The surprising secret to the best butter chicken

Butter makes everything better, but there’s another ingredient that takes this classic curry to the next level.

Butter-chicken-hero

Like most elite dishes, the secret is in the sauce. If butter chicken is high on your list of fave meals, you know to appreciate its punchy orange complexion against a serving of white basmati rice – it’s simply so inviting on your plate. 

Butter and cream are the obvious heroes of its saucy goodness – but would you believe there to be a third creamy contender in our list of essential butter chicken ingredients? 

Butter chicken’s secret ingredient, revealed

Where authentic butter chickens are concerned, cooks leave the chicken (tip: the thigh packs more flavour than the breast) to marinate in a mixture of yoghurt and spices hours before cooking – just check out our #1 butter chicken recipe. Greek-style yoghurt in particular thickens the sauce, creating a creamy consistency. It also provides some cooling relief from the spices and gives the chicken an incredible texture you can usually only find in authentic Indian takeaway curries.

Our Digital Food Director (and butter chicken fan) Amira Georgy says: “Yoghurt is a gentle way to tenderise meat, while the spices infuse flavour. Acid-based marinades can sometimes toughen meat and give the meat a rubbery texture, whereas yoghurt breaks down the fibres slowly, resulting in tender meat that you can pull apart easily.”

That’s right, there’s an actual science behind it. 

The butter in butter chicken

While many traditional Indian recipes use ghee (clarified butter), oil and butter do a good job of recreating the texture of this ingredient. Add a blend of rich ingredients – including the yoghurt from the marinade, stock, tomato and cream – and you have a perfectly balanced sauce for your chicken. 

What spices are used in butter chicken?

Ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala and chilli powder pack a punch of rich flavour, bringing this well-balanced, mildly spiced sauce to life.

While we’re talking spices: when was the last time you checked the date on yours? You may think those out-of-date packets are fine to use, but Amira reminds us that your curry will be pretty deficient in flavour when you use too-old spices, compared to fresh ones. 

How long does butter chicken take to cook?

Amira says: “To get ahead, I like to marinate chicken thigh for up to 48 hours ahead of time in the fridge and if I’m after a thicker sauce, I’ll simmer the chicken mixture for an extra 10-15 minutes.” 

You might have to plan ahead a bit, but the dish itself is really quick to pull together on a busy weeknight. And trust us, the yoghurt marinade step is absolutely worth it.

If you’re better than basic butter chicken, check out our delicious twists on the classic:

• Butter chicken and cauliflower soup
• Butter chicken pizza
• Butter chicken stuffed capsicums 
• Or perhaps something slightly healthier 

Originally published as The surprising secret to the best butter chicken