✔ Updated · side-by-side table, heat and origin
They look like twins in the takeout container, but one is a mellow, buttery hug and the other has a smoky, spiced kick. Here is how I tell them apart, and which one to order tonight.
No, they aren’t the same dish. Both start with yogurt-marinated chicken in a creamy tomato sauce, but butter chicken (murgh makhani) is milder, sweeter and richer with butter, finished with dried fenugreek leaves. Chicken tikka masala uses charred chicken tikka in a bolder, more tomato-forward sauce built on onions and more spice. Butter chicken comes from Delhi; tikka masala is usually credited to Britain.
- Sauce: butter chicken is silky, buttery and a little sweet; tikka masala is thicker, tangier and more onion and tomato heavy.
- Heat: butter chicken is the mild one; tikka masala usually carries more chili and garam masala.
- Chicken: tikka masala always uses boneless, charred tikka pieces; butter chicken can be made with bone-in tandoori chicken.
- Origin: butter chicken traces to Moti Mahal in Delhi; tikka masala is most often credited to a Glasgow restaurant in the 1970s.
Tikka Masala vs Butter Chicken at a Glance
| Chicken tikka masala | Butter chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Also called | CTM, chicken tikka in masala sauce | Murgh makhani |
| Origin | Britain, most often credited to Shish Mahal in Glasgow in the 1970s | Delhi, India, first served at Moti Mahal after 1947 |
| Chicken | Boneless chicken tikka, marinated and charred on skewers | Tandoori chicken, boneless or bone-in, simmered in the sauce |
| Key ingredients | Tomato, onion, garlic, ginger, cream, garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika or chili | Tomato, butter or ghee, cream, garlic, ginger, mild chili, garam masala, kasuri methi (dried fenugreek) |
| Method | Onions fried until golden, spices bloomed, tomato simmered, then cream and grilled tikka go in | Tomatoes cooked down with butter and blended silky smooth, then cream and chicken simmer gently |
| Flavor | Smoky, tangy, savory and more spice-forward | Mellow, buttery and slightly sweet |
| Heat | Mild to medium | Mild |
| Texture and color | Thicker, deeper orange-red, a little chunky from onion | Silky and pourable, paler orange |
| Calories | Varies a lot by recipe; usually a little lighter because there is less butter | Varies a lot by recipe; usually richer because of the butter and cream |
| Best with | Basmati rice, garlic naan, a crisp onion salad | Naan for mopping, jeera rice, cooling raita |
What Is Chicken Tikka Masala?
Chicken tikka is boneless chicken marinated in yogurt, lemon and spices, then threaded on skewers and charred in a tandoor or under a hot grill. Tikka masala takes those smoky pieces and drops them into a spiced tomato and onion sauce enriched with cream.
The story most people tell is that Ali Ahmed Aslam created it at his Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow in the 1970s, when a customer said his chicken tikka was too dry and asked for some sauce. Nobody can prove he was the very first, but it’s the version I believe, and it explains why the dish feels so made for a British curry house menu.
What Is Butter Chicken?
Butter chicken, or murgh makhani, is tandoori chicken simmered in a velvety sauce of tomato, butter and cream. It was first served at Moti Mahal in Delhi, opened after Partition by cooks from Peshawar, and was reportedly invented to stop leftover tandoori chicken from drying out. Two families still argue over who created it, and in 2024 the fight went to court in Delhi.
The finishing touch I never skip is kasuri methi, dried fenugreek leaves rubbed between my palms right over the pot. It smells a little like maple and celery, and that one pinch is what makes it taste like butter chicken instead of just creamy tomato chicken.
Are Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala the Same?
No, but they’re close cousins, and plenty of restaurants blur the line. Both use marinated chicken and a creamy tomato sauce, so if you order one in a small takeout spot you might honestly get something very near the other.
Here is how I taste the difference at the table: butter chicken coats the spoon in a smooth, rich, almost sweet sauce, with that fenugreek aroma at the end. Tikka masala tastes smokier from the charred chicken, tangier from the tomato and onion, and the spices hit you a little sooner.
