How to Make Restaurant-Style Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani): Quick Weeknight + Traditional Punjabi Recipes from a DFW Caterer

Butter chicken (murgh makhani) is the dish that put Indian food on the global map. The Punjabi original was invented at Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in the 1950s when chef Kundan Lal Gujral threw leftover tandoori chicken into a tomato-cream gravy and accidentally created the most-ordered Indian dish in the world. Today every Indian restaurant claims an authentic version, every food blog has a recipe, and most home cooks end up with a tomato chicken curry that lacks the signature butter chicken depth.

This blog gives you two complete recipes. The 45-Minute Weeknight version is what we cook at home on a busy Tuesday. The Traditional Punjabi version is the restaurant-quality original we serve at TiffinsTo Go catering events across DFW. Both work. Pick the one that fits the time you have.

If you are cooking for 25 or more guests, scroll to the scaling chart near the bottom; both methods share the same scaling math.

How do you make restaurant-style butter chicken at home?

Butter chicken comes in two practical versions for the home kitchen. The 45-minute weeknight version builds a tomato-paste-and-cream sauce in a saucepan (10 min vegetable saute, 3 min spice bloom, 10 min simmer, blend smooth, finish with butter and cream), tosses 2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs with Greek yogurt and broils them at 6 inches under the element for 16 to 20 minutes, then combines and finishes with kasuri methi. The traditional Punjabi version marinates the chicken overnight in yogurt plus tandoori spices, builds the sauce with fresh tomato puree plus cashew paste and no onion, simmers low for 30 to 40 minutes, broils the marinated chicken until charred, and finishes with butter, cream, and kasuri methi. Both are good. The traditional version is what you eat at a great Indian restaurant; the weeknight version is 80 percent as good with 25 percent of the active time.

What is butter chicken, really?

Butter chicken (murgh makhani in Hindi) was invented in 1950 at Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi by Kundan Lal Gujral, the same chef credited with popularizing dal makhani. The story is that Gujral had leftover tandoori chicken at the end of the day and threw it into a tomato-cream-butter gravy to keep it from drying out. The result was so good it became the restaurant signature and eventually the most-ordered Indian dish in the world.

The Punjabi original uses no onion in the sauce. The richness comes from cashew paste plus cream plus butter, the tang comes from fresh tomato plus ginger, and the signature aroma comes from kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) added at the finish. The chicken is marinated in yogurt plus tandoori spices and grilled in a tandoor oven for the smoky char that defines the dish.

Most home cooks substitute onion for cashew (faster, cheaper), broil instead of using a tandoor, and skip the marinade for speed. We give you both options below: a faithful traditional method and an honest 45-minute shortcut.

Which butter chicken method should you pick?

Pick by the time you have and the occasion you are cooking for.

• Pick Method 1 (45-Minute Weeknight) if it is a Tuesday night, your kids are hungry in an hour, you have never made butter chicken before, or you do not have cashews on hand. The result is honest, satisfying, and the closest you can get to restaurant flavor in under an hour.
• Pick Method 2 (Traditional Punjabi) if it is a weekend, you are hosting a dinner party, you are making a festive meal for Diwali / Eid / Iftar / a family gathering, or you want to taste why this dish has the reputation it does. The 30-minute marinade plus 30 minutes of cashew-paste-sauce simmer is what separates restaurant butter chicken from home butter chicken.

Both methods produce 4 servings. Both scale to a wedding-sized 50 (see the scaling chart). Both pair beautifully with basmati rice, garlic naan, and (the Nepali pairing most recipes miss) steamed momos.

Quick Roadmap: the two butter chicken timelines

This blog covers two complete methods side by side. Pick one based on your time budget; the stages below are the high-level timeline for each.

Method 1 (45-minute weeknight, 6 stages):

1. Stage 1 (5 min): Quick spice rub the chicken. Toss bite-size chicken pieces with salt, lemon juice, Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, and a little oil. No long marinade.
2. Stage 2 (3-4 min): Char the chicken under the broiler. Spread on a foil-lined tray. Broil close to the element for 3-4 minutes until edges char. This is the tandoor stand-in.
3. Stage 3 (5 min): Bloom whole spices in butter. Melt 3 tbsp butter + 1 tsp oil. Add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves. Bloom 30 sec.
4. Stage 4 (6-8 min): Build the tomato-paste base. Add ginger-garlic paste + tomato paste + Kashmiri chili powder + water. Cook until oil separates around the edges.
5. Stage 5 (5 min): Blend for restaurant smoothness. Immersion blender right in the pot. The smooth gravy is the visual signature.
6. Stage 6 (8 min): Add chicken + finish. Stir in the broiled chicken, cream, kasuri methi, sugar. Simmer 5 minutes. Done.

