Butter Chicken Gordon Ramsay Recipe

Indian Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani)

This rich and flavourful curry, also known as Chicken Makhani, is similar to Tikka Masala and ranks among the most popular dishes on Indian restaurant menus.

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Post updated January 2026

Aromatic, creamy and full of flavour, this sweet curry is a firm favourite in our house.

Murgh makhani, chicken makhani or Indian butter chicken – whichever name you prefer!

“Makhani” is the Indian term for butter chicken. According to Wikipedia, the word means “with butter” in Indian languages, and became part of Indian cuisine during the Mughal era. Today, it appears in several dishes from Punjabi cuisine.

I’ve slightly adapted Gordon Ramsay’s original recipe after discovering a couple of helpful shortcuts — but don’t worry, it tastes just the same 😋 and is much easier to follow.

The rich tomato butter sauce is absolutely incredible, and if you enjoy his cooking as much as I do, you can still buy the Great Escape Gordon Ramsay book. Yes, the ingredient list looks long, but they’re mostly spices — and it’s so worth making.

🍗Chicken ingredients

• chicken fillets
• garlic cloves
• fresh ginger
• Greek natural yoghurt
• hot chilli powder
• ground cumin
• ground turmeric
• garam masala
• fine sea salt
• vegetable oil

🍅For the sauce

• unsalted butter
• garlic cloves
• fresh ginger
• cardamom pods
• whole cloves
• ground coriander
• ground turmeric
• garam masala
• hot chilli powder
• tomato purée (paste in the US)
• finely chopped tinned tomatoes
• runny honey
• lemon juice
• green bird's eye chillies
• double (heavy) cream

🌿To serve

• chopped coriander (cilantro)

The complete recipe is in the printable card below, but here’s a quick step‑by‑step guide with photos.

Marinate the chicken

Combine the yoghurt, garlic, ginger and spices, then coat the chicken well. Let it marinate so the flavours really soak in.

Make the sauce

Start the makhani sauce by gently cooking the garlic, ginger and spices, then add the tomatoes and let everything simmer until rich and fragrant.

Part‑cook the chicken

Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers and cook them in a griddle pan until lightly charred. They don’t need to be fully cooked at this stage.

Add the chicken to the sauce

Once the chicken is charred, slide it off the skewers and add it straight into the sauce. Let everything simmer together so the flavours meld beautifully.

Finish with butter and cream

Stir in the butter and cream to create that signature silky, restaurant‑style finish. The sauce becomes beautifully rich and glossy.

Serve

Serve with naan bread and rice — we especially love Jeera Rice.

Have you tried this recipe?
Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below!

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butter chicken Gordon Ramsay, Indian butter chicken, chicken makhani,

dinner, main, curry

Indian

Yield: 2-4

Author: Jan Bennett

Butter Chicken Recipe

Butter chicken or chicken makhani recipe. Easy to make and totally delicious!

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 2 chicken breast fillets, cut into 3cm pieces
• 2 garlic cloves - peeled and very finely chopped
• 2 cm ginger - peeled and very finely chopped
• 4 heaped tablespoons Greek Natural Yoghurt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1½ teaspoons hot chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• a pinch of fine sea salt

For the sauce

• 30g unsalted butter
• 40g unsalted butter, to finish the dish
• 2 garlic cloves - peeled and very finely chopped
• 2 cm ginger - peeled and very finely chopped
• 2 cardamom pods - seeds only and lightly crushed
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tsp hot chilli powder
• 2 tbsp tomato purée (paste in the US)
• 400g (14 oz) can of finely chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of runny honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 whole green bird's eye chillies
• 100ml double (heavy) cream
• To serve: chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves only

Instructions

Prepare the chicken

1. Put the yoghurt and oil in a bowl with the garlic, ginger, salt, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric and cumin.
2. Stir everything together, then add the chicken, ensuring each piece is thoroughly coated.
3. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking.

Make the sauce

1. Melt 30g of butter in a large frying pan, add in the garlic and ginger, and fry for about a minute. Then add the cardamom seeds, cloves, ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and chilli powder. Give it all a good stir and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the spices release their wonderful aroma.
2. Pierce each chilli 6 times using a knife, then add them to the sauce. Stir in the tomato purée and lemon juice. Cook for a few more minutes.
3. Add the can of tomatoes with their juice and stir in the honey. If necessary, use a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes so the sauce is nice and smooth.

Cook the chicken

1. Thread the chicken pieces onto metal skewers and cook in a hot grill pan. Don’t cook them all the way through, as they’ll finish cooking in the sauce.

To finish the dish

1. Add the chicken to the sauce and cook until it’s fully cooked and the sauce has thickened. Keep the heat low and let it simmer, since boiling can make the chicken tough.
2. Remove the chillies and cloves. Take the pan off the heat, allow to cool slightly, then stir in the cream.
3. Over very low heat, add the remaining 40g butter, stirring continuously until it’s fully melted.
4. Return the pan to the heat and cook until everything is piping hot. Taste and adjust with more honey or chilli, then sprinkle over the chopped coriander and serve.

Notes

• Use 3 fillets to serve 4; keep the sauce the same.
• Use double cream (heavy) if you're in the US, as single cream is more likely to curdle.

https://www.aglugofoil.com/2010/01/indian-butter-chicken-murgh-makhani.html

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