• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Contact Us

Tiffin And Tea logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Contact Us
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Recipes
    • Contact Us
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    15th June 2021 Dinner

    Home » Recipes

    Chicken Bhuna

    Sharing is caring!

    4 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
     In this Chicken Bhuna recipe, chicken thighs/legs are slow cooked with caramelised Onions, Cinnamon and Aromatic Spices. It is a must try recipe that is easy to make and incredibly flavourful. Perfect served with Jeera Rice.
    Chicken Bhuna in small wok with papadums scattered around
     

    What is Chicken Bhuna?

    Bhuna means to fry. In this dish spices are fried over high heat before meat is added. The onions and tomatoes are also fried to get the maximum flavour out of them.

    The meat is then left to simmer and bubble away over low heat.

    The resulting dish is a thick, rich dish with tender chicken.  

    tips & notes

    Garam Masala –  Flavours vary dramatically between brands so add a little and taste before adding more.  Alternatively use Madras Curry Powder.

    I usually add Garam Masala towards the end of the cooking time. This is because the spices in it are usually already pre roasted.

    Meat – You can use skin off, boneless thighs or breast. If using breast, you will need to cut cooking down time dramatically once the meat goes in. No more then 12 minutes.
     
    Garlic - I use a lot of Garlic in this recipe but this can be reduced if you prefer.

    Spices - Cooking whole spices in oil is really important in this recipe. It lends so much flavour. Try not to skip this bit.

    Oil - In this recipe, I use more oil then I usually would. Again, this adds a lot of flavour but you can reduce the quantity down if you prefer.

    how to serve chicken bhuna 

    This curry is best served with Roti, Naan or Paratha.  You can also serve it with Raita, Kachumbur (Salads), Achaar (Pickles) and Papadaum.

    which part of the chicken is used

    Traditionally, Bhuna is made from thighs/drumsticks or a cut up whole chicken.

    It can be made with boneless chicken thighs which works well. I have also made it with boneless chicken breast which also works but the chicken is not as moist.

    For boneless chicken breast, you need to cook for a much shorter time.

    is chicken bhuna hot?

    That depends on you. You can adjust the spice levels in this curry according to your taste. I like to add Green Chillies and Red Chilli Powder.

    If you prefer a milder curry, you can use Deggi Mirch/Kashmiri Chilli Powder which is less spicy. 

    what is chicken bhuna like?

    It is a very flavourful and aromatic curry that is rich in flavour and thick in consistency.

    Ingredients in this recipe

    Garlic 

    Ginger

    Ground Red Chilli

    Ground Turmeric

    Ground Cumin

    Ground Coriander

    Natural Yoghurt

    Chicken Thighs/Drumsticks - Skinless, Bone In

    Veg or Sunflower Oil

    Cinnamon 

    Black Pepper

    Cardamom

    Dry Red Chillies

    Plum Tomatoes

    Tomato Puree

    Onions

    Garam Masala

    Salt

    Green Chillies

    how to make chicken bhuna

    Marinade Chicken in Garlic, Ginger, Chilli, Turmeric, Cumin, Coriander and Yoghurt.

    Chicken marinaded in yoghurt and spices in bowl

    Heat Oil and add whole spices.

    Spices added to oil in wok

    Add Onions and cook on low for 20 - 25 minutes till golden brown.

    Onions added to oil in wok

    Add Tomatoes. Simmer on medium low until the oil separates at the side.

    Tomatoes added to wok

    Showing reduced tomatoes in wok

    Add Chicken and cook for 10 minutes over medium high heat. Keep an eye on it to make sure it isn't burning.

    Chicken added to wok

    Add ground Spices and salt and cook on high for a minute.

    Spices added on top of Chickening wok

    Cover and cook on low for 45 minutes - 1 hour for really tender chicken.

    Add ground Garam Masala and slit Green Chillies.

    storage instructions

    This dish can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 4  days. It also keeps well in the freezer for up to 2 months.

    more indian chicken recipes you may like:

    Tawa Chicken

    Chicken Mughlai

    Chicken Ghee Roast

    Chicken Makhani

    Chicken Chaap

    Patiala Chicken

    Chicken Hyderabadi

    Chicken and chickpea curry

    Chicken Curry

    **if you make something from  tiffin and tea, i would love to see your creations! don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment below! we love to hear from you. safira x

    Chicken Bhuna in small wok with papadums scattered around
    5 from 2 votes
    Print

    Chicken Bhuna

     In this Chicken Bhuna recipe, chicken thighs/legs are slow cooked with caramelised Onions, Cinnamon and Aromatic Spices. It is a must try recipe that is easy to make and incredibly flavourful. Perfect served with Jeera Rice.

