The BEST Butter Chicken

You guys asked for it, and it's finally here! The BEST Butter Chicken you will ever make at home.
This is a fast and delicious recipe that is made all in one pan. Serve this up with some Naan or Rice and you are good to go!
I hope you enjoy this recipe. Scroll down for the full recipe :)
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Facebook Public Page: Vijaya Selvaraju
Instagram/Twitter/Snapchat: @vijayaselvaraju
For the marinade
1 cup, Plain Yogurt
1 tbsp, Lemon Juice
2 tsp, Garam Masala
1 tsp, Ground Red Chili Powder
1 tsp, Ground Coriander
1 tsp, Turmeric
½ tsp, Salt
1.5 lbs, Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs cut into bite size pieces.
3 tbsp, Clarified Butter
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, cover and marinate overnight, or a minimum of 2 hours.
In a large Dutch Oven, add Clarified Butter and heat on high. Add chicken in batches, ensuring not to crowd the pan, and sear on all sides, creating a deep brown crust. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
For the Sauce
½ cup, Butter cut into cubes
2 cups, Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp, Sugar
1 tsp, Ground Red Chili Powder
2 tbsp, Dried Fenugreek Leaves
1 tsp, Garam Masala
2 cups, Heavy Cream
Salt to Taste
Using the same dutch oven, melt ¼ cup of butter and add Tomato Sauce, Sugar, Red Chili, 1 tbsp of Fenugreek Leaves, and Garam Masala. Stir, and scrape all the bits of spice leftover from frying the chicken in the pan.
Continue to cook until tomatoes reduce, thicken, and butter begins to separate (approximately 15-20 minutes).
Add remaining Butter, Heavy Cream (reserving a few tablespoons), and Salt to taste. Return chicken to pan, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Garnish with remaining Dried Fenugreek Leaves, and a drizzle of Heavy Cream.

[@ThomasLichtenberg69]

Made this for me and my wife yesterday. Absolutely delicious. It was like "close your eyes and you think you are in an Indian restaurant". Best regards from Germany.

[@phoenix0477]

I'm making this later in Dusseldorf. Hope it's good. I miss proper Indian food.

[@ThomasLichtenberg69]

You gonna love it, dude.

[@TheTayseen]

@@phoenix0477 I will cook for you, lol

[@TheTayseen]

@@phoenix0477 I was in Dusseldorf and walking through a park and came across this guy tepping out for a smoke (I dont like smokers usually, lol) but this guy gave me such a wonderful smile that I literally fell in love, lol! But walked on by...always wonder who that guy was, haha!

[@phoenix0477]

@@TheTayseen Then he was probably a tourist haha, but imagine if it was me! Hahaha

[@Tom4816]

after trying a number of butter chicken recipes (ones using fresh tomatoes, garlic, ginger and cashews) I can confirm that this was the best tasting dish i cooked even without those ingredients.

[@barbarajansen4912]

What I love about this is how easy it is that I won’t have to strain the tomatoes. Can’t wait to try it!

[@bigsbydog]

Made this dish for my self and it turned out great. It's a keeper. Thank you for posting this. Keep um coming, I love Indian food.

[@bernhardbauer8938]

Absolutely awesome. I have to admit I did use some garlic for the marinade as well and put onions and garlic into the sauce. The result was simply astonishing. I've been trying out all kinds of butter chicken recipes and none can hold a candle to this even closely!

[@sharonaudain6895]

Thank you !!! I made this dish for the first time and my husband Love It. I am not Indian so this means a lot to me Thank You again

[@richardharrod3108]

My wife and I cooked this yesterday for the first time. It was amazing! Looking forward to the leftovers today!

[@VangaroZeon]

Still the best. 5 Years later.

[@amandavhb1630]

This was fantastic! I followed the garam masala recipe (I have a coffee grinder just for spices) and followed the butter chicken recipe. The only change was adding 2in of fresh grated ginger and 3 garlic cloves to the marinade. EXCELLENT! Thank you!

[@sweetboo1022]

I made this with your recipe 100% and it was amazing and I gave some leftovers to my father who now is requesting that I make it as a New Year's dish tomorrow and he would like me to make it a new tradition for us which says a lot for a middle class white family in the midwest. So thank you... it is the bomb. I do want to give a humble-brag that I also made homemade garlic naan with it and that and the rice... you just can't ask for better flavor.

