Smoky Butter Chicken

Dinner | Indian

Prep time: 2 min Cook time: 25 min Servings: 6

This isn’t butter chicken in the sense most people know it. There’s no tomato-based curry sauce here. This is inspired by Aslam Chicken in Old Delhi, a legendary street stall where whole bone-in chicken pieces are cooked over charcoal, pulled off the skewer and then drowned in warm cream and butter right before serving.

So if you love the flavours of butter chicken but want one that you can cook up on the BBQ for you friends and family, then I highly recommend you give this one a try. And make sure you prep extras because it’s great the next day as well.

Ingredient Notes

Kashmiri chilli powder: Kashmiri chilli is known for its deep red colour and mild, slightly sweet heat rather than sharp spice. It’s what gives the chicken that vivid colour. Don’t substitute with regular chilli powder as it will make the dish much hotter and change the colour. Find it at Indian grocery stores or spice shops.

Kasoori methi: Dried fenugreek leaves with a slightly bitter, aromatic flavour that’s a staple in North Indian cooking. Available at Indian grocers and spice shops. If you can’t find it, leave it out rather than substituting, as fenugreek seeds have a much stronger and different flavour.

Chicken thighs bone-in: Bone-in thighs are important here. The bone conducts heat from inside and keeps the meat moist and juicy over the charcoal. Boneless thighs also work but they cook faster, around 10 to 12 minutes, so keep a close eye on them.

Greek yoghurt: Full fat Greek yoghurt is best. It tenderises the chicken through the marinade and helps everything stick to the surface during cooking. Don’t use low-fat as it separates and doesn’t coat as well.

The spice mix: All the spices get combined first before anything else. A third is set aside dry for the finish and the rest goes into the marinade with the yoghurt and oil. Make sure you set the finishing spices aside before mixing anything wet.

Equipment you’ll need

Charcoal grill or BBQ
Long metal skewers (at least 2 pairs)
Large mixing bowl
2 small saucepans
Chopping board and knife

Ingredients

2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp garam masala
1½ tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground Kasoori Methi
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground turmeric
2kg (4.4 lbs) chicken thighs, bone in
300g Greek yoghurt
3 tbsp (60ml) peanut oil
juice of 1 lemon
250ml (1 cup) cream
125g butter
naan, to serve

Directions

Prep the marinade
Combine the garam masala, cumin, Kashmiri, coriander, Kasoori Methi, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric. Mix until well combined, then set one third of it aside for finishing.
Combine the other two thirds of the spices with the peanut oil, salt and yoghurt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mix through the marinade until completely coated all over. Add the lemon juice.
Cover the chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.
Cook the chicken
Preheat a charcoal grill to high heat. Remove the top grill plate.
Using 2 long metal skewers, skewer the chicken pieces with the skewers roughly 5cm (2 inches apart). Thread 3 to 4 pieces of chicken onto the pair of skewers (depending on their length), then repeat with additional skewers and chicken.
Place the skewers over coals. (My skewers weren't long enough, so I used a rotisserie prong and placed it across the BBQ to rest the end of the skewers on - shown in video).
Cook for 16-18 minutes, turning over every few minutes to ensure an even char on all sides.
Remove from the grill and transfer the chicken to a tray.
Finish and serve
Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. Remove from the heat.
Melt the butter in another saucepan over medium heat, until it begins to brown. Remove from the heat.
Slice the chicken off the bone and cut into large chunks. Divide the chicken between serving bowls.
Sprinkle some of the remaining spice mixture over each serving then pour over the cream. Gently toss together, then drizzle with the melted butter. Serve with flat bread or naan.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Marinate for at least 2 hours

The yoghurt tenderises the chicken while the spices penetrate deeper into the meat, giving you more flavour all the way through rather than just on the surface. So, you should marinate the chicken for a minimum of 2 hours but it’s better if it’s left for an overnight marination. If you’re planning this for dinner, get the chicken into the marinade first thing in the morning.

Threading the chicken

Use two parallel skewers about 5cm apart for each set of pieces, rather than a single skewer per piece. Threading 3 to 4 thighs onto a pair of skewers locks them in place so they don’t spin when you turn them. If the thighs are large, thread each piece through twice, once near the top and once near the bottom, to keep them flat and ensure even charring on both sides.

Skewer setup

Andy’s skewers weren’t long enough to span the full width of the grill, so he used a rotisserie prong laid across the BBQ as a support to rest the skewer ends on. This keeps the chicken suspended above the coals rather than sitting on the grill plate. If your skewers are long enough to rest across the grill edges without support, you don’t need to do this.

Charcoal grill

A gas BBQ on high heat with the lid closed will get you close. Alternatively, use your oven grill (broiler) on its highest setting with the skewers rested across a roasting tray so the chicken sits above the tray. You won’t get the same smoke, but the char and the spice will still be excellent. Finish under the grill for the last few minutes to get some colour on the outside.

Check your internal temperature

Before pulling the chicken off the grill, check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. It should reach 70°C (160°F) at the thickest part, away from the bone. If it’s not there yet, return it to the coals for a few more minutes. The bone-in thighs take longer than boneless, so don’t go by time alone.

Storing leftovers

Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water or cream to loosen. The cream and butter sauce doesn’t store or reheat as well, so it’s best to add fresh cream and butter when reheating if you have it.

Serving ideas

Naan or flatbread is the classic accompaniment and is perfect for scooping up the cream and butter from the bowl. Steamed basmati rice also works well and is the better option if you need to keep it gluten free. A handful of fresh coriander leaves over the top right before serving adds freshness against all that richness.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time? The chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours ahead and kept in the fridge. The longer the marinade, the more flavour. Grill it fresh when you’re ready to serve as it’s best straight off the coals.

Is it spicy? This one is mild. The Kashmiri chilli powder is known more for its colour than its heat. If you want more spice, add an extra teaspoon of regular chilli powder to the marinade.

Can I make it gluten free? Yes, the recipe is gluten free as written. Just serve with steamed rice rather than naan, and check your spice blends don’t contain any wheat fillers.

Can I cook this without a charcoal grill? Yes. A gas BBQ on high with the lid down works well. You can also use a very hot oven grill (broiler) with the skewers rested across a roasting tray. The flavour will be slightly different without the charcoal smoke, but the spiced char and the butter-cream finish will still make it excellent.

Can I use boneless chicken thighs? Yes. Boneless thighs cook faster, around 10 to 12 minutes on the grill, so adjust the cooking time and check the internal temperature earlier. They’re slightly easier to eat but you lose a little of the juiciness that the bone provides.