Chicken Bhuna From Scratch

This chicken bhuna recipe is simple to make yet so full of flavour, producing juicy, tender chicken in a deliciously caramelized coating sauce that is so delicious, you’ll never want to order your curry in again!

Chicken bhuna

Bhuna dishes are perennial favourite on the British Indian restaurant menu, rich and savoury and beautifully spiced.

See also

• leftover chicken curry, one of my favourite leftover chicken recipes
• tender marinated meat is easy with this chicken shish kebab recipe
• tender and delicious slow cooker chicken curry is easy and hands-off

The trick to this dish is to really, really fry the onions until they are sweet, aromatic and a deep golden colour, but not burned. Then you add more spices and the tomatoes, letting them cook down slowly and deglaze the pan with the juices.

This gives the curry its characteristic colour and adds so much flavour. Remember that taking your time is key to this, as with so many Indian dishes. If you reduce the cooking time, the dish will be pale and lack the delicious richness you are aiming for.

This chicken bhuna is actually quite a simple curry recipe, but is hands-on, as you need to watch it as it cooks. For this reason, I like to make the most of the time in the kitchen but making a double quantity.

Although I cook for 2 most of the time this serves 4. Curry is as good, often better for being kept and reheated, or frozen for another day. With several frozen curries in the freezer, you can dish up a banquet with little notice.

Alternatively, you can double the quantity of sauce and remove half of it to freeze for next time before you add the chicken. Defrost it, heat it in a pan and then add your meat or vegetables to cook.

What is bhuna?

The name bhuna means ‘fry’. Bhuna dishes start with a fried masala of ginger and garlic fried with onions for a deliciously caramelized concentrated flavour base that then combines with additional spices and the juices of the meat or vegetables to make a wonderful coating sauce. Tomatoes are a common addition, and I have used them here.

These dishes originate in the north east of the subcontinent, from modern Bangladesh and northern India. Intensely savoury rather than chilli hot, the spicing and heat can nevertheless vary according to the cook’s taste, as can the main ingredient.

The important thing is that wonderful caramelized onion coating sauce that in curry terms qualifies as a ‘dry’ dish; the meat should be coated but not swimming in a dish of sauce.

Why make chicken bhuna

• wonderful savoury flavours

• simple recipe

• warming comfort food

• homemade is healthy, cheaper and just the way you like it!

Chicken bhuna ingredients

• Chicken thighs – off the bone and cut into chunks. I favour thighs over other cuts for the full flavour and moist meat.

• Onions – ordinary brown/yellow onions

• Garlic and ginger paste – or garlic paste and ginger paste. Freshly crushed garlic and ginger is also an option, but more fuss and thus not for me. Don’t use dried or powdered versions in this recipe.

• Dry powdered spices – chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin and coriander. I used a medium chilli powder but you can use mild or hot as you prefer and adjust the quantity and balance of spices to taste.

• Canned tomatoes – choose quality! Some people use fresh tomatoes but I like the extra juice.

• Ghee or oil (not shown) – I like to use the traditional ghee for frying when cooking an Indian-style curry. I make my own but it is easy to buy a can. Ghee will keep for ages in the fridge and has a lovely toasted nutty flavour.
  You could use a flavourless oil instead. I prefer to avoid these, however, as they are often heavily refined. I use only extra virgin cold pressed oils.

• Salt (not shown)

• Chicken stock/broth (optional, not shown) – to loosen the sauce

• Butter (optional, not shown) – to finish

• Coriander leaf (cilantro) and green chillies (optional) – for garnish

Garlic and ginger paste

This saves so much time and for me, it is the cornerstone of easy Indian cooking. I strongly recommend keeping some in the house if you enjoy curry.

You can buy large jars cheaply at the local Asian convenience store and it will keep in the fridge for quite a while. Depending on where you shop you can buy a jar of mixed ginger and garlic, or individual jars of just the one ingredient.

If you don’t cook spicy food on a regular basis portion, into an ice cube tray, freeze and then pop out into a plastic bag or tub.

How to make chicken bhuna– step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this chicken bhuna recipe perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Peel and dice the onions into pieces of about 1 cm. Then heat the ghee or oil in a large pan and sauté the onion over a medium heat for about 15 minutes until golden, and deliciously fragrant.

Add a pinch of salt and continue to cook until the onion is just starting to brown at the edges. Do not worry if bit stick. The pan will deglaze naturally when you add more ingredients later, and they will release, bringing rich, dark flavours to the dish.

Step Two – Add the spices and cook for another minute or so until they are fragrant (take care not to burn them).

Step Three – Add the canned tomatoes and let them simmer down to about half the volume, until you can leave a trace on the bottom of the pan when you run a spoon over the base. This takes about 10 minutes. The curry will look quite dry at this stage.

(If you have doubled up the recipe remove half the sauce at this stage)

Step Four – Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat with the sauce. Turn the heat right down (use a diffuser if needed), cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Check from time to time and stir.

The chicken will release juices over time to add to the sauce. Remember that this chicken bhuna is a dry curry and the sauce should be thick rather than runny, but if it seems too dry you can add up to half a cup (120 ml) of chicken stock.

The sauce may or may not split and release the cooking oil or ghee. If not, I like to stir through a knob of butter to add some shine and a sumptuous smooth texture. Garnish with some coriander leaf and sliced chilli and serve hot.

Serving suggestion

Serve your chicken bhuna garnished with coriander and green chilli. Enjoy with pilau rice, roti or naan bread and salad.

Variations

• Adapt the spicing to suit your palate. Chicken bhuna is not, traditionally, an especially hot curry but you can add extra chilli if you like.

• Use fresh tomatoes, or add a few quartered fresh tomatoes along with the chicken pieces.

• You can stir in a chopped pepper with the onions for the last 5 minutes of the initial frying time.

Storage

This chicken bhuna recipe is ideal for making ahead of time and may actually benefit from it, as the flavours have longer to infuse the meat.

Fridge – Allow to cool, and as soon as it is cold pack into an airtight container. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for 3 months. Defrost (from frozen) and reheat in a pan on the stove top, or heat in the microwave, making sure it is properly hot before serving.

Freezer – Cool and pack into an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use, defrost and reheat in a pan on the stove top, or heat in the microwave, making sure it is properly hot before serving.

Hints and tips

• The most crucial thing is to cook the onions properly. You cannot rush or hurry this process and it is absolutely essential to the recipe, so make your chicken bhuna when you have time. You can make it in advance so that you will not be under pressure when it comes to serving. 

• Cook the tomatoes properly to make the sauce before you add the chicken pieces. You want to deglaze the pan with the juices and then let it all reduce down and start to caramelize again. This produces amazing flavour and texture.

• If you love this chicken bhuna recipe and want to make it regularly, you can double the quantities for the onion/spice masala base or sauce (including the tomatoes) to freeze for next time.

• This chicken bhuna curry is a rare instance of a dish where it does not help to brown the meat at the outset. You want it to absorb the sauce, so do not seal the meat in this way.

FAQs

More curry recipes

• Slow cooker lamb curry – the slow cooker is perfect for curries and this one is rich and delicious

• Easy slow cooker beef curry – an unusual traditional curry that’s full of flavour

• Chickpea curry – a vegan favourite

• Explore my favourite Indian Curry Recipes