Chicken Bhuna Masala is a flavorful North Indian curry that has succulent chicken pieces simmered in spicy and flavorful onion-tomato bhuna masala. Serve Chicken Bhuna with Butter Naan, Roti, or Jeera rice. Learn to make this restaurant-favorite dish with step-by-step photos and a video tutorial.
This chicken bhuna masala recipe is spicy yet so flavorful that this chicken masala recipe is now added to our family's favorite dishes. The chicken is so soft and juicy coated with spicy and tangy Bhuna Masala. If you love spicy food, like me, you should try this super delicious chicken masala recipe at home.
I made this Bhuna Chicken slightly differently. What I changed is marinating the chicken with yogurt, which keeps the chicken soft and juicy even after roasting it with Bhuna Masala. Many readers have tried this Bhuna Chicken recipe and are happy with the results. Give it a try, and you will love it.
About This Chicken Bhuna Masala
What is Bhuna?
Bhuna, a Hindi word meaning "Roasted" or “Sauté,” is a cooking method that involves searing or stir-frying food on high heat. It adds a smoky flavor and enhances the flavor of the dish. This is a common technique in Indian cuisine and can be used for both meat and vegetarian dishes.
What is bhuna chicken?
It is the cooking technique that gives this spicy chicken curry its name. Here, the spices, onions, and tomatoes are roasted in oil or clarified butter (ghee), releasing their delicious Bhuna Masala flavors to the curry.
The chicken is then roasted on high heat with this spicy onion-tomato masala. Then, it's simmered in this Bhuna Masala until the chicken becomes tender and the sauce reaches a semi-dry consistency.
Chicken Bhuna or Bhuna Chicken is a dry or semi-dry chicken curry with little sauce. The flavors are more concentrated and the curry is spicy and tangy with unique Bhuna Masala flavors. I like to serve it with Garlic Naan and Jeera rice.
You may also like these other popular chicken recipes from this website:
- Chicken Masala
- Mughlai Chicken
- Chicken 65
- Chili Chicken
- Dhaba-style chicken curry
- Hyderabadi Chicken Masala
Ingredients Needed
Bhuna chicken is a flavorful curry that uses the same ingredients as many other chicken curries like this Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry. What sets it apart is the roasting of the masala on high heat. This process transforms simple ingredients into a truly delicious dish. Here's how to make this Chicken Bhuna.
- Chicken: Chicken with bones is preferred to make this Bhuna Chicken. As it involves a lot of roasting or "Bhuno" that can make boneless chicken dry out quickly. Alternatively, you can use drumsticks or Chicken thighs. Both work great for this recipe.
- Yogurt: It makes the chicken tender and juicy. Use fresh yogurt for this bhuna masala.
- Spice Powders: turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder.
- Kashmiri red chili powder: I prefer to use Kashmiri red chili powder in my chicken curry recipes as they give a bright red color and are not spicy. But if you have any other red chili powder or paprika you can add it as per our taste. However, you will miss the bright red color.
- Onions: I used red onions for this Chicken Bhuna Recipe.
- Tomatoes: You can use fresh ripe tomatoes or even canned tomatoes or tomato paste also works.
- Bhuna Masala Spices: I used bay leaf, dried red chili, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom, and black peppercorns. If you do not have one or two whole spices listed here you can skip them. But add whole spices to the tempering it gives the best flavor to this spicy chicken curry.
- Ghee: Gives rich flavor to the curry. Substitute with butter or use oil.
- Herbs: Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and coriander leaves add fresh flavors to the dish.
- Oil: Any cooking oil with a neutral flavor and high smoke point can be used.
How to make Chicken Bhuna Masala with step by step photos
Marinate the chicken
1) Marinate 500-gram curry-cut, bone-in chicken with the ingredients mentioned below:
- ¼ cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder add as per taste
2) Cover and keep it aside for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, let’s make Bhuna Masala.