Method 2 (traditional Punjabi, 7 stages, ~2 hours):

1. Stage 1 (30 min): Yogurt-spice marinade. Marinate chicken in yogurt + ginger-garlic + Kashmiri chili + garam masala + mustard oil for 30 min minimum (overnight ideal).
2. Stage 2 (5 min): Char the chicken. Broil or grill until edges char. Set aside.
3. Stage 3 (10 min): Make the cashew-tomato gravy base. Boil tomatoes + soaked cashews + ginger + garlic + whole spices for 8-10 min. Cool, strain, blend smooth.
4. Stage 4 (5 min): Bloom whole spices in butter. Same as Method 1 Stage 3.
5. Stage 5 (8-10 min): Bhuna the cashew-tomato gravy. Pour the blended gravy in. Cook until oil separates and the gravy darkens.
6. Stage 6 (10-15 min): Add chicken + simmer. Stir in the charred chicken. Simmer 10-15 minutes on low to absorb gravy.
7. Stage 7 (3 min): Finish with cream + kasuri methi. Off the heat. Stir in cream, crushed kasuri methi (rub between palms first), sugar. Rest 5 min covered. Done.

The full minute-by-minute Step-by-step for each method is below.

Method 1: 45-Minute Weeknight Butter Chicken

Total time about 45 to 55 minutes. Active prep 20 minutes. No marinade. We keep kasuri methi in this quick version because skipping it removes too much of the butter chicken signature.

Ingredients for Method 1 (4 servings)

• Butter, unsalted - 4 tablespoons total (2 to start, 2 to finish)
• Onion, large, finely chopped - 1 (about 1 cup chopped)
• Fresh ginger, grated - 4 teaspoons (a 2-inch piece, peeled with a spoon)
• Serrano pepper, seeded and minced - 1
• Garlic cloves, pressed - 5
• Garam masala - 1 tablespoon
• Ground coriander - 1 teaspoon
• Ground cumin - ½ teaspoon
• Ground black pepper - ½ teaspoon
• Water - 1½ cups
• Tomato paste - ½ cup (about one and a half 6-ounce cans)
• Sugar - 1 tablespoon
• Salt - 1 teaspoon (for the sauce), plus 1 teaspoon (for the chicken)
• Heavy cream - 1 cup
• Boneless skinless chicken thighs - 2 pounds (about 900 grams)
• Greek yogurt, thick - ½ cup
• Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed - 1 teaspoon
• Fresh cilantro, chopped - 2 tablespoons

Step-by-step for Method 1

1. Prep the aromatics. Finely chop the onion. Grate 4 teaspoons of fresh ginger (a spoon makes peeling easier). Seed and mince the serrano. Press the garlic cloves. Combine in a bowl.
2. Build the sauce base. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the aromatics. Saute 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and brown lightly at the edges. The browning is flavor; do not rush this step.
3. Bloom the spices. Add the garam masala, coriander, cumin, and black pepper. Stir constantly and cook 2 to 3 minutes until the spices smell less raw and more nutty.
4. Add water and tomato paste. Pour in 1½ cups water and ½ cup tomato paste. Whisk to dissolve the paste and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan (the fond is concentrated flavor). Add the sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer.
5. Add cream off the heat. Turn off the heat. Pour in 1 cup heavy cream and whisk to combine. Off-heat matters; adding cream to a boiling pan risks separation.
6. Blend smooth. Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to puree the sauce until silky (about 30 seconds). Keep the blender head fully submerged or it will spray. No immersion blender? Carefully transfer to a stand blender, vent the lid with a kitchen towel, and puree.
7. Finish the sauce base. Return to low heat. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter for the signature gloss. Cover and keep warm while you cook the chicken.
8. Prep and broil the chicken. Position a rack 6 inches below the broiler element. Heat the broiler to high. Trim the chicken thighs. Toss with 1 teaspoon salt, then with the ½ cup Greek yogurt until evenly coated. Arrange on a wire rack set over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil 8 to 10 minutes per side, until deeply charred in spots and 175°F at the thickest point. Rest 5 minutes.
9. Combine and finish. Reheat the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cut the chicken into ¾-inch bite-sized pieces and stir into the sauce. Crush 1 teaspoon kasuri methi between your palms (this releases the oils) and stir in. Turn off the heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve over basmati rice or with garlic naan.

