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Butter Chicken & Garlic Naan-Do's Sandwich
Rich, creamy, and deeply aromatic, Butter Chicken is the ultimate comfort dish from the North of India, and a part of Punjabi cuisine. Velvety tomato-cream sauce, tender marinated chicken, and a delicate balance of spices. Paired with warm, buttery garlic naan, it’s a dish that teaches marination, sauce layering, and flavour harmony, while giving you confidence in handling proteins and balancing aromatics. Perfect for mastering simmering techniques, subtle spice control, and classic flavour development.
TIME TO MAKE*:
These times are only a guide.
To make this dish, you will need:
  • Mixing Bowls: For marinating the chicken and combining spices.
  • Measuring Spoons & Cups: Accurate spice and liquid measurement is key to balanced flavor.
  • Chef’s Knife & Cutting Board: For chopping onions, garlic, ginger, and garnishes.
  • Air Fryer or Oven: To create the “fake tandoor” effect - lightly charred, smoky chicken.
  • Heavy-Bottomed Pan or Wok: For sautéing onions, ginger, garlic, and simmering the sauce.
  • Spatula or Wooden Spoon: For stirring and coating chicken evenly in sauce.
  • Optional: Blender or hand blender, if you prefer a smoother tomato-cream sauce.
For this recipe, the ingredients you need are:
Chicken Marinade
  • 4 large free-range chicken breasts, butterflied
  • 150g full-fat yoghurt
  • 5gr ginger paste
  • 5gr garlic paste
  • 5gr salt
  • 5gr mild Kashmiri chilli powder OR 5gr paprika (if you want a non-spicy version)
  • 2gr turmeric
  • 5gr garam masala
  • 10gr lemon juice
  • 10gr neutral oil
Marinate: 12 hours (overnight ideal)
Makhani Sauce
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • ½ tsp mild chilli Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 400g canned crushed tomatoes - strained
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup hot chicken stock or water (optional, and if needed)
Finishing
  • 50ml cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • Fresh coriander, cucumber and yoghurt for garnish
Garlic Naan (4 large pieces)
  • 280gr flour
  • 100gr warm water
  • 120gr full-fat yoghurt
  • 4gr instant yeast
  • 5gr salt
  • 5gr sugar
  • 10gr oil 2–3 cloves garlic, paste
  • Extra butter for brushing
  • Chopped coriander (optional)
Points To Note - Butter Chicken
The Method We Will Use
Day One – Marinate and Prepare the Sauce
  1. Prepare the yogurt-based marinade, combining the aromatics, yogurt and spices.
  1. Cut the chicken into generous bite-sized pieces. Not too small!
  1. Mix the chicken thoroughly with the marinade, ensuring every piece is well coated.
  1. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the yogurt and spices to tenderise and flavour the chicken.
  1. Prepare the tomato base for the butter chicken sauce.
  1. Cook the aromatics, spices, and tomatoes together until the sauce becomes thick, rich, and fragrant.
  1. Do not add the butter or cream yet. This remains a tomato-based sauce at this stage. The butter and cream are added before reheating and serving.
  1. Allow the sauce to cool, then refrigerate overnight. Resting the sauce deepens and rounds out the flavours.
Day Two – Cook and Assemble
  1. Prepare the garlic naan dough, kneading until smooth.
  1. Portion and shape into dough balls - about 80gr per naan.
  1. Cover and allow the dough to rest so it relaxes and becomes easy to stretch.
  1. Gently reheat the prepared tomato sauce base.
  1. Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge.
  1. Scrape of much of the marinade, then cook the chicken in a very hot air fryer or oven to simulate a tandoor. Don't crowd the tray!
  1. Allow the outside to caramelise and develop slight charring.
  1. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this stage.
  1. Transfer the browned chicken into the simmering sauce.
  1. Add the butter and cream, transforming the tomato base into a rich butter chicken sauce.
  1. Allow the chicken to finish cooking while gently simmering in the sauce.
  1. Stretch the naan dough and cook in a very hot pan, 90 seconds until it blisters, then flip.
  1. Brush each naan with garlic butter immediately after cooking.
  1. Serve the butter chicken hot with the the trimmings, in a freshly cooked naan
Let's Cook and Eat!