Makhani Chicken (Butter Chicken, Indian Style)
Makhani Chicken (Butter Chicken, Indian Style) features tender yogurt-marinated chicken simmered in a velvety tomato-butter sauce enriched with cream. Garam masala, ginger, garlic, and fenugreek create a warmly spiced, slightly smoky depth balanced by a hint of honey. It’s an inviting dish for cozy dinners or festive gatherings, perfect with naan or steamed basmati rice.
- Prep1 hr
- Cook35 mins
- Serves6
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Makhani Chicken (Butter Chicken, Indian Style), not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactPoor
- 36 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 0 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 90 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 17
- Heart Health
- 52
- Metabolic
- 24
- Digestive
- 20
- Inflammatory
- 51
- Performance
- 38
- General Wellness
- 1
Make marinade: Put the chicken in a nonporous glass dish or bowl. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chili powder, and salt; stir to coat the chicken evenly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
- 2
Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Put the yogurt in the strainer and let it drain for 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the drained yogurt to a medium bowl. Mix in the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oil, garlic paste, ginger paste, melted butter, the remaining 1 tablespoon chili powder, and garam masala until combined with the yogurt. Pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate again to marinate for 3 to 4 hours.
- 3
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- 4
Thread the chicken onto skewers; place them in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- 5
Bake in the preheated oven until almost cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- 6
Make sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garam masala. When the masala starts to crackle, add the ginger paste, garlic, and green chile pepper. Cook, stirring, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes; stir in the tomato purée, water, chili powder, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring in the honey and fenugreek.
- 7
Take the par-cooked chicken off the skewers and add it to the sauce in the pan. Continue cooking until the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Stir in the cream until blended.
- Calories 440.69 kcal High 22%
- Protein 30.6 g Good Source 61%
- Carbohydrate 17.89 g 7%
- Total Fat 26.3 g High 34%
- Saturated Fat 12.64 g High 63%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 159.94 mg High 53%
- Sodium 601.54 mg High 26%
- Dietary Fiber 2.72 g Low Source 10%
- Total Sugars 11.61 g --
- Added Sugars 1.65 g Low Source 3%
- Calcium 104.62 mg Low Source 8%
- Iron 0.88 mg Low Source 5%
- Potassium 738.37 mg Moderate 16%
- Vitamin A 9.7 mcg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin C 2.28 mg Low Source 3%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Milk 🥛
- Tomatoes 🍅
- Garlic 🧄
About This Recipe
Makhani Chicken (Butter Chicken, Indian Style) is an Indian dinner recipe made with 17 ingredients. It takes about 1 hr 35 mins, serves 6, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Butter, Chili Powder, Diced Green Chiles, and Fenugreek Leaves. Each serving provides about 440.69 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Makhani Chicken (Butter Chicken, Indian Style)?
- It is an Indian recipe made with 17 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch.
- What is Makhani Chicken (Butter Chicken, Indian Style) made of?
- The main ingredients are Butter, Chili Powder, Diced Green Chiles, Fenugreek Leaves, Garam Masala. The full list of 17 is above.
- What goes well with Makhani Chicken (Butter Chicken, Indian Style)?
- Explore these Indian side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Makhani Chicken (Butter Chicken, Indian Style)?
- About 1 hr 35 mins in total: 1 hr to prepare and 35 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 440.69 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Makhani Chicken (Butter Chicken, Indian Style) easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 17 ingredients and 7 steps.
- Is Makhani Chicken (Butter Chicken, Indian Style) healthy?
- Makhani Chicken (Butter Chicken, Indian Style) has an easyChef Pro health score of 38/100. Per serving, it provides 440.69 calories and 30.6 g of protein, or 61% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 601.54 mg (26% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 12.64 g (63% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk, Tomatoes and Garlic, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
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