[@Regirl75]

THE TITLE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF!!! My search for the best butter chicken is over, I have found it! You guys, I can’t even... thank you for the recipe!

[@GiantSquiddman]

I've never made a curry before in my life. I made this recipe today, and I'm definitely going to be making it again, I can't even put to words how good it was, I really surprised myself! Thank you so much, Vijaya! Amazing flavour!

[@akjlatif]

This is late, but this recipe is the best I have ever tried!! Even my dad, who really hates butter chicken, genuinely enjoyed it. Thank you ❤️❤️

[@AvrenSong]

4:12 she felt the guilt when she said "..some more butter" XD

[@wesleygordon1645]

Butter is healthier than vegetable oils.

[@ESBearden]

@@wesleygordon1645 Especially if you use ghee.

[@nandhinik5945]

Honestly the BEST butter chicken recipe ever! I made a huge portion for the first time itself and my friends were blown away and they requested that I make double portions of this every time they come! I even posted it on my Instagram story and so many of friends asked for the recipe. Now my boyfriend wants me to make this for potluck at his office! You are such a great energy and you are making our lives much simpler!! Keep going!

[@vijaya16]

So so happy to hear that!

[@frausmithy]

I made this for myself a few weeks ago and have not stopped thinking about it. Have another batch marinating to take to recuperating friend. The magic is in letting the sauce caramelise down enough. Totally delicious!

[@garagedoor0pener]

so I just tried making this tonight and it's like the best thing I've ever had. Thanks so much!

[@farahkhadim4768]

Omg you’re my hero! I cannot cook anything for the life of me...tried this since you made it seem so simple and I couldn’t be happier! Agreed...so succulent and amazing! Thanks!

[@YTK26]

My go-to butter chicken recipe! I've made it numerous times and recently substituted the heavy cream with coconut milk and coconut cream, just as delicious.

[@brittanyfoil]

Did you keep the amount the same when you subbed coconut milk?

[@filmmakerdude]

we made this tonight and even my mother-in-law (who is the 2nd pickiest eater in the world) loved it - making this again and again, thanks

[@wnsabu]

Who is the first one pickiest 😁

[@blablub9198]

I just had this Butter Chicken. What can I say, it was superb! Even though I wasn´t able to get Fenugreek Leaves and the chicken only marinated for about 3 hours, it was an explosion of spices in my mouth. Just what I expect from an Indian dish! Thank you so very much for sharing Vijaya!

[@Kaz.2719]

As a white dude who struggles to cook Indian food, thank you so much :D hands down the best recipe I’ve ever had and so easy to make.

[@marinazagrai1623]

Kaz...here is a white chick and I learned to cook her recipes during the Covid. The secret is be as liberal as you can with the spices - findba place where they sell spices by the ounce so it's always fresh because that is really important.

[@lranda2912]

This took a long time to make but it was SO worth it. I didn’t have any fenugreek/methi but it was soooo good even without it. Indian food has always seemed intimidating to make from scratch but I’m so thankful for this video because it got me to finally try it! I was light handed with the cream though, i kept mine a bit darker than hers.

[@marinazagrai1623]

L…I have fenugreek from a store (Indian) nearby, and to tell you the truth, I can’t tell the difference with it. I use it so seldom that I have to put it in to justify buying it (it was even inexpensive, so no problem there - you know how it can be with saffron, which gives at least the color).

[@nicolabowden2756]

I made this last week and oh wow it is the best curry i have ever made. My husband really enjoyed it but my daughter who is almost 14 and super fussy and walks away from many meals cleared her plate and said mum that was the best food ive eaten and please make it again so im making it tonight.. this makes enough for 2 meals for the 3 of us and its tastes even better the next day. I did add onions and i strained it because i used fresh vine tomatos because i had no tomato sauce apart from that i followed exactly as made. Its smooth buttery and delicious. Thanks for sharing

[@kristinpeoples134]

My tomatoes are simmering as I type - I am having my book club over to eat Butter Chicken. My house smells amazing - I wish I had time to cook like this every day! We read a great book that was based in India called The World We found by my new favorite author Thrity Umrigar and I have been craving Indian food ever since. I have been so excited to cook this meal - I'm hoping everyone will love it as much as I do!

