Burrata butter chicken. When comfort food leans into luxury, you know it’ll be impossible to stop at one bite. This version takes everything you love about the classic. Rich tomato sauce, tender chicken, buttery warmth – and crowns it with the most luxurious burrata.
The first time I tried this burrata butter chicken was at Masti, a fabulous Indian restaurant in Dubai. It was absolutely divine! To say I loved it was an understatement. I promised myself I would recreate this insanely delicious dish at home. After a bit of trial and error, I tested it on my family, who happen to be my biggest critics. The vote was unanimous! It was love at first bite, and has since become one of my most requested dishes. I hope it becomes yours, too.
The chicken is marinated in a combination of yogurt and cream, which yields an incredibly tender result. Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasoori methi) gives the dish that characteristic butter chicken flavor, as well as chilli, garam masala, and coriander powder. Bake the chicken in the oven or grill it in a stove top or barbecue. If your oven happens to have a rotisserie function, now’s the time to use. There are SO many different ways to cook the chicken which I have included in the recipe. Feel free to use your preferred method. Remember to keep your chicken slightly underdone before adding it to the sauce as it will cook a second time around.
The sauce couldn’t be easier: sautéed onion, garlic, tomato passata, cream, butter, a bit of reserved chicken marinade. The burrata at the end ties everything together in one verrryyy luscious dish.
Serve the burrata butter chicken with naan or basmati rice and devour immediately.
Burrata Butter Chicken
Ingredients
for the chicken
- 2 kg chicken breast cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for cooking, if using stovetop method
- 6 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup cream
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) ground
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- Metal skewers or wooden skewers soaked in water
For the sauce
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 kg tomato passata
- ½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- ½ tsp chilli powder or paprika
- A few tablespoons of reserved chicken marinade
- A few drops of lemon or lime juice, or vinegar
- 150 g unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 200 g cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 or 2 burrata balls (150 to 200 grams each) drained and at room temperature
- Fresh coriander to garnish optional
Instructions
Marinate and Prepare the chicken
- Marinate the Chicken
- Place the chicken cubes in a large bowl and season with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add the crushed garlic and toss to coat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cream, egg, smoked paprika, kasoori methi, cumin, garam masala, coriander powder, chili powder, Dijon mustard, and ginger. Pour the mixture over the chicken and coat evenly.
- Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight for deeper flavour.
Cook the chicken
- Preheat your oven to 210°C (410°F).
- Remove marinade from the chicken, reserving a few tablespoons for the sauce
- Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers and roast for 45–50 minutes, or until just cooked through and slightly charred at the edges.
- If using a rotisserie, follow your machine’s timing for 2 kg of chicken, ensuring the pieces are just slightly underdone. Alternatively, bake the chicken pieces in a a pan without skewering if you don't have a rotisserie function in your oven. OR grill on a barbecue or pan-sear on the stovetop with a bit of oil, turning until evenly golden.
- Remember that the chicken will finish cooking in the sauce, so we want to cook it until very slightly underdone.
Make the sauce and assemble the dish
- While your chicken is cooking, make the sauce. In a large pan, heat a drizzle of oil or butter and sauté the onion and garlic for 3–5 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
- Add the tomato passata, dried fenugreek, kasoori methi, garam masala, chilli and a few tablespoons of the reserved marinade. Stir to combine.
- Lower the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Give it a quick blitz in a blender or a stick blender. If you want your sauce a bit chunkier, you can skip this step.
- Add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar, then whisk in the cold cubes of butter until the sauce turns glossy and rich.
- Add the slightly underdone chicken to the sauce, coat it well, and simmer on low heat for about 7 minutes, until tender and fully cooked.
- Stir in the cream, season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix until the sauce is silky smooth.
- Remove from the heat and nestle in one or two drained burrata balls in the centre of the pan. Just before serving, tear them open and gently swirl them into the sauce until the cheese softens and melts.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves if desired and serve immediately with naan or basmati rice to soak up every bit of that buttery, creamy sauce.
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