Short answer
To make butter chicken, marinate chicken in yogurt and spices, cook it over high heat, then simmer it in a smooth tomato sauce finished with butter, cream and dried fenugreek leaves. The sauce is blended for silkiness and kept mild and slightly sweet.
To make butter chicken, marinate chicken in yogurt and spices, grill or roast it until lightly charred, and simmer it in a smooth tomato sauce finished with butter, cream and dried fenugreek leaves. This guide shows how to make butter chicken in about an hour of active cooking, with the sauce method, the steps and the usual mistakes to avoid.
What is butter chicken?
Butter chicken is a North Indian dish of tandoori-style chicken in a mild, creamy tomato sauce rich with butter. It is also called murgh makhani, where murgh means chicken and makhani means buttery.
Most accounts trace the dish to Delhi, where cooks are said to have turned leftover tandoori chicken into a sauce. The details are told in several ways and are not fully documented, so the story is best treated as tradition. The result is one of the best-known Punjabi-style restaurant dishes around the world.
What ingredients do you need for butter chicken?
You need chicken, yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, spices, tomatoes, butter, cream and dried fenugreek leaves. The list is simple, and the quality of the tomatoes and butter matters most.
For the marinade:
- 700 g boneless chicken thigh, cut into large pieces
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion, chopped, or leave it out for a purer tomato taste
- 4 to 5 ripe tomatoes, or 1 1/2 cups tomato puree
- 6 to 8 cashews, soaked, for body (optional)
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi, crushed between your palms
- 1 teaspoon sugar if the tomatoes are sharp
How do you marinate the chicken?
Marinate the chicken in yogurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste and spices for at least two hours, and up to overnight in the fridge. The acid and the yogurt tenderise the meat and carry the flavour.
Mix everything, coat each piece well, cover and chill. Overnight gives the deepest flavour, but two hours is enough. Do not marinate longer than about 24 hours, because the texture of the chicken turns mushy.
How do you cook the chicken before the sauce?
Cook the marinated chicken over high heat until it is lightly charred outside and just cooked through, then set it aside. This step is what makes butter chicken taste like tandoor food rather than plain curry.
- Heat the oven to 250 C, or heat a broiler or a barbecue grill.
- Thread the chicken on skewers or lay it on a rack over a tray.
- Cook for 12 to 18 minutes, turning once, until browned at the edges.
- Brush with a little melted butter and rest the pieces while you make the sauce.
The chicken may still be slightly underdone in the centre. It will finish in the sauce.
How do you make the butter chicken sauce?
Make the sauce by cooking tomatoes with spices until the oil separates, blending them smooth, then adding butter and cream. Blending and straining are what make the sauce silky.
- Melt the butter with the oil, add the onion if you use it and cook until soft.
- Add ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, chilli powder, a cinnamon stick and two cardamom pods.
- Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the tomatoes collapse.
- Remove the whole spices, add the cashews and blend until completely smooth. Strain for a restaurant finish.
- Return the sauce to the pan, add a little water to loosen it, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and sugar, taste for salt, then add the grilled chicken and kasuri methi.
- Simmer gently for 5 to 8 minutes and finish with a spoon of butter.
The sauce should coat a spoon and be pourable, not stiff. Add water a spoonful at a time to adjust.
What are the most common butter chicken mistakes?
The most common mistakes are boiling the sauce hard after adding cream, skipping the blending step, and cooking the chicken too long. Each one is easy to avoid.
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cream added to a boiling sauce | Sauce splits | Lower the heat before adding cream |
| Sauce not blended or strained | Gritty texture | Blend well, then strain |
| Chicken overcooked before simmering | Dry, chewy pieces | Grill until just done |
| Too much chilli or garam masala | Harsh, muddy taste | Keep spices mild, add at the end |
| Under-cooked tomatoes | Sour, raw taste | Cook until oil separates |
How is butter chicken different from chicken tikka masala?
Butter chicken is smoother, sweeter and butterier than chicken tikka masala, which usually has a spicier, more savoury sauce. Both use grilled chicken in tomato and cream, so they are often confused.
Butter chicken keeps the sauce simple, with tomato, butter, cream and fenugreek. Chicken tikka masala tends to add onion, more chilli and a stronger spice mix. If you want a mild plate for a mixed group, butter chicken is the usual choice.
What do you serve with homemade butter chicken?
Serve butter chicken with naan, roti or basmati rice, and add a cool raita or a simple onion salad. The bread or rice carries the sauce.
Garlic naan, butter naan and jeera rice are all natural partners. A sprinkle of chopped cilantro and a swirl of cream on top finish the dish.
Is butter chicken on the menu at Kang’s Dhaba?
Butter Chicken appears among the highlights of the non-veg curries in the MainMenus directory listing for Kang’s Dhaba in Brampton, read on 14 November 2026. The same listing records Garlic Naan, Butter Naan and Jeera Rice.
No prices were recorded for this guide. For the full list of items, see the menu page, and call +1 905-450-9595 to confirm what is on offer, because listings can be out of date. The hours and location page explains that sources differ on the closing time. This site is an independent guide and does not take orders.
How do you store and reheat butter chicken?
Cool butter chicken within two hours, store it covered in the fridge for up to three days, and reheat it gently with a splash of water. Stir often so the cream does not separate.
For the freezer, use a sealed container and keep it for two to three months. The flavour often improves overnight, because the spices have time to settle into the sauce.
Common questions
Can I make butter chicken without a tandoor?
Yes. A very hot oven, a broiler or a barbecue gives a similar char. Cook the marinated chicken until the edges are browned in spots, then finish it in the sauce so it stays juicy.
Why is my butter chicken sauce sour?
Tomatoes can be acidic. Cook the puree until the oil separates, add a small pinch of sugar, and finish with butter and cream. Using ripe tomatoes or a good tomato puree also helps.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thigh?
You can, but thigh stays moister in a simmered sauce. If you use breast, cut it in larger pieces, grill it briefly and add it to the sauce only for the last few minutes.
What can replace kasuri methi?
Nothing matches its flavour exactly. If you have none, leave it out, or add a pinch of fenugreek seed powder very sparingly, since too much turns bitter. The dish is still good without it.
Can I freeze butter chicken?
Yes, for about two to three months in a sealed container. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of water, whisking if the cream separates.
For the address, opening hours and menu, see Kang's Dhaba in Brampton.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Kang's Dhaba itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.