Method 2: Traditional Punjabi Butter Chicken

The restaurant-quality original. Total time about 2 hours of active work plus a 4-hour (preferably overnight) marinade. The marinade plus the cashew paste plus the slow tomato simmer are what give traditional butter chicken its restaurant character. This is the version we serve at TiffinsTo Go catering events.

Ingredients for Method 2 (4 servings)

For the chicken marinade:

• Bone-in skinless chicken (legs, thighs, mix) - 2 pounds. Bone-in adds depth; if you must use boneless, use thighs.
• Greek yogurt, thick - ½ cup
• Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 teaspoon (for color; mild)
• Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon
• Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
• Ground cumin - 1 teaspoon
• Ground coriander - 1 teaspoon
• Ginger-garlic paste, fresh - 1 tablespoon
• Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Kasuri methi, crushed - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard oil or neutral oil - 1 tablespoon

For the cashew paste:

• Raw cashews - ¼ cup, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes

For the sauce (note: no onion in the traditional version):

• Ripe red tomatoes, blanched, peeled, pureed - 600 grams (about 6 to 8 medium). Or 1 cup tomato passata if fresh are not available. Avoid sour/tangy tomatoes.
• Butter, unsalted - 4 tablespoons (2 to start, 2 to finish)
• Ginger-garlic paste, fresh - 1 tablespoon
• Green chilies, slit lengthwise - 2
• Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 tablespoon
• Garam masala - ½ teaspoon (added late)
• Sugar or honey - 1 to 2 teaspoons (balance the tomato acid)
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Heavy cream - ½ to ¾ cup. Less than Method 1 because cashew adds richness too.
• Kasuri methi, crushed - 1 teaspoon (mandatory finish)
• Cold butter - 1 tablespoon (drop on top before serving)
• Fresh cilantro, chopped - 2 tablespoons

Step-by-step for Method 2

1. Marinate the chicken (4 hours to overnight). In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, Kashmiri chili, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, kasuri methi, and oil. Whisk smooth. Add the chicken and rub the marinade into every piece. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours; overnight is markedly better. This step is what separates traditional from quick.
2. Make the cashew paste. Soak ¼ cup raw cashews in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain. Blend with 3 tablespoons of water until completely smooth, scraping the blender sides twice. Set aside.
3. Blanch and puree the tomatoes. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Score an X on the bottom of each tomato. Drop tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until the skin peels back at the scored edge. Transfer to ice water. Peel and core. Puree in a blender until smooth. You should have about 2½ cups of puree.
4. Broil the marinated chicken. Position an oven rack 6 inches below the broiler element. Heat the broiler to high. Arrange the chicken on a wire rack set over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (the foil makes cleanup easy; the rack lets air circulate). Broil 10 to 12 minutes per side for bone-in (8 to 10 minutes per side for boneless), until deeply charred in spots and 165°F internal for bone-in / 175°F for boneless. Rest 5 minutes.
5. Build the sauce. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste and the slit green chilies. Saute 1 minute until the raw smell goes. Add 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder. Stir 30 seconds (it should bloom in the butter).
6. Simmer the tomato puree. Add the tomato puree and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes until the puree thickens and the butter separates from the masala at the edges of the pan. This is the bhuna stage; do not skip it. Add sugar or honey to balance the tomato acid (start with 1 teaspoon, taste, adjust).
7. Add cashew paste. Stir in the cashew paste. Cook 3 to 4 minutes. The sauce will thicken and turn glossy.
8. Add cream off the heat. Turn off the heat. Whisk in ½ to ¾ cup heavy cream. Return to low heat.
9. Add the chicken. Cut the broiled chicken into bite-sized pieces (or leave bone-in pieces whole). Stir into the sauce. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes on low so the chicken absorbs the sauce.
10. Finish. Add ½ teaspoon garam masala and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Crush 1 teaspoon kasuri methi between your palms and stir in. Drop 1 tablespoon cold butter on top for the visual cue. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot over basmati rice or with garlic naan.

What are the most common butter chicken mistakes, and how do you fix them?

These five fixes apply to both methods.

