Kundan Lal Gujral, the Indian chef who created tandoori chicken at his Moti Mahal restaurant, made another worthy contribution to the world’s embrace of Indian cuisine. This dish was created as a clever way to revive day-old tandoori chicken: Stir it into a rich, buttery tomato curry. Our version starts with fresh chicken but is just as indulgent. For the best flavor, Marinate at least one hour or overnight.

Serve this butter chicken recipe with additional fresh cilantro, rice, and naan bread. If you'd like to make butter chicken in your pressure cooker or slow cooker, this helpful butter chicken recipe breaks down both cooking methods. This easy butter chicken recipe can be prepped the night before you plan to serve for easy weeknight cooking. We recommend using chicken thighs or drumsticks for this recipe. They cook up tender and juicy in the butter chicken sauce.

Tips for the Perfect Butter Chicken

If you make a mistake when cooking your butter chicken, it can probably be fixed with a slight adjustment. To create butter chicken that tastes sweet and tangy, follow these helpful tips.

If your butter chicken is watery: Your chicken could come out too watery if you added too much broth or if you did not allow it to cook for long enough. Make sure that you leave your ingredients on the stove until they're fully ready. If the butter chicken is still watery, you can also add a thickening agent like cornstarch (mixed with cold water) toward the end of cooking.

If your butter chicken tastes too bitter: Add a spoonful of cream, butter, or sugar to your recipe. The sweetness of these ingredients will help the dish taste less bitter. 

If your butter chicken tastes too chewy: If your chicken is undercooked, it could turn out rubbery, so make sure that you're cooking for the proper amount of time. Marinating for too long could also force moisture out of the chicken, so avoid letting the chicken soak for too long before cooking.