Indian
Butter Chicken
Charred yogurt-marinated chicken is folded into a silky tomato-cashew makhani sauce finished with butter, cream, and kasuri methi.
4 servings · 45 minutes prep · 60 minutes cook
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chile powder
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
Makhani Gravy
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, for sauce base
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 4 cloves
- 1-inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 lb ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chile powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, for finishing
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp crushed kasuri methi
Directions
Method
- Mix the plain whole-milk yogurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chile powder, kosher salt, garam masala, and avocado oil. Coat the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours.
- Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high. Cook the chicken just until charred in spots and the thickest pieces reach 150-155°F, about 5-7 minutes; it will finish in the sauce. Reserve the juices.
- Melt the first unsalted butter with the avocado oil in a saucepan. Add the green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 45 seconds. Add the Roma tomatoes, raw cashews, Kashmiri chile powder, kosher salt, and sugar. Simmer until thick, glossy, and very soft, 25-30 minutes.
- Remove the whole spices, blend the sauce until smooth, and pass it through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Return the sauce to the pan with the final unsalted butter, heavy cream, garam masala, kasuri methi, chicken, and reserved juices. Simmer gently just until the thickest chicken pieces reach at least 165°F, about 4-6 minutes; do not continue simmering once they are done.