• Mistake: sauce tastes like tomato soup, not butter chicken. Fix: you skipped the kasuri methi and the bloom/bhuna stage. Both are mandatory for the signature aroma. To rescue this batch, crush 1 teaspoon kasuri methi between your palms and stir in; let it rest 5 minutes. Next time, bloom the spices a full 3 minutes (Method 1) or simmer the tomato until oil separates (Method 2) before moving on.
• Mistake: sauce is gritty or tomato-paste-clumpy. Fix: you did not blend the sauce smooth (Method 1) or you did not push the fresh tomato puree through a fine sieve (Method 2). Run the immersion blender for 30 more seconds. The texture must be silky for butter chicken; this is what distinguishes it from a tomato chicken curry.
• Mistake: chicken is dry. Fix: you used breasts instead of thighs, or you broiled too long. Thighs forgive 2 extra minutes; breasts do not. Next time use boneless thighs (Method 1) or bone-in cuts (Method 2) and pull at the target internal temperature exactly.
• Mistake: sauce broke when cream went in. Fix: you added cream to a boiling pan. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of cold milk plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch slurry to bring it back. Next time, take the pan off the heat completely before adding cream.
• Mistake: dish lacks restaurant depth. Fix: if you cooked Method 1, this is the trade-off; add ¼ cup soaked cashews blended smooth to upgrade. If you cooked Method 2 and it still lacks depth, your tomatoes were sour (use sweeter ripe tomatoes next time) or your simmer was too short (an extra 15 minutes of slow cook fixes most of it).

How do you scale butter chicken from 4 servings to a wedding-sized 50?

Both methods share the same scaling math. Spices scale at about 85 percent of linear (perception of heat and salt is non-linear). Here is the scaled chart we use in the TiffinsTo Go kitchen.

For 10 servings: 5 lbs chicken, 10 tbsp butter, 2½ cups tomato puree or 1¼ cups tomato paste, 8 tsp ginger, 12 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp garam masala, 3¾ cups water (Method 1) OR no added water (Method 2), 2½ cups cream, 2½ tsp kasuri methi, ½ cup cashew paste, 1¼ cups Greek yogurt.

For 25 servings (catering minimum): 12 lbs chicken, 24 tbsp butter, 6 cups tomato puree or 3 cups tomato paste, 6 tbsp ginger, 30 garlic cloves, 5 tbsp garam masala, 9 cups water (Method 1) OR no added water (Method 2), 6 cups cream, 6 tsp kasuri methi, 1¼ cups cashew paste, 3 cups Greek yogurt.

For 50 servings (wedding-tier): 24 lbs chicken, 1 lb butter (4 sticks), 12 cups tomato puree or 6 cups tomato paste, ½ cup ginger, 60 garlic cloves, ⅔ cup garam masala, 4½ quarts water (Method 1) OR no added water (Method 2), 3 quarts cream, ¼ cup kasuri methi, 2½ cups cashew paste, 6 cups Greek yogurt.

At 50-serving scale you need a 20-quart sauce pot, a commercial broiler or large grill for the chicken, and 2 to 3 hours of active labor for Method 1 (or a full day plus overnight marinade for Method 2). Butter chicken's ingredient cost per serving stays low (chicken thigh is cheaper than goat, tomato paste is cheaper than fresh) but labor and equipment cost climbs sharply at wedding scale. This is the dish that almost always tips a wedding host toward catering over home cooking; request a quote if you are planning a 50-plus guest event.

Where do you find halal chicken in DFW for this recipe?

Butter chicken made with halal-certified chicken is a default request at most DFW South Asian weddings, corporate Iftar events, and Muslim family gatherings. The halal suppliers our team uses most often:

• Crescent Foods - certified halal chicken, widely available at H Mart and major DFW grocery chains. Reliable for home and small-event quantities.
• Deccan Meats - DFW-based halal restaurant supplier; takes retail orders too. Good for bulk catering.
• Local zabiha shops in Plano, Irving, Richardson, and Arlington carry zabiha-certified chicken from local processors.

For TiffinsTo Go catering orders, halal sourcing is a flag on the quote form. We confirm the supplier chain in our 24-hour proposal so you can verify before your event.

What should you serve with butter chicken?

The classic Indian pairings are basmati rice (jeera or plain), garlic naan, butter naan, and laccha paratha. The sauce is rich enough that it carries the meal; a side of cucumber raita or a kachumber salad balances the plate.