Making the Bhuna Masala
3) Heat a kadhai/Indian Wok over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoon oil & 3 teaspoons ghee/clarified butter to it. Add the following whole spices:
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 dried red chili deseeded
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1- inch cinnamon
- 4 cloves
- 3 green cardamoms
- 10 peppercorns
4) Sauté it for 30 seconds. Next, add 2 finely chopped onions and sauté on medium-high until lightly golden.
5) Add 1 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste and cook for 30 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger and garlic leaves is gone.
6) Now lower the heat, and add
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
7) Sauté until oil starts to release from the spices. Keep stirring continuously to avoid the spices burning. If needed, sprinkle some water to prevent the spices from burning.
8) Add 2 cups finely chopped tomatoes and salt. Stir to combine it with the masala and cook it for 2-3 minutes. Keep the heat on medium. Cover & cook until the tomatoes are soft and pulpy. Stir it in between to avoid the burning of spices. Be careful while adding salt. We have already added salt while marinating the chicken. Stir and cook until masala starts to leave oil from the sides. Bhuna masala is ready.
Making Bhuna Chicken
9) Keep the heat on high & add the marinated chicken. Combine it with the bhuna onion-tomato masala. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
10) Cover and cook it for 5 minutes on low heat. The chicken will release water. Stir it well. If it looks dry add ¼ cup of water. Again cover and cook it for 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
11) After 10 minutes, open the lid, oil starts to float on the surface. This is an indication that the bhuna masala is cooked well. Taste and adjust salt or chili powder as per taste.
12) Add ¼ cup water, lemon juice, garam masala powder, green chili, and roasted kasuri methi. Stir to combine, cover, and cook it for a minute.
13) Bhuna chicken is ready to serve. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve it hot with Roti/Naan/Parathas.
Tips to make the best bhuna chicken recipe
- Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator. The longer it marinates the better it tastes.
- Use a heavy bottom pan/pot to make this bhuna chicken. You have to roast or bhuno onion-tomato masala on high heat & it may stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Chop the onions and tomatoes as fine as possible. You can use a food processor too. This will reduce the cooking time.
- Do not use onion puree for making this chicken bhuna recipe. This is not buttery soft gravy. Finely chopped onions and tomatoes add texture to the gravy.
- Cook the onion-tomato masala until it reduces and becomes thick & oil starts to release from it. This is an indication that the onion-tomato masala or the bhuna masala is cooked perfectly.
- Use clarified butter or ghee for making bhuna masala. It will increase the flavor of the chicken masala.
- Bhuna chicken is a dish with semi-thick curry. However, you can adjust the consistency of the gravy to your liking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Bhuna masala is spicy, but the spiciness is balanced with sweetness from the caramelized onions and tanginess from the tomatoes. When you are making this bhuna chicken recipe at home, you can balance the spiciness to your liking. Just add less chili powder to reduce the heat or more to make it spicier.
Chicken bhuna is a delicious Indian dish made with chicken. It has a spicy and flavorful sauce called bhuna masala. It is made by sauteing onions, garlic, and ginger until they're golden. Then spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and Kashmiri red chili powder are added and sauteed until their aroma and flavors are released. Bhuna masala is ready. Finally, marinated chicken pieces are added to the bhuna masala and cooked until they're tender. Served with rice, naan, or roti.
You can serve it with Roti/Naan or steamed rice. You can also pair it up with Jeera rice or Fried rice as a side dish.
Recommended Recipes
Recipe Card
Chicken Bhuna Masala Recipe | Bhuna Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pot or pan
Ingredients
To marinate the chicken
- 500 grams chicken (curry-cut, bone-in chicken)
- ¼ cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or add as per taste
To make chicken bhuna masala
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 3 teaspoon ghee/clarified butter
- 2 onions, finely chopped chopped (1 and ¼ cup)
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 3 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 4 tomatoes, finely chopped finely chopped (2 cups)
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder or chicken masala powder
- 1 green chili slit (optional)
- 1 teaspoon roasted kasuri methi
- coriander leaves to garnish
Whole spices
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 dried red chili deseeded
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1- inch cinnamon
- 4 cloves
- 3 green cardamoms, slightly open them before adding
- 10 black peppercorns
Instructions
Preparations to be done
- Finely chop onions and tomatoes. Keep it aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt, and Kashmiri red chili powder. Marinate it for 30 minutes.
