Gordon Ramsay's butter chicken recipe will take around 30 mins to cook but is best prepared in advance so the chicken has plenty of time to marinate.
Gordon Ramsay’s butter chicken recipe is a much healthier alternative to an Indian takeaway but just as tasty. Butter chicken originated in Northern Indian in the 1940s and is also known as Murgh Makhani. The delicious combination of chicken in a spicy creamy sauce means it’s often compared to the British version of tikka masala. Natural yogurt and cream help to make this curry milder, but if you don’t like it too hot, just use ‘mild’ chilli powder instead of the ‘hot’ one.
Ingredients
- 800g chicken, boneless and skinless, cut into 3-4cm pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed
- 2cm ginger, peeled and finely grated
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp hot chilli powder
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice
- 75ml natural yoghurt
- ½ tsp garam masala (mixed Indian spices)
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1tsp ground cumin
- 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil, for brushing
- 1½ tbsp ghee or melted, unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 2cm ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cardamom pod, seeds lightly crushed
- 2 cloves
- 1tsp ground coriander
- 1tsp garam masala (mixed Indian spices)
- 1tsp ground turmeric
- 1tsp hot chilli powder, or to taste
- 275ml tomato pure
- 1tbsp lemon juice
- 40g unsalted butter
- 100ml double cream
- 1tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish
Method
To make this chicken curry recipe, place the chicken in a bowl with the garlic, ginger, salt, chilli powder and lemon juice. Mix, cover with cling film and chill for 30 mins.
Mix together the yogurt, garam masala, turmeric and cumin and add to the chicken, making sure that each piece is well coated with the mixture. Cover again and chill for 3-4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Fan 160ºC/gas mark 4. Put the marinated chicken pieces on a grill rack set on a baking tray and bake for 8-10 mins. Brush the chicken pieces with a little oil and turn them over. Bake for another 10-12 mins until just cooked through.
For the sauce: Heat the ghee or butter in a pan and add the garlic and ginger. Fry for a min or so then add the cardamom, cloves, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir well and fry for 1-2 mins until they give off a lovely aroma. Stir in the tomato pure and lemon juice and cook for another couple of mins. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and stir well to coat. Finally, add the butter and cream and stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Transfer to a warm bowl and serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander.
Top tip for Gordon Ramsay’s butter chicken recipe
We'd suggest adding some spinach and serving alongside some traditional Indian sides like Bombay potatoes or homemade Naan bread for dipping.
This easy butter chicken recipe was taken from Gordon Ramsay's Channel 4 series Gordon's Great Escape
