a Glance

• 🍅 Blend the sauce for a velvety restaurant finish.
• 🌿 Don’t skip the kasuri methi for authentic aroma.
• 🍗 Sear the chicken first for maximum flavor.
• 🍳 Use the same pan to capture the fond.
• 🔥 Keep the heat low after adding cream.
• 🧈 Finish with a little extra butter if desired.
• 🧄 Use fresh ginger and garlic paste.
• 🍚 Serve with plenty of warm naan or rice.

Extra Notes

• You can substitute heavy cream with coconut cream if you prefer a dairy-free or tropical twist, though traditional cream yields the classic flavor.
• Leftovers taste even better the next day as the spices meld further.
• Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water or milk if the sauce thickens up in the fridge.
• Fresh cilantro adds a bright, fresh contrast to the rich gravy.

• Author: macho recipes
• Prep Time: 30 mins + 15 mins prep
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Save this recipe, give it a try, and don’t forget to tell me what you served yours with! ❤️