Whenever we’re ordering take-out at home—usually towards the end of the week when I really don’t feel like cooking anymore—I’ll more often than not reach for the menu to our local Indian restaurant. The depth of flavor from Indian food is something I crave a lot. One of my favorite dishes (aside from the potato samosas) is Chicken Makhani or butter chicken if you will. I love the sauce that the chicken is cooked in, especially when you have some naan to sop it up with. It’s similar to chicken tikka masala but I find that the flavor is much richer in butter chicken. I’ve teamed up with my friends over at GO BOLD WITH BUTTER to bring you these Grilled Chicken Makhani Skewers. It’s all the flavors I love from the original dish, but a summer-friendly take on it. Serve the skewers with basmati rice and naan and you have a great weeknight dinner!
Let’s start by making the marinade for the chicken. In a large bowl, stir together the plain yogurt, fresh grated ginger, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, and spices (garam masala, turmeric, cumin, chili powder and salt) until smooth.
**Note: Garam masala is a South Asian blend of spices. The particular mix of spices differ from region to region. You can find it in almost any grocery store in the spice aisle these days!**
Add in the chicken pieces and mix it all together until the chicken pieces are fully coated.
**Note: I’m using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because I prefer dark meat but also it won’t dry out on the grill. If you prefer white meat, you can totally use boneless skinless chicken breast instead. Just reduce the cooking time slightly.**
Skewer the chicken pieces evenly between the wooden skewers, placing on a baking sheet or platter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
**Tip: If you really want to create a ton of flavor for these skewers, it’s best to let the chicken marinate overnight. But if you don’t have the time, at minimum 4 hours would be good.**
Towards the end of the marinating time, you can work on the butter chicken sauce. Set a saucepan over medium heat with the butter. Once melted through, add the onion, ginger and garlic. Cook until softened and just beginning to brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
**Note: I know it seems like a lot of butter, but this is butter chicken after all, but also the butter gives the sauce such a silky and smooth texture and a great depth of flavor.**
Add the spices and tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute to develop their flavors. Stir in the lemon juice and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened and developed a deep color, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the heavy cream (which also helps create a silky texture to the sauce) and keep warm over very low heat while you cook the skewers. Give it a stir every now and then to ensure it doesn’t stick or burn at the bottom of the pot.
If you want to create a more traditional butter chicken recipe, without skewering, you can double the sauce (since traditionally this dish is a lot more saucy than this) and you can stir in baked or grilled chicken pieces to the sauce at this point.
Preheat an outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. Grease liberally and then lay the skewers on. Cook for about 4 minutes on the first side. Flip over and then begin basting with the sauce. Continue to flip and baste the skewers until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a platter and let rest for about 5 minutes before garnishing with fresh cilantro before serving. If you have any leftover sauce, you can rewarm it and serve it on the side to be spooned over.
I like to serve these skewers with basmati rice and warmed up naan bread. I warm up naan directly on the grates of my gas stove (to char it a bit), but if you don’t have a gas range you can warm it up in a hot dry skillet or in the oven for a few minutes.
If you’re a big fan of butter chicken when ordering Indian take-out, then you’ll love these Grilled Chicken Makhani Skewers. I think it’s the perfect summer dish because it’s not drowning in a heavy sauce, but you still get all of the flavors that you love from the original dish. Let me know what you think below and as always, feel free to ask about any substitution questions you might have. Stay safe, my friends.
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Grilled Chicken Makhani Skewers
Ingredients
Marinade:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into chunks
- 8 wooden skewers soaked in water
Sauce:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup minced red onion
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 4 tablespoons garlic grated
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Basmati rice or naan bread for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and spices until smooth. Add in the chicken pieces and mix until well incorporated. Skewer the chicken pieces evenly between the wooden skewers, placing on a baking sheet or platter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- To make the sauce, set a saucepan over medium heat with the butter. Once melted through, add the onion, ginger and garlic. Cook until softened and just beginning to brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spices and tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute to develop their flavors. Stir in the lemon juice and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened and developed a deep color, about 10 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and keep warm.
- Preheat an outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. Grease liberally and then lay the skewers on. Cook for about 4 minutes on the first side. Flip over and then begin basting with the sauce. Continue to flip and baste the skewers until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Rewarm the sauce on the stovetop and serve on the side. Garnish the skewers with fresh cilantro and serve with basmati rice and/or naan.
This was a delicious recipe. Made half with chicken and used the other half of the sauce on roasted cauliflower for a vegetarian option. The sauce is so tasty! Thanks for a great recipe!