[@Carlos-ui5dx]

How did it go?

[@krystal_naomi]

Just made it! My boyfriend said that sauce is on point!!! He said it does not need anything else and he is Punjabi! Thank you for the recipes!

[@ArianeArsenault]

Making it right now! Smells so good! ❤

[@shabanamohammed5902]

Tried and true recipie! Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe! Thank you so much for sharing ! ❤

[@Yosaphina]

I still make this regularly for my kids 4 years later(cutting back on the Kashmiri chili a little for the heat). People criticize it for no ginger, garlic, onions, cashews, but for me the flavor is wonderful, better than what I get from Indian restaurants, and easy for a busy person who doesn't have time to do all the cleanup needed in the more complex recipes.

[@ishwaryaadfree9818]

Pls don't give this much butter to kids

[@Juicyfish88]

@@ishwaryaadfree9818u be hating to much

[@alikizilbash4766]

I attempted this recipe twice. Both times it came out amazing. On the second shot I reduced the chilly powder by half and charred the chicken separately in a cast iron pan. I found if you completely cook the chicken and then put it in the sauce you do not need to cook the chicken further and it remains extremely tender. Thank you Viijaya your recipes are exquisite

[@vijaya16]

Amazing!!!

[@azwins.a14]

Hi instead of tomato sauce from the bottle, can I blend tomato and run it through a sieve?

[@carlgeenen1654]

This dish is killer!! I made it the other night, faithfully following Vijaya's recipe. I already had all of the spices, even my own homemade garam masala, but had to go to the Indian market to find the dried fenugreek leaves. It cooked up quickly, and the kitchen smelled amazing. I served it over basmati rice. I'm totally making this when we have company over next week. This is way better than what you get on the Indian restaurant buffet. Great job, Vijaya!!

[@sangeetakumar9186]

I just made this and it is amazing!!!! I used half and half and it came out pretty good. Thank you so much for this recipe! It literally came out they way it would when ordered from a restaurant ❤️

[@marinazagrai1623]

It’s actually better…there is a very very good restaurant in Houston where we used to go until the pandemic but I have made it with this recipe so we never went there.

[@AysheeeNurr]

My husband loved it so much! He doesn’t like Indian food unless it’s perfection! And this was a winner! Highly recommend to try it out!

[@halalvibes931]

AysheeeNurr as salaam aalaikum Can u please tell me which tomato sauce u used Im confused By tomato sauce did she mean tomato ketchup or pureed tomato or tomato paste

[@FatemahAlqallaf25]

Can i have a recepe?

[@manuelnoriega7163]

I made this and was INCREDIBLE!!! thanks a lot, amazing and easy recipe, full of flavor

[@kristiemao4275]

I made this recipe again, and it's so good. I added some garlic and ginger and let the chicken marinate overnight. It was so tender and fresh. I'm in love. LOL. I almost want to buy another package of chicken thighs to make it again for next week, but I think I'll have to try your other recipes. I'm really happy I found your channel!

[@cherylbateman3804]

Made this last night. Amazing! I've done instant pot butter chicken recipes but decided to try something different. So glad I did. Looking forward to leftovers today!

[@2212221major]

Soooo goood!!! Just made this tonight and it's amazing! It's like magic. Thank you!!!

[@rohansingh5048]

Thank you this looks so good and so easy does it taste like restaurant style?

[@spokaneman7327]

Thank you for the video. Is there a substitute for the fenugreek?

[@sasithornamy]

I’m in a small coastal town in Oregon, so variety of foods and restaurants are limited. I just made this since I was craving Indian food. SO GOOD!!! Thx you for the recipe 😋.

[@andrewmangan118]

Thanks so much Vijaya! I have only recently stopped using jar sauces and started cooking from scratch I made a dreadful chicken soup that my family hated me for recently The next night I cooked "butter chicken tikka masala" lol I overlapped your 2 recipes and now I am forgiven

[@SuperGolfmad]

What do you do with the left over marinade?

