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Close-up of tender pieces of Restaurant-Style Chicken at Home in a rich, creamy orange sauce with fluffy white rice.

Restaurant-Style Chicken at Home

This recipe guides you through making restaurant-quality chicken at home, perfect for weeknight dinners. It focuses on achieving juicy, flavorful chicken with a rich gravy, adaptable for various dietary needs.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Marinating Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 586
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 1 kg Chicken Thighs, skinless and boneless cut into 1.5 inch pieces
For the Marinade
  • 1/2 cup Hung Curd, or Greek Yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder sub with 1/2 tbsp paprika + 1/2 tbsp cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
For the Gravy
  • 1 tablespoon Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • 1 inch Cinnamon
  • 2 Green Cardamom Pods
  • 3 Cloves
  • 5 Kashmiri Red Chillies, dried
  • 6 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 Onion roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup Cashew Nuts
  • 7-8 Tomatoes, approx 500 grams roughly chopped (or 1 (15-ounce) can canned diced tomatoes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
  • 2 tablespoons Ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Kasuri Methi, dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt taste and adjust
  • 3-4 tablespoons Fresh Cream

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • blender
  • Air fryer
  • Small steel bowl

Method
 

  1. Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces, mix well, cover, and set aside for 15-30 minutes.
  2. For the gravy, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet or pan. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, dried red chilies, and garlic. Sauté for about a minute until fragrant. Add the onion and sauté on high heat for 2-3 minutes until pink and translucent.
  3. Add tomatoes and cashew nuts. Mix once, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes until tomatoes break down and become pulpy.
  4. Turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool completely, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
  5. In another pan, heat a tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken pieces and sear them on each side for 2-3 minutes on high heat until they have a char. Remove the chicken and set aside.
  6. Alternatively, preheat your air fryer to 190C (375F) and air fry the chicken for 5 minutes. This is a partial cook as it will finish in the gravy.
  7. Transfer the tomato puree back to the pan. Add red chili powder, ketchup, and salt. Add 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the gravy turns a deep orange color.
  8. Add the seared or air-fried chicken pieces to the gravy and simmer for 10 minutes.
  9. Stir in the kasuri methi and fresh cream.
  10. To smoke the chicken, place a small steel bowl in the center of the butter chicken while it is still in the pan. Heat a piece of charcoal on an open flame until red hot, then place it in the bowl. Pour a teaspoon of oil or ghee over the charcoal. As soon as it starts smoking, cover the pan with a lid. Smoke for 3-4 minutes. Remove the bowl and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 586kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 35gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 615mgPotassium: 1337mgFiber: 6gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 3662IUVitamin C: 98mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 3mg

Notes

Boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into 1.5-inch pieces work best. You can also use skinless, bone-in chicken cut into medium-sized pieces. Substitute fresh tomatoes with a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups of tomato puree or passata. Homemade garam masala is recommended, but store-bought is fine. Garam masala is different from curry powder. Ghee can be used instead of butter. Adjust ketchup to your preference for sweetness. This dish is also known as Murgh Makhani.

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