Making the bhuna masala
- Heat 2 teaspoon oil + 3 teaspoon ghee in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the whole spices. Sauté it for 30 seconds or until aromatic.
- Next, add onions and sauté until onions start to become lightly golden.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 30 seconds or until raw smell from ginger and garlic leaves.
- Now lower the heat, stir in coriander powder, cumin powder and Kashmiri red chili powder. Sauté until oil starts to release from thespices. Keep stirring continuously to avoid burning of spices. If neededsprinkle some water to avoid burning of spices.
- Add tomatoes and salt. Stir to combine with masala and cook it for 2-3 minutes. Keep the heat on medium. Cover & cook until tomatoes are soft and pulpy. Stir it in between to avoid burning of spices. Be careful while adding salt. We have already added salt while marinating the chicken. Stir and cook until masala starts to leave oil from sides. Bhuna masala is ready.
Making bhuna chicken
- Keep the heat on high. Next, add the marinated chicken. Stir to combine the chicken with the bhuna onion-tomato masala. Cook it for 5 minutes or until the color of chicken turns from pink to white.
- Cover and cook it for 5 minutes on low heat. Chicken will release water. Stir it well. If it looks dry add ¼ cup water. Again cover and cook it for 10 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.
- After 10 minutes, open the lid, oil starts to float on the surface. This is an indication that the bhuna masala is cooked well.
- Taste and adjust salt or chili powder as per taste.
- Add ¼ cup water, lemon juice, garam masala powder, green chili and roasted kasuri methi. Stir to combine, cover and cook it for a minute.
- Chicken bhuna masala is ready to serve. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it with Roti, Naan bread or Parathas.
Video
Notes
- Use a heavy bottom pan to make bhuna chicken.
- Keep stirring it as required to avoid the burning of spices.
- You can skip adding green chilies and chicken masala powder (or garam masala powder) to reduce the spiciness of the dish.
- If you cannot find chicken masala powder then substitute it with garam masala powder.
- Use Kashmiri red chili powder to give bright red color to the bhuna masala. It is less spicy too.
- If you prefer a spicy dish then add ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or spicy Indian red chili powder to spice it up.
- If you do not have all the whole spices mentioned in the recipe card, add whichever is available.
- Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
- The recipe is updated with new recipe video.
Nutrition
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. We'd love to hear your feedback.
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Deepak Thakur
Very nice blog
Guest
Excellent recipe
Shilpa
U have not mentioned to put chicken masala powder... If yes how many tsp to put
Preeti
Either use chicken masala powder or garam masala powder. Do not add both. Same quantity, taste the gravy and add more as per your taste.
Hazel D'Souza
What chicken masala did you use?
Preeti
Everest Chicken Masala Powder
Francis
Hi Preeti,
I prepared your bhuna chicken, turned out okay but not the same rich color nor thick gravy as shown in your blog.
Gravy turned out like thin stew. I wonder why.
I was really very disappointed. Followed the recipe perfectly as shown.
What happened that I didn't get a nice thick rich gravy as shown in your pic.
Preeti
1) If the gravy is undercooked at any stage it will be watery.
You need to cook the onion-tomato masala a little longer until it is mushy and the oil starts to separate from the gravy.
2) Use thick yogurt for the recipe.
If you follow only these two steps gravy will not be thin.
3) If you are using Kashmiri red chili powder you will get the same color.
Hope it helps.
Guest
It was nice to go through your post. Thanks for sharing the recipe here. Keep up the good work.
Aman Sharma
This chicken bhuna masala is so delicious! I love the spices in it and the sauce is so flavorful. I would definitely make this again.
Preeti
Glad you liked it.
Cheryl
Why can I not copy and paste your recipes?
Preeti
Click print recipe - You can either print the recipe or copy paste it on Word file.