[@TheBinoyVudi]

mind blown !! youre such an amazing cook, vijaya!!!!

[@amya8045]

I have a lot of recipes all of which are more complicated/use ‘better’ ingredients and this is by far the best one. Delicious

[@nolenewilliams2021]

True man

[@shagufafazilat9397]

Absolutely love this recipe, third time im making my butter chicken with your recipe and cant press the like button enough

[@vijaya16]

Aw so glad you like it Shagufa!

[@lailasabawi4765]

I made this for my husband, it was my first time making butter chicken. Turned out AMAZING!!! 😍❤️❤️❤️

[@trombonemunroe]

This looks absolutely fabulous, I can't wait to try it!!

[@haleypatriciarosejohnson3277]

I love making fresh different curries..this i will make also😍

[@evelynvera7678]

Omg i just made this.. it was amazing! I cant beleive i just made this 😃 thank u so much for sharing!!!

[@OyinuaFumudohPorbeni]

I have methi (the seeds) but not the leaves...any substitute you can recommend?

[@Jguirguis1979]

Hey...looks great!.......did you use more butter than what is on the ingredients list you wrote? .......it just looked like more than a stick?

[@SZ-jt4du]

Hi Vijaya, thanks for the video. I brought this into work and my friends loved it. Thanks!!

[@paulhammond8583]

Great to see you properly browning and deglazing. Indian food is amazing, but so many Indian chefs don't do this, and it just means they're missing out on even more flavour. I'll be trying this recipe in the UK soon, thanks :-)

[@bonnielee78]

do you use regular ground chili powder or kashmiri chili powder in this?

[@jeffng6876]

Can you tell me how you make ghee or have to buy from the shop

[@georgehenderson7783]

Vijaya Selvaraju Thank you for this great recipe, it turned out almost as good as the butter chicken in my favorite Indian restaurant! And I really enjoyed your cheerful presentation too!

[@arielspalter7425]

I just made it for dinner and I am the undisputed HERO of the household at the moment (-; it turned out absolutely fantastic.

[@itsallthere7040]

Looks great. What can I replace the dried fenugreek leaves with if they are not available? Would it affect the taste if I discard them?

[@paulbar1768]

I love this recipe! I’ve cooked it so many times and always get the best compliments! Thank you!

[@TheEmorej1]

wow girl!!!!!! its so easy to make ! thats why i love it,thanks

[@Barbievel]

I’ve made this twice now and it’s so good!!!! I’ve been buying premade versions but nothing has come close to this recipe!!! 🤤🤤🤤

[@simplymaria7908]

It looks great! Thank you!

[@Coco-ei3wz]

Oh wow I’m in love with this recipe!! Made it for the first time and it tastes delicious!!

[@chenelius]

i could actually hear my Heart screaming at me whilst i sat and salivated at this.

[@monobloc]

HAHA me too

[@samiemoho7514]

😆😆😆

[@7franny7]

I just want to add how amazing your recipes have been I've tried your corner as well and I am very very happy with the results I wish that you would do more Indian curry recipes. Thanks

[@MadAudi]

I’ve sort of made this without realizing it. No Marsala in my spice rack and I used Sweet Cream butter instead of ghee. I also added Caramelized onion and sautéed garlic before adding the tomato sauce to the pan. Not exactly the same… but it’s delicious!

[@breannadenholm2960]

How do I find out the amount to use for spices and stuff

[@michaeldion8798]

Rather enjoyed watching this. Gonna have to try it as butter chicken is one of my favorite dishes. You have a new subscriber.

[@stevebs2001]

Tried this recipe, & you really know what you're talking about! I've made it my mission to cook Indian dishes for the past 5 years. I have a question, why no garlic/ginger paste in this recipe? And can you post your recipe for basmati rice? :)

[@chunara]

Ginger Garlic is a MUST

[@marinazagrai1623]

stevebs...though the Indian cuisine is filled with ginger and garlic, this is about the only recipe that doesn't because it says: "butter chicken", so it will not have any of those, because the focus is on the chicken and the butter and more butter! Make sure you the recipe (of course if you haven't alrady) for chicken tikka masala, as I made it and it was great (even my husband was surprised!). We all have our gauges and my husband is mine, because he's soooo picky! Make sure you use cream not anything else!

