Big Chad's Butter Chicken
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Chad's Pro Tip
Don't skip the marinade time if you can help it — even a quick 30 minutes lets the yogurt and spices tenderize the chicken, but an overnight soak in the fridge gets you restaurant-level flavor. And when you blend the sauce, add water a splash at a time — it's easier to loosen a thick sauce than to fix one that's gone thin.
Ingredients
Kitchen Tools
Step-By-Step Guide
8 Steps- 1
Toss the chicken pieces in a bowl with the yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Cover and let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, though a few hours or overnight will build even deeper flavor .
- 2
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in small batches so the pan doesn't get crowded, sear the chicken pieces for about 3 minutes per side until golden . Pull them out and set aside — they'll finish cooking later in the sauce.
- 3
Melt the ghee in the same skillet and toss in the onion, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until it turns soft and translucent, roughly 6 minutes .
- 4
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook just until the kitchen smells amazing, about a minute . Add the coriander, cumin, and garam masala and keep stirring for another 20 seconds so the spices toast without burning [timer: 20s].
- 5
Pour in the crushed tomatoes along with the chili powder and salt. Let everything simmer, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens and deepens to a rich reddish-brown, about 10-15 minutes .
- 6
Take the pan off the heat and carefully transfer the sauce to a blender, working in batches if needed. Blend until silky smooth, thinning with a splash of water (up to 1/4 cup total) if it's too thick to move.
- 7
Return the smooth sauce to the skillet. Stir in the cream, sugar, and crushed kasoori methi until everything's combined, then nestle the seared chicken and its juices back into the pan. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling .
- 8
Serve hot alongside rice or warm naan.
Reviews
5 (2)- Big Chad's Kitchen Team
Blending the sauce before adding the cream back is the move — silky texture every single time, no chunky bits.
- The Test Kitchen Crew
We marinated the chicken overnight and it made a noticeable difference. Toasted sesame on top is such a simple but perfect touch.
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