Here is the Nepali angle most butter chicken recipes miss: a side of steamed chicken or vegetable momos next to butter chicken is the unofficial DFW Nepali Sunday spread. The momos pick up the rich tomato-cream sauce like a dumpling dip and your guests stop reaching for second helpings of just rice. For a Dashain or Tihar dinner, swap the naan for sel roti (sweet Nepali ring bread) as the dessert-leaning bridge.

On a full catering spread, butter chicken anchors the meat side and pairs with our dal makhani, paneer butter masala, chicken biryani, and momo platter for a wedding or corporate menu. It is one of our top-three most-ordered catering dishes across DFW.

What is the difference between butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, and chicken curry?

These three dishes are constantly confused. Here is the honest distinction.

• Butter chicken (murgh makhani) is a tomato-butter-cream sauce, mildly spiced, traditionally with cashew paste and kasuri methi. The chicken is marinated and grilled separately, then added to the sauce. Sweet, rich, mild.
• Chicken tikka masala uses the same grilled (tikka) chicken in a different sauce: heavier on yogurt and cream, more onion and bell pepper, smokier. Invented in the UK in the 1970s, not in India. Often spicier than butter chicken.
• Chicken curry is the homestyle base dish: tomato-onion gravy, ginger-garlic forward, finished with garam masala. No cream, no cashew, no butter finish. Cooked together (not grilled separately). See our dhaba-style chicken curry recipe for the full method.

How do you store and reheat butter chicken?

Butter chicken keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. It freezes well too (up to 2 months) but the cream may separate slightly on thaw; whisk it back together while reheating.

To reheat from the fridge: warm in a small pot over low heat with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream or milk to restore the silkiness. Stir gently. Heat to a gentle simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Avoid the microwave for the sauce (it breaks the cream); microwave the rice or naan instead.

To reheat from frozen: thaw overnight in the fridge first. If the sauce looks broken, whisk it back smooth while warming. A teaspoon of fresh cream stirred in at the end restores the just-cooked feel.

Frequently asked questions about butter chicken

Can you make butter chicken without cashew paste?

Yes; Method 1 (45-Minute Weeknight) skips cashew entirely and is honest about the trade-off. The result is 80 percent as good as the traditional version. If you cannot tolerate cashews, substitute ¼ cup full-fat coconut cream blended with 1 tablespoon almond butter for similar body without the nut.

Can you use chicken breasts instead of thighs?

You can but you should not. Breasts dry out under the broiler at the temperature needed for the char. Thighs stay juicy at 175°F internal and pick up more masala flavor. If you only have breasts, reduce the broil time to 6 to 8 minutes per side and pull at 165°F internal.

Is butter chicken healthier without cream?

The honest answer is no; cream is what makes butter chicken butter chicken. You can reduce the cream to ½ cup and add 2 tablespoons of cashew paste plus ½ cup whole milk for a lighter version that keeps most of the character. Replacing cream entirely produces a tomato chicken curry, which is a different dish.

Can you make butter chicken in an Instant Pot?

Yes. Use Saute mode for the sauce stages. Pressure cook on Manual for 4 minutes with raw chicken thighs added to the sauce; 10-minute natural release. The chicken poaches in the sauce; you lose the broiler char but gain time. Finish on Saute with cream, butter, and kasuri methi. Not as good as the broiler method but acceptable for a weeknight rescue.

Can you make a vegetarian or vegan version?

Yes. Substitute paneer (pressed Indian cheese) or extra-firm tofu for the chicken; the dish is then paneer butter masala or tofu butter masala. For vegan, swap butter for vegan butter, cream for full-fat coconut cream blended with 1 tablespoon almond butter, and skip the yogurt marinade (the paneer or tofu does not need it).

Does TiffinsTo Go cater butter chicken for DFW events?

Yes. Butter chicken is on our Hot Drop-Off and Full-Service catering tiers for events of 20 to 300+ guests across DFW: Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, Plano, Irving, and the wider metro. It is one of our top-three most-ordered catering dishes. We respond to catering quote requests within 24 hours with a tailored proposal.

Final notes

This is one of TiffinsTo Go's signature recipes, refined in our DFW kitchen and served at catering orders across the metro. The cashew paste and the kasuri methi are the two non-negotiable authentic touches; Method 1 keeps only the kasuri methi and is honest about it; Method 2 keeps both.

If you would rather have someone else cook it for your event, request a quote from our DFW catering team. Butter chicken is one of our most-ordered dishes for weddings and corporate spreads, and pairs beautifully with our chicken biryani, dal makhani, paneer, and momo platter.