[@petetimbrell3527]

I also add cashew nuts, ground up to a powder, at the beginning of the sauce. These add to richness, so you can use a little less butter.

[@toddtomarelli5316]

What brand frying pan are you using

[@danielwoods4145]

Vijaya I'm telling you this now this is AMAZING!! I've had this dish at my local indian restaurant many times. This recipe taste just like it. I want to thank you for it!!

[@kergroix5881]

Tried many recipes soso and then I found yours. Simply DELICIOUS ! Everybody loved it. I love butter !!! 😊

[@bacchusendo9032]

man, I wish there were Indian restaurants where I live so that I can go to them on my cheat days and order this kind of stuff up whenever I want!!!

[@u235u235u235]

you live a garbage/podunk area then. any respectable metro area has nearly all types of restaurants, and several of each kind competing for the dollars of professionals in the area. I think there's 5, maybe more, Indian restaurants 10 min drive from my home. Same for Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mediterranean, Japanese, Italian, etc. I do wish my area had better Korean food. do you have a whole foods in your area?

[@marinazagrai1623]

Bacchus...I am close to Houston, a "foody" town (in case you don't know)...and there is one really good restaurant but with this Covid, even now, they serve the buffet dishes. They kept the same prices but when the server puts the food on the plate he is very conservative. It's really easy to make the food she makes and it tastes much better than at the restaurant.

[@spicytea6901]

@@u235u235u235 Maybe they don't live metro, they could live rural or maybe in a country where indian restaurants are not common? Don't be too fast to judge somebody!

[@u235u235u235]

@@spicytea6901 it's facts, not judgment.

[@spicytea6901]

@@u235u235u235 Your 'fact' is flawed. An area doesn't have to be highly developed to be nice, and been highly developed doesn't necessarily mean a good area. That's a rediculous assumption.

[@brolly414]

Can’t wait to make this. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@adalinecosta6088]

Love love your videos! Can’t wait to try out your recipes. What is the brand of your pan??

[@halababy3313]

I just made this and OMG!!! Just incredible sooooo delicious even my father who doesn't like heavy cream liked it soooo much, I'm from Algeria so can't find fenugreek but replaced it with a bit of mustard it did just amazing, thanx for the recipe I'm so glad I could taste indian food at my own home confort ❤❤❤❤

[@samabd3665]

I hope you don’t put that much butter, you would send your dad directly to Moudtafa basha😛

[@pch8236]

Ah thanks for the mustard subsitute trick, will try that tonight

[@honeyboiii]

Another thing one can do is to melt some butter in the pan, add a medium-sized bay leaf, a 1-inch cinnamon stick, some cloves, and a couple of cardamoms. When they are fragrant, add the tomato puree along with the fenugreek and garam masala. I feel it gives a more distinct flavor

[@johnbeard2704]

@vijaya16 I'm curious, why no ginger/garlic? I see them either added to the marinade, masala or both. Is this just a personal preference?

[@samgomez3319]

What can I do with the leftover marinated paste?

[@nickherath6600]

Thanks Vijaya, made this and your naan for the family tonight. Hands down the best Butter Chicken I’ve ever had!

[@asraaabidali6909]

Tried this yesterday and it was awesome! I used canned crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce, didn't have fenugreek leaves so I used parsley, and unfortunately didn't have Ghee so I used more butter lol. Next time I will see if I can get my hands on so ghee. Again soooooo good, and easy to make. Highly recommended.

[@onenessseeker5683]

fenugreek & parsley is worlds apart lol

[@missTiffuhnee]

@@onenessseeker5683what do you recommend in substitute for fenugreek? I’m having trouble finding it locally

[@ln9447]

Can you use butter instead of ghee ?will it produce the same flavor and consistency

[@CM-tb8zr]

Hi Vijaya, Great recipe. I've made this about 6 times now, and half of the time my cream curdles, which essentially ruins the dish for me. What is causing that? Is the pan too hot when I pour it in?