Which Is Spicier?
Tikka masala is usually the spicier of the two, though both are on the mild end of Indian curries. Butter chicken is the one I’d hand to a nervous first-timer or a kid: when I make it at home Lucy and Max mop the bowl with naan and never once reach for their water.
If you want real heat, neither is the right pick. Try a madras or jalfrezi from our easy Indian curry recipes instead.
Which Is Healthier?
Tikka masala usually comes out a little lighter, simply because it relies on less butter and cream. The honest answer, though, is that the recipe matters far more than the name: a restaurant butter chicken finished with a stick of butter is a totally different meal from one I make with a splash of cream.
Both are high in protein from the chicken. To lighten either at home, I use chicken thighs trimmed of extra fat, swap half the cream for plain yogurt stirred in off the heat, and serve with a big pile of rice and a salad rather than two naan.
When to Choose Which
- Pick butter chicken when you want something comforting and mild, you’re feeding kids, or you love a sauce you can mop up with bread.
- Pick tikka masala when you want more smoke, tang and spice, or you have a grill or broiler going anyway for the chicken.
- Ordering for a group? Get one of each, plus rice and naan. They’re so good side by side, and everyone will have a favorite.
Can You Swap One for the Other?
Yes. Any recipe that calls for one will work with the other with a couple of tweaks. To turn a tikka masala sauce into something closer to butter chicken, add 2 tablespoons of butter, a pinch of sugar and a teaspoon of kasuri methi, and go easy on the chili.
Going the other way, start by frying a chopped onion until deep golden, add an extra teaspoon of garam masala and a little paprika, and char the chicken under the broiler before it goes into the sauce. Whichever way you go, cook chicken to 165°F.
What to Serve With Them
Both love fluffy basmati rice and warm bread. For something special, try my homemade Peshwari naan, sweet with coconut and almonds, which is lovely against the tang of tikka masala.
For more ideas, my list of the best sides for chicken curry covers raita, pickles, salads and rice dishes. If you can’t choose a bread, my guide to naan vs pita explains why naan is the one built for soaking up sauce.
Sources
- Origin of tikka masala and Ali Ahmed Aslam: CBS News, December 2022
- Moti Mahal and the butter chicken court case: Al Jazeera, February 2024
- Sauce and spice differences: Tasting Table
Frequently Asked Questions
Is butter chicken the same as tikka masala?
No. Both are chicken in a creamy tomato sauce, but butter chicken is milder, sweeter and richer with butter and dried fenugreek, while tikka masala uses charred chicken tikka in a tangier, more spiced tomato and onion sauce. Many restaurants make them quite similar, which is why people mix them up.
Which is healthier, butter chicken or chicken tikka masala?
Chicken tikka masala is usually a little lighter because it uses less butter and cream. The recipe matters more than the name, though. At home I cut the cream in half and add yogurt off the heat, which trims either dish without losing the creamy feel.
Which is spicier, butter chicken or tikka masala?
Tikka masala is normally the spicier one, with more chili and garam masala. Butter chicken is the mildest of the popular curries and is the one I'd order for kids or anyone new to Indian food. Both can be made hotter by adding fresh green chili.
Is tikka masala Indian or British?
Tikka masala is generally considered a British dish, most often credited to Ali Ahmed Aslam at Shish Mahal in Glasgow in the 1970s. It builds on Indian chicken tikka, so it has Indian roots, but the sauced version became famous in British curry houses.
What does kasuri methi do in butter chicken?
Kasuri methi is dried fenugreek leaf. A teaspoon crumbled in at the end gives butter chicken its signature savory, slightly maple-like aroma. If you can't find it, the dish still works, but I think it tastes like a plain creamy tomato curry without it.
Can I use tikka masala sauce for butter chicken?
Yes. Stir 2 tablespoons of butter, a pinch of sugar and a teaspoon of kasuri methi into a tikka masala sauce, and leave out extra chili. It won't be a classic murgh makhani, but it gets you very close on a weeknight.
