Grilled Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Davekatz · April 2011

I've been kind of poking around the edges of Indian cooking for a while. Finally after having a wonderful dish of Butter chicken at a restaurant, I decided to take a crack at making it at home.

Of course the BGE had to be involved, so this isn't entirely authentic murgh makhani, but it was very tasty.

Grilled Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (full fat)
1 tablespoon garam marsala
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, garam marsala, oil, juice, and salt. Put the chicken in a zip-top bag and cover with the yogurt mixture. Toss to coat. Squeeze the air out of the bag, seal it, and put it in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours, overnight is better.

When you are ready to cook, set your grill up for a direct cook over high (450°F) heat.

Remove the thighs from the marinade and arrange on the grill. Cook about 6 minutes per side, until you get some crispy bits on the outside and the inside is about 180°F. Remove from the heat and set aside.

1 large onion, diced
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon garam marsala
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 (14.5-ounce can) petite diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce can) tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream

In a sauté pan with a lid, melt the butter over medium heat and then cook the onions in the butter until soft but not brown (about 5 minutes).

Add the diced tomatoes, garam marsala, salt, pepper, coriander, and cumin and cook until the juice from the tomatoes has mostly evaporated and the tomatoes have started to break down (about 5 minutes).

Add the broth, tomato sauce, and grilled chicken. Stir to combine and cook about 5 minutes. Put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the whipping cream.