Comparison
Butter Chicken vs Chicken Tikka Masala: What's the Difference?
17 August 2026 · 6 min read
Put them side by side and you'd be forgiven for thinking they were the same curry. Both are orange. Both contain chunks of grilled chicken. Both arrive with rice and naan. But butter chicken and chicken tikka masala come from different countries, different decades and different flavour philosophies.
Where each dish comes from
Butter chicken — murgh makhani — was created at Moti Mahal in Delhi in the 1950s. The story goes that leftover tandoori chicken was simmered in a tomato, butter and cream gravy so it wouldn't dry out. Chicken tikka masala is a British-Indian invention, most often credited to Glasgow in the 1960s or 70s, where tandoori chicken tikka was served in a spiced, gravy-style sauce for local palates.
The sauce is the real difference
| Butter chicken | Chicken tikka masala | |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Tomato, butter, cream | Tomato, onion, cream or yoghurt |
| Signature spices | Kasuri methi (fenugreek), garam masala, mild chilli | Paprika, cumin, coriander, chilli, turmeric |
| Flavour | Sweet, silky, mild | Tangy, robust, medium heat |
| Texture | Smooth, glossy, blended | Slightly chunkier, onion-forward |
| Heat | Mild | Mild to medium-hot |
| Origin | Delhi, India (1950s) | United Kingdom (1960s–70s) |
Which one should you order?
- Feeding kids or spice-averse guests? Butter chicken.
- Want something with more edge and acidity? Tikka masala.
- Watching calories? Tikka masala is usually a little lighter, since butter chicken leans harder on cream and butter.
- Pairing with plain basmati? Butter chicken. Pairing with garlic naan and pickle? Tikka masala.
Are they cooked differently?
The chicken is treated almost identically — marinated in yoghurt, ginger, garlic and spices, then cooked at high heat in a tandoor or under a grill for char. What changes is what happens next: butter chicken's gravy is blended smooth and finished with butter and cream, while tikka masala's sauce is built on sautéed onion and a heavier dry-spice bloom.
Related questions
- Is butter chicken spicier than tikka masala?
- No. Butter chicken is the milder of the two. Its heat is deliberately restrained so the butter, cream and tomato come through. Chicken tikka masala usually carries more chilli and paprika, putting it in mild-to-medium territory.
- Is chicken tikka masala an Indian dish?
- It's Indian in technique and ingredients but British in origin. It was created in the UK by South Asian chefs adapting tandoori chicken tikka into a saucier dish, and is now served worldwide — including in India.
- Which is healthier, butter chicken or tikka masala?
- Tikka masala is typically slightly lower in saturated fat and kilojoules because it uses less butter and cream. Both can be part of a balanced diet when portion-controlled — check the energy, saturated fat and sodium panel on any ready meal you buy.
- Can you get Halal butter chicken and tikka masala in Australia?
- Yes. Every meat dish at Sona's Kitchen uses Halal-certified meat, cooked in a kitchen with no pork or alcohol on the premises.