    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Indian
    Keyword Bhuna, Chicken Bhuna, Indian takeaway
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 494 kcal
    Author Safira

    Ingredients

    Chicken Marinade

    • 2 lb Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks Bone in, skin off
    • 8 cloves Garlic Crushed
    • 1 ½ inch Ginger Crushed
    • 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
    • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
    • 2 tsp Coriander Powder
    • 1 tsp Cumin Powder
    • 2 tbsp Natural Yoghurt

    Bhuna

    • 5 tbsp Vegetable Oil
    • 1 Cinnamon Stick
    • 5 Peppercorns
    • 4 Cardamom cracked open
    • 3 Dry Red Chillies
    • 2 Onions diced
    • 120 g Plum Tomatoes Pureed
    • 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
    • ½ tsp Black Pepper
    • Salt
    • 1 - 2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
    • 2 Green Chillies Slit

    Instructions

    1. Marinade Chicken in Garlic, Ginger, Chilli, Turmeric, Cumin, Coriander and Yoghurt.

    2. Heat Oil and add Cinnamon, Peppercorns and Cardamom.

    3. Add Onions and cook on low for 20 - 25 minutes till golden brown.

    4. Add Tomatoes. Cook on medium until the oil separates at the side. 10 - 15 minutes.

    5. Add Chicken and cook for 10 minutes over medium high heat. Keep an eye on it to make sure it isn't burning.

    6. Add Black pepper, and salt and cook on high for a minute.

    7. Cover and cook on low for 45 minutes - 1 hour fore really tender chicken. You can reduce this time down to 30 minutes if you prefer.

    8. Add ground Garam Masala and slit Green Chillies. Cook for a minute.

    Recipe Notes

    tips & notes

    Garam Masala –  Flavours vary dramatically between brands so add a little and taste before adding more.  Alternatively use Madras Curry Powder.

    I usually add Garam Masala towards the end of the cooking time. This is because the spices in it are usually already pre roasted.

    Meat – You can use skin off, boneless thighs or breast. If using breast, you will need to cut cooking down time dramatically once the meat goes in. No more then 12 minutes.
     
    Garlic - I use a lot of Garlic in this recipe but this can be reduced if you prefer.

    Spices - Cooking whole spices in oil is really important in this recipe. It lends so much flavour. Try not to skip this bit.

    Oil - In this recipe, I use more oil then I usually would. Again, this adds a lot of flavour but you can reduce the quantity down if you prefer.

    how to serve chicken bhuna 

    This curry is best served with Roti, Naan or Paratha.  You can also serve it with Raita, Kachumbur (Salads), Achaar (Pickles) and Papadaum.

    which part of the chicken is used

    Traditionally, Bhuna is made from thighs/drumsticks or a cut up whole chicken.

    It can be made with boneless chicken thighs which works well. I have also made it with boneless chicken breast which also works but the chicken is not as moist.

    For boneless chicken breast, you need to cook for a much shorter time.

    is chicken bhuna hot?

    That depends on you. You can adjust the spice levels in this curry according to your taste. I like to add Green Chillies and Red Chilli Powder.

    If you prefer a milder curry, you can use Deggi Mirch/Kashmiri Chilli Powder which is less spicy. 

    what is chicken bhuna like?

    It is a very flavourful and aromatic curry that is rich in flavour. 

    storage instructions

    This dish can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 4  days. It also keeps well in the freezer for up to 2 months.

    Nutrition Facts
    Chicken Bhuna
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 494 Calories from Fat 342
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 38g58%
    Saturated Fat 20g125%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
    Monounsaturated Fat 10g
    Cholesterol 97mg32%
    Sodium 178mg8%
    Potassium 531mg15%
    Carbohydrates 15g5%
    Fiber 4g17%
    Sugar 5g6%
    Protein 26g52%
    Vitamin A 450IU9%
    Vitamin C 16mg19%
    Calcium 86mg9%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

    Share this:

    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
    • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on stumbleupon (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on yummy (Opens in new window)

    Related

    More Recipes

    • Rigatoni Al Forno with Béchamel Sauce
    • Korean Egg Drop Sandwich with Beef Bulgogi
    • Lemon Syrup Loaf Cake
    • Chicken Naanwich

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Cake with rose petals scattered around

    hey...I’m safira! I share accessible Global Recipes as well as Baking recipes for home cooks. One of my passions is to teach home cooks to become more confident in the kitchen and this comes with time and experience.

    More about me →

    Recipes

    DON'T MISS ANY RECIPES

    Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Featured Recipes

    • The BEST Homemade Dark Chocolate Brownies
    • No bake Milk Chocolate Cheesecake with Oreo Crust 
    • Easy Freezer Friendly Mini Pizzas
    • Caramelised Brown Sugar Carrots

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Blog

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Tiffin and Tea

    4 shares