Butter Masala Chicken Bowl with Green Herb Chutney & Yogurt

Butter Masala Chicken Bowl
Green Herb Chutney, Yogurt, Jasmine Rice

Imagine tender grilled chicken thighs, in an authentic butter masala sauce, topped with a bright, herbaceous cilantro-mint chutney and a drizzle of yogurt—served with a scoop of fragrant jasmine rice—every bite smoky, tangy, and layered with flavor.

Chicken thighs are cooked on the grill for a smoky char, chopped, then finished in butter, and simmered in the warm, aromatic masala sauce.

The green chutney spooned on top adds a fresh, herbaceous lift, with a kick from chili and ginger and a subtle richness from roasted peanuts. The lightly thinned yogurt brings cooling creaminess, balancing the spice and tying the flavors together.

This colorful Indian-inspired dish combines fire-kissed, juicy chicken in a spiced butter masala sauce with the zesty, vibrant chutney and silky yogurt, creating a harmonious medley of flavors and textures that’s both comforting and exhilarating.

Butter Masala Chicken Bowl Recipe

Indian Green Chutney

• 1/4 c. roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1 1/2 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1/4 c. packed fresh mint leaves (no thick stems)
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 2 t. fresh ginger, grated
• 1 T. fresh lemon  juice
• 1/2 t. salt (or to taste)
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 3 T. cold water (as needed)

Start by pulsing the roasted peanuts in a blender until finely ground, then add the fresh herbs, green chili, and ginger, blending until they form a vibrant, aromatic base. Next, drizzle in the lemon juice and sprinkle in the salt and cumin, blending just enough to incorporate them while tasting and adjusting for balance. Finally, add a little cold water gradually until the chutney reaches a loose, drizzly consistency.

Grilled Chicken

• 4 chicken thighs
• olive oil
• coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Let chicken sit a room temperature for about 20 minutes. Toss lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat to get a nice char on both sides. Remove to a platter when just barely cooked through, don’t overcook. Let chicken cool slightly then chop into bite-sized chunks.

Butter Masala Chicken

• 3 T. butter
• butter masala simmer sauce (10 fl. oz.)

Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add chicken and toss to heat through. Stir in masala simmer sauce, add a few tablespoons of water if it is too thick.  Simmer until everything is hot.

To Serve

• yogurt
• steamed jasmine rice
• small mint leaves

Thin yogurt with a bit of water to get a drizzle consistency and season with a bit of salt. Ladle butter masala chicken into the middle of warm shallow bowls. Spoon green chutney around the perimeter then drizzle with the yogurt. Add a scoop of warm rice and garnish with mint.

Notes

Butter masala, the sauce that makes this dish so delicious, actually originated in New Delhi in the 1950s. Chefs at Moti Mahal wanted to rescue leftover tandoori chicken that had started to dry out, so they chopped it into bite-sized pieces and simmered it in a creamy, buttery tomato sauce spiced with warming aromatics. The result was tender, flavorful chicken in a mildly spiced, slightly sweet, and deeply savory sauce—what we now know as murgh makhani. Murgh is Hindi for chicken and makhani translates to buttery. Butter Chicken.