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Butter Chicken as served, showing the finished dish

Dinner recipe

Butter Chicken Recipe

A practical, source-aware recipe for butter chicken, with the history kept close to the method.

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Butter Chicken. Photo: Vis M / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Developed by the Recipe Desk. This original editorial recipe uses measured ingredients, explicit timing and yield, allergen notes, storage guidance, and step-by-step visual cues. Use the stated doneness and texture cues because ingredients, ovens, and kitchen equipment vary.

Recipe card

Butter Chicken

A practical, source-aware recipe for butter chicken, with the history kept close to the method.

Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Yield
6–8 servings
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • ½ cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • ½ cup (1 stick) cultured or unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
  • 5 green cardamom pods
  • 1 whole clove
  • 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds (optional)
  • 2 medium onions, sliced
  • 2 serrano chiles, split lengthwise
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • Chopped cilantro, steamed basmati rice, and naan (for serving)

Method

  1. Marinade for Butter Chicken, showing the ingredients and preparation at this stage
    Step 1: Marinade for Butter Chicken.
    1

    Marinade

    Marinade

  2. Sauce and Assembly for Butter Chicken, showing the ingredients and preparation at this stage
    Step 2: Sauce and Assembly for Butter Chicken.
    2

    Sauce and Assembly

    Sauce and Assembly

Storage

Cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat only when the texture benefits from it.

Allergens

No major allergens identified from the listed ingredients. Always check product labels for cross-contact.

Why this dish belongs here

The history behind the method

This dinner builds on the history of from jungle fowl to the world's most eaten meat, linking the dish to chicken’s longer story in food culture.

Explore the ingredients

Chicken history

Trend and context sources

  1. [1]Original Butter Chicken recipe — Bon Appétit
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Written by The Foods That Shaped Us Research Desk

The Foods That Shaped Us Research Desk is the publication byline for collaboratively maintained food-history articles, Case Files, Trend Desk analysis, and original Recipe Desk development. Historical work is grounded in cited sources. Recipes use measured formulations and receive an editorial consistency, safety-note, and image-provenance review before release.

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