I never used to love butter chicken. It was my least favorite South Asian food. But my opinion completely changed as soon as I tried a homemade version.
My opinion completely changed when I first tried a homemade version of butter chicken with garlic naan. It was much better than any restaurant version. Making it at home allows for personal tweaks and extra care, making the effort worth it.
Everything is generally better when made at home, though some foods are best to buy. Not so for butter chicken. If you ever feel like it, the extra effort of making it yourself is worth it.
The flavors are richer and more satisfying, making it a dish you’ll want to make some time and again. South Asian foods have a unique charm, and butter chicken with garlic naan highlights this perfectly.
Jump to RecipeWhat IS Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan
Butter Chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, is a beloved Indian dish renowned for its rich, creamy tomato sauce and tender marinated chicken. This culinary masterpiece combines a blend of aromatic spices, creating a delightful balance of flavors that tantalize the taste buds.
Traditionally served with Garlic Naan, a soft and fluffy flatbread infused with garlic and herbs, this pairing offers the perfect vehicle for savoring the luscious sauce. Together, Butter Chicken and Garlic Naan create a comforting and satisfying meal that showcases the vibrant essence of Indian cuisine.
Is Butter Chicken Healthy?
Yes, butter chicken can be made healthier by decreasing the amount of butter and replacing the heavy cream with options like half and half, Greek yogurt, or coconut milk. This approach makes the recipe healthier without compromising on taste.
Many restaurants in the West tend to add tons of butter, sugar, and cream, but I have adjusted my recipe to reflect an authentic butter chicken with fewer of these ingredients and more spice. This way, you can enjoy a delicious meal that stays true to its origins while being mindful of your health.
What you’ll need
You’ll need a few key ingredients to make Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan. Let’s start with the chicken. For this recipe, I prefer using boneless and skinless chicken thighs. They are juicy and flavorful, but if you only have skinless chicken breasts on hand, they work well, too.
Next, you will need plain natural yogurt or Greek yogurt. This is important for the marinade. Mix all of the marinade ingredients into the yogurt before adding the chicken. This ensures that the flavors are evenly distributed throughout the meat.
Although premade butter chicken spice mixes are available at the grocery store, I love making my spice mix from scratch. The combination of garam masala, cumin, turmeric, sweet paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper makes this dish truly lip-smackingly good. It’s a mild curry, but add more cayenne pepper if you prefer extra spice.
Ghee is the best choice for cooking. It is regular butter with the milk solids and water removed, leaving behind pure butter fat. It has a more intense flavor and won’t burn at high heat. However, you can use regular butter if you don’t have ghee.
Fresh ingredients like garlic and ginger are essential. Many traditional recipes call for a garlic and ginger paste, but I prefer finely grating fresh garlic and ginger for a more vibrant flavor.
For the sauce base, you’ll need tomato passata. This gives the sauce its richness. Sauté it in a skillet to cook out any acidity. Cashew nuts add a wonderful creaminess and help thicken the sauce.
Finally, heavy cream gives the sauce a luscious, silky texture and mows out the spices.
Serving Suggestions
Butter chicken is best served with basmati rice and garlic naan bread. The rice soaks up the delicious sauce, and the naan is perfect for mopping up any leftovers. Now is the time if you’ve never tried making your naan bread.
The recipe below will give you soft, pillowy naan that is far superior to store-bought versions. A restaurant-style dinner from the comfort of your own home!
How to make butter chicken and garlic naan
Start your naan: Begin by proofing the yeast. Combine sugar, warm water, and yeast, letting it sit until foamy, ensuring a fluffy texture for the naan.
Mix the yeast mixture with flour, yogurt, and salt, kneading until smooth. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, then divide and shape it into balls. Rest the dough briefly before rolling it out.
Butter Chicken Preparation:
1. Marinate the chicken: Combine chicken thighs, yogurt, lemon juice, ginger,garlic paste, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, paprika, and chili powder in a bowl. Let it marinate for 30 minutes for flavors to meld.
2. Prepare the sauce: Heat butter in a separate pan and add tomato puree, cream, and kasuri methi. Simmer until the sauce thickens and flavors meld.
3. Cook the chicken: Add the marinated chicken to the sauce. Cook until tender and cooked through, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Garlic Naan Dough:
1. Infuse with garlic: Add minced garlic to the proofed yeast mixture. Mix well to incorporate the flavor throughout the dough.
2. Shape and cook: Roll the rested dough balls into flat shapes. Cook them in a hot tandoor or skillet until they puff up and develop a light char.
Serve the butter chicken hot with freshly cooked garlic naan for a delicious meal!
Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan
Ingredients
- 800g boneless and skinless chicken
For the marinade:
- 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons curry spice (bazaar)
- 2 teaspoons chilli flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
For the naan dough:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 20g granulated sugar
- 450g bread flour (plain flour works too, but bread flour is better)
- 150ml warm water
- 150g plain yoghurt
- 10g instant yeast
- 50g melted unsalted butter
For the garlic butter:
- 1/2 tablespoon coriander,
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon coriander, chopped
For the butter chicken sauce:
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 6 green bird eye chilies, chopped (optional)
- 2 teaspoons chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon curry spice
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 20 cashews
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 cup double cream
Instructions
To make Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan, follow these steps:
Marinating the Chicken
- Add the chicken, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and all the seasonings in a large bowl.
- Mix everything well.
- Cover the bowl and let the mixture marinate for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
Making the Naan Dough
- Preparing the naan dough and garlic butter before cooking the marinated chicken.
- In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients for the dough.
- Knead the dough for about 8 minutes until it becomes a smooth dough.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise warmly for 1-2 hours until it has doubled in size.
Making the Garlic Butter
- In a pot, add the butter and heat it over medium heat until it is completely melted.
- Add the minced garlic and coriander to the melted butter and mix well.
- Remove the pot from the heat and leave aside until ready to use.
Cooking the Chicken
- Place a large pan over medium heat and add some butter.
- Let it melt, then add the marinated chicken.
- Cook the chicken thoroughly, then take out the cooked chicken and leave aside.
Making the Sauce
- Add more butter to the same pan used for cooking the chicken and let it melt.
- Add the chopped onions and cook until they turn brown.
- Then, add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, chilies, and the seasonings. Mix everything and cook for about a minute.
- Add the cashews and cream and cook for a few more minutes to soften them.
- Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Sieve the sauce back into the pan and add the cooked chicken.
- Let it simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- If the butter starts separating, add more cream and mix.
- Finally, add the garam masala and coriander, remove from heat, cover, and leave aside.
Cooking the Naan
- The dough should have risen by now.
- Cut the dough into pieces. This dough typically makes 4 naans, but you can make more if you prefer smaller naans.
- Roll the pieces into balls and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- Take each dough ball and roll it out thinly; it won’t cook well if it’s too thick.
- Place the rolled dough onto a hot pan; a tava or cast iron skillet works best.
- You’ll see bubbles forming, indicating the pan is hot enough.
- Cook the naan for 1-2 minutes on each side until cooked.
- Brush the garlic butter onto the cooked naans. Repeat until all naans are ready.
- Now, enjoy your delicious Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan!