[@christophergullins2833]

Can you recommend a brand of Tomato sauce? Thanks

[@annavarghese6508]

I used heiz brand which was very good

[@flatbedbill]

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG !!!!!!! I'm NEVER eating anything else again. Followed your recipe to the letter and it came out GREAT! SO MUCH BUTTER AND HEAVY CREAM! I LOVE IT! I'm having an angioplasty tomorrow! Just kidding. Hey, this is one special dish and I tank you for showing us how to make it. Take good care. :)

[@vijaya16]

Haha, yes lots of both, but fine as a once in a while indulgence ;)

[@TheLadybuglee]

What can you add that is dairy free? Instead of cream?

[@scottdavidson7543]

This looks like the recipe I've been looking for. Might try it today

[@Tbj-gx7jr]

Thankyou for sharing, this dish was absolutely divine!!! Definitely the BEST butter chicken recipe even without the garlic and ginger, everything worked so well together ,everyone loved it MashaAllah,thanks for sharing sis! 💖

[@krauser2111]

After eating this dish your heart explotes, blows up, ka-boom, bye bye, sayonara baby...

[@itsmelissaking]

This recipe is amazing!! I made a lot so I could pack it as lunch all week, I added a lil fresh basil which adds a nice lil kick when served

[@klginktattoo6855]

must use salted or unsalted butter?

[@MrDFC1111]

2:38 "a touch more butter" - you are my hero, Vijaya!

[@vijaya16]

LOL :D

[@goldwolf0606]

😂!!! I keep watching these videos because I know that touch of butter tastes so damn good even though I know it’s not the best for you. Boy I miss eating so much meat and butter. All that flavor mmm mmm good!

[@badgoy8439]

@@goldwolf0606 butter is actually very good for you. Especially if you can find raw (unpasteurized) butter from grassfed cows- that is seriously one of the healthiest things you can eat.

[@goldwolf0606]

Bad Goy you need more education. Butter is only healthy for you if you’re a starving person. I mean starving literally like those skin and bones people in war torn parts of Africa. All butter is, is a dense source of calories salt and cholesterol. good if you’re starving but horrible as hell if you’re well fed in a civilized world. It leads to heart disease even if it comes from grass fed cows. cow milk was intended to turn a 100 lb calf into a 1000 cow in a few months. Are you a calf? Are you supposed to be 1000 lbs? you don’t need those calories, eating that many calories if not starving is BAD for you...

[@badgoy8439]

@@goldwolf0606 you have literally no idea what you're talking about. Fat isn't for weight gain, it's for energy and nutrients. Your body requires many fat-soluble micronutrients and vitamins only available from the fat of naturally raised animals. Fat doesn't cause you to gain weight, carbohydrates do. Cholesterol is vitally important, as it's literally what your cells and brain are made of. To continue to believe those illegitimate studies from decades ago that say cholesterol is bad is simply laughable. It's been shown that there is no correlation between cholesterol and heart disease. You simply do not know what you're talking about and are spouting the equivalent of broscience and urban legend.

[@CanwegetSubscriberswithn-cu2it]

How much butter Coach Greg. "More than last time!"

[@anukikeen6192]

Do the fenugreek leaves make a big difference? I can't find them anywhere. Is there a substitute I could use or can I go ahead with this recipe without them?

[@user-eu2me4bp7j]

Hi! ive made this recipe twice and we LOVE it, but I notice my chicken doesn't "fry" brown like yours- like with a small layer of crisp. Also my sauce doesn't "dance around the pan" and slghtly clump. I think it may be a pan issue with moisture. What do you think? Are you using a cast iron? Thank you and much love !

[@thetwinsforgod7779]

Definitely a simple and easy version for most to try and make butter chicken :) I'm sure I'll saute/caramelize onions and garlic prior to all of the steps you mentioned as a base before adding the tomato sauce and it'll also be amazing :)

[@olgakim4848]

And ginger, for Pete's sake. Garlic and Ginger; the Holy Grail of Indian cooking, I thought.

[@troodonshmoodon1826]

this is my favorite dish ever! thank you for making this video! you're amazing

[@vijaya16]

Thank you!

[@angelyncortes8808]

I'm excited to cook this. thank you!

[@aqueenfromqueenzcarmeljones]

Gonna make this tmrw so excited