Heavenly Butter Chicken Pasta recipe blends the authentic Indian butter chicken curry with pasta—it is spicy, creamy, and is one of the best fusion pasta dishes that’s unbelievably good!
5 Star Reviews
From Miena Combrinck: "Oh my hat!! This is the tastiest recipe ever!!! Absolutely bursting with flavour. This is a dish everybody will love" ★★★★★
From Sarah Miller: "Absolutely delicious! Love this recipe. The best tasting butter chicken I have made. Even my English hubby approved" ★★★★★
What is Butter Chicken Pasta?
This fusion pasta is pure brilliance—imagine your favorite Indian butter chicken curry (also known as murgh makhani), rich, spicy and creamy with bold Indian spices, now tossed with tender pasta for a warm, comforting twist. It’s like a spicy masala chicken pasta - you didn’t know you needed!
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👩🍳 Reasons to love
- All the authentic flavor of authentic butter chicken—served as a comforting fusion pasta dish.
- Chicken is cooked right in the skillet—no oven, grill, or air fryer needed.
- Creamy, cozy, and full of bold, warming curry spices (without being overpowering).
- Made easy with canned tomato sauce—no blanching or chopping tomatoes.
- Weeknight comfort food, done right.
Short Video
Butter Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
- 4 to 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch turmeric powder
Pasta
- 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped onion about 1 large
- 2 large garlic cloves grated
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt divided (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons kasoori methi
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder if not using food color
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder optional
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 ounces)
- 6 tablespoons raw cashews made into a fine powder
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 to 2 pinches orange food color optional
- 12 ounces penne pasta cooked according to box directions
Instructions
- Marinade Chicken - Combine chicken and all other ingredients (under chicken marinade). Mix until evenly combined. Let it marinade for at least 30 minutes before proceeding.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl—it won’t be fully cooked yet, and that’s totally fine!
- Reduce heat to medium, add the butter to the same skillet and let melt. Add cumin seeds and let sizzle for few seconds.
- Stir in chopped onion and some salt. Cook, stirring often, until onions get golden brown color (4-5 minutes).
- Add the ginger and garlic, saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add kasoori methi, coriander powder, cayenne, Kashmiri chili powder (if using) and garam masala powder. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until spices are toasted well (don't let it burn).
- Add tomato sauce, cashew powder and chicken (along with all accumulated juices), stir well, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes (stirring every 3-4 minutes to make sure that it does not burn in the bottom).
- Uncover, stir in heavy cream, honey, orange food color(if using) and remaining salt. Let simmer for about 3 minutes. (Use more heavy cream, if you like a less spicy dish)
- Add the cooked pasta and toss well. Serve hot!
Notes
- Chicken – For juicy, tender results, use boneless chicken thighs. You can also use boneless chicken breasts if preferred, though they may be slightly less moist.
- Food Color – A small amount of orange food coloring can help achieve that classic butter chicken appearance, but it’s completely optional.
- Kashmiri chili powder - Skip the food color and use 1 tablespoon of Kashmiri chili powder along with the spices.
- Cashews – Use raw, unroasted cashews to preserve the authentic flavor. Toasted cashews can change the taste of the dish.
- Pasta – I typically use penne, but feel free to substitute with any pasta shape you have on hand.
- Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) – As mentioned in my air fryer tandoori chicken recipe, kasoori methi is a signature ingredient in authentic butter chicken. It's easy to find on Amazon, but you can skip it if unavailable.
- Make-ahead option – You can make the sauce in advance (without pasta), cool it completely, and refrigerate. Reheat over low heat, and toss with freshly cooked pasta.
- Tomato Sauce – Use canned tomato sauce (usually found in the canned tomato aisle). Avoid jarred sauces like marinara, pasta sauce, or pizza sauce—they have added seasonings that will change the flavor.
- Storage – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating – Warm in the microwave with a splash of water, stirring once or twice, until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Frequently asked questions
Traditional Indian butter chicken curry is famous for its rich orange hue—often enhanced with a drop of orange food coloring —but this step is entirely optional. If you’d prefer to skip artificial dyes, try using Kashmiri chili powder instead—it adds that signature, vibrant orange-red color naturally, without too much heat.
Grind raw cashews into a fine powder using a dry spice grinder (I like to use NutriBullet) or coffee grinder. Pause every few seconds to shake or stir the cashew nuts—this helps prevent clumping, as the natural fats in cashews can cause the powder to stick together.
Canned tomato sauce is a quick and convenient base for this masala chicken pasta, but if you prefer fresh, go for Roma tomatoes—they’re meatier, have fewer seeds, low in water, and yield a rich, sweet buttered sauce quickly.
To use them fresh, blanch them: score a small “X” on the bottom, boil for about 30–60 seconds, then plunge into ice water to loosen the skins.
Once they’re peeled, blend into a smooth puree and use it just like your canned sauce.
How to make butter chicken pasta?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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Recipe tips
- Chicken – For juicy, tender results, use boneless chicken thighs. You can also use boneless chicken breasts if preferred, though they may be slightly less moist.
- Food Color – A small amount of orange food coloring can help achieve that classic spicy butter chicken appearance, but it’s completely optional.
- Kashmiri chili powder - Skip the food color and use 1 tablespoon of Kashmiri chili powder along with the spices.
- Cashews – Use raw, unroasted cashews to get the authentic flavor. Toasted cashews can change the taste of the buttered chicken pasta dish.
- Pasta – I typically use penne, but feel free to substitute with any noodle you have on hand.
- Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) – As mentioned in my air fryer tandoori chicken recipe, kasoori methi is a signature ingredient in authentic murg makhani recipe. It's easy to find on Amazon, but you can skip it if unavailable.
- Make-ahead option – You can make the butter chicken sauce in advance (without pasta), cool it completely, and refrigerate. Reheat over low heat, and toss with freshly cooked pasta.
- Tomato Sauce – Use canned tomato sauce (usually found in the canned tomato aisle). Avoid jarred sauces like marinara, pasta sauce, or pizza sauce—they have added seasonings that will change the flavor.
- Storage – Store leftover masala chicken noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating – Warm in the microwave with a splash of water, stirring once or twice, until heated through.
More heavenly chicken pasta dishes
Here are some of our favorite chicken pasta dishes—from creamy to spicy, stovetop to instant pot—that are sure to wow any crowd:
- Chicken Vodka Pasta brings that lush, creamy goodness of classic vodka sauce into a quick, 30-minute meal.
- Spicy Chicken Pasta turns up the heat and flavor with a creamy tomato sauce that’s anything but dull.
- Chicken Broccoli Alfredo pairs tender chicken and fresh broccoli with a silky, homemade alfredo.
- Instant Pot Chicken Pasta is a reader favorite for good reason—it combines all the flavors of chicken parmesan into one easy, 30-minute dump-and-go noodle dish that practically cooks itself.
- Instant Pot Ground Chicken Pasta offers an effortless, no-fuss 30-minute dinner. Ground chicken and pasta simmer together for a quick, full-flavored meal when time is tight.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Kitchen at Hoskins on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Miena Combrinck
Oh my hat!! This is the tastiest recipe ever!!! Absolutely bursting with flavour. This is a dish everybody will love.
Maria Doss
Hi Miena, So glad that you loved the pasta, Maria
Yuvthi Raghubir
Just made this and it was phenomenal 💝😍
Maria Doss
Happy to hear hun ❤️
Sarah Miller
Absolutely delicious! Love this recipe. The best tasting butter chicken I have made. Even my English hubby approved.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