Butter Hen ⋆ 100 Days of Actual Meals


Bask in butter hen, a mixture of flavors married in a wealthy, creamy gravy! This Indian delicacy, with tender chunks of hen, makes a heartwarming meal, promising each consolation and a burst of spices. Good for a household dinner or festive feast!

↓ Leap to Recipe

This butter hen recipe is straightforward, wholesome, and extremely flavorful!  It’s a wealthy and flavorful Indian dish made with hen that has been marinated in yogurt and spices, after which cooked in a creamy tomato sauce. The hen is tender and juicy, and the sauce is thick and flavorful. This Indian-inspired dish is filled with taste and nice for the entire household!

Butter chicken.

Need to Save this Recipe?

Enter your e-mail beneath & we’ll ship it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get nice new recipes from us each week!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • This butter hen recipe is straightforward to make.
  • After marinating, this recipe is made in a single skillet.
  • This Indian hen recipe is wealthy and flavorful.
  • The hen is tender and juicy!
  • The curry sauce is thick and creamy.
  • It’s versatile and even higher as leftovers.
  • This recipe can also be an incredible dish to serve at events or potlucks.
  • The leftovers are even higher!  That is nice for weekly meal prep.
  • The hen itself is gluten-free.
  • Serve with brown rice, complete wheat Naan, or mashed potatoes.

What Is Butter Hen?

Butter hen, also called Murgh Makhani, consists of yogurt marinated hen and spices. It’s cooked in a creamy tomato sauce.

This dish originated in India however is now fashionable all around the world.

It’s fashionable at Indian eating places, however it’s simple to make at house.

Butter hen is usually served with white rice or Naan. We love serving it with brown rice or complete wheat Naan!

Elements & Substitutes

These are the elements and substitutes for butter hen. Scroll right down to the recipe card beneath for your entire recipe.

Use boneless skinless hen thighs or breasts. Lower into bite-sized items. For those who solely have frozen hen, thaw utterly.

Marinate the hen in plain yogurt. Don’t use sugar sweetened yogurt.

Lemon juice, ginger, and garlic add tartness and taste.

As well as, season the hen with cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, and salt.

For the sauce, use unsalted butter. For those who solely have salted butter, then omit the salt in any other case.

Finely chop the onion.

Extra garlic and ginger add taste to the sauce.

As well as, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder add taste to the hen.

Crushed tomatoes add to the sauce.

Use heavy cream or coconut cream for a dairy-free choice.

Plain Greek yogurt helps thicken the sauce. As well as, it makes the sauce additional creamy.

Garam masala provides a scrumptious Indian-inspired taste.

Add salt to style.

Garnish with recent cilantro if desired.

Style & Texture

Butter hen has a wealthy and flavorful style!

The hen is tender and juicy. As well as, the sauce is creamy and attractive.

This restaurant-quality dish is nice for the entire household!

Learn how to Make

Step 1

First, in a big mixing bowl, mix all of the marinade elements: plain yogurt, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, floor cumin, floor coriander, floor turmeric, chili powder, and salt. Combine properly.

Step 2

Add the hen items to the marinade and toss till they’re evenly coated. Cowl the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at the least 1 hour, ideally in a single day, to permit the flavors to infuse into the hen.

Marinated chicken in bowl.

Step 3

In a big skillet or saucepan, soften the butter over medium warmth.

Step 4

Add the chopped onion and sauté till it turns into gentle and translucent.

Diced onions in skillet.

Step 5

Stir within the minced garlic and ginger and prepare dinner for an extra minute till aromatic.

Step 6

Add the bottom cumin, floor coriander, floor turmeric, and chili powder to the skillet. Cook dinner for a minute or two to toast the spices and launch their flavors.

Onions and seasonings in skillet.

Step 7

Pour within the crushed tomatoes and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes till it thickens barely.

Onions and tomatoes in skillet.

Step 8

Take away the skillet from the warmth and use an immersion blender or switch the sauce to a blender to mix it right into a easy consistency.

Step 9

Return the skillet to medium-low warmth and add the marinated hen together with any marinade left within the bowl.

Creamy chicken with yogurt.

Step 10

Cook dinner the hen within the sauce for about 10 to fifteen minutes or till it’s absolutely cooked and tender.

Step 11

Stir within the heavy cream or coconut cream and Greek yogurt, and let the sauce simmer for an extra 5 minutes to thicken and develop flavors.

Creamy chicken in skillet.

Step 12

Sprinkle within the garam masala and season the butter hen sauce with salt to style. Regulate the spiciness if wanted.

Orange creamy skillet.

Step 13

Lastly, serve the butter hen sizzling. Garnish with chopped recent cilantro.

Skilled Ideas for Success

Listed here are a number of skilled ideas and methods for making one of the best butter hen.

Use recent hen thighs or breasts. For those who solely have frozen, thaw utterly.

Don’t overcook the hen. The hen ought to be cooked till it’s simply cooked via. Overcooked hen can be dry and hard.

Don’t overcrowd the pan when cooking the hen. This may decrease the temperature of the pan and make the hen prepare dinner inconsistently.

Garnish with cilantro for additional taste.

Bowls of Indian chicken.

Taste Variations & Add-Ins

Along with the fundamental butter hen recipe, there are numerous alternative ways to taste and customise the dish. Listed here are a number of concepts.

  • Add greens, corresponding to carrots, onions, or peppers, to the sauce.
  • Garnish with cilantro, chopped onions, or a dollop of bitter cream.
  • Serve over complete wheat pasta!  That is the last word consolation meals.  We love complete wheat pasta or spaghetti squash.

Learn how to Serve & Retailer

Butter hen is greatest served recent.

For actual meals elements, serve with complete wheat Naan or brown rice.

This dish can also be scrumptious served over spaghetti squash or complete wheat noodles.

It will also be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.

You may also freeze butter hen for as much as 2 months. When reheating, thaw the butter hen within the fridge in a single day after which reheat it in a pan over medium warmth till heated via.

Steadily Requested Questions (FAQs)

What’s the distinction between butter hen and tikka masala?

Butter hen and tikka masala are each fashionable Indian dishes which can be made with hen that has been marinated in yogurt and spices. Nevertheless, there are some key variations between the 2 dishes. Butter hen is made with a tomato-based sauce, whereas tikka masala is made with a cream-based sauce. Butter hen additionally tends to be milder in taste than tikka masala.

Can I make butter hen with out utilizing butter?

Sure, you can also make butter hen with out utilizing butter. There are numerous completely different recipes that use completely different cooking oils as a substitute of butter. You may also use a vegan butter substitute.

Can I make butter hen forward of time?

Sure, you can also make butter hen forward of time. The dish might be saved within the fridge for as much as 3 days. To reheat, merely heat it in a pan over medium warmth till heated via.

What’s butter hen sauce fabricated from?

Butter hen sauce is a creamy tomato-based sauce made with onions, garlic, ginger, spices, and cream.

Close up of butter chicken.

Gear Wanted

Massive Nonstick Skillet: This nonstick skillet is massive sufficient for this Indian butter hen recipe.

Take a look at all of our Kitchen Favorites!

You Could Additionally Get pleasure from

For those who loved this butter hen recipe, please go away a ranking and remark! For extra inspiration, take a look at my FbInstagram, and Pinterest. For five free weekly meal plans and extra free assets, join to obtain my free publication! Take a look at these Dinner Recipes for extra wholesome and straightforward household dinner concepts.





Supply hyperlink

Stay in Touch

To follow the best weight loss journeys, success stories and inspirational interviews with the industry's top coaches and specialists. Start changing your life today!

Related Articles