Chicken Bhuna Masala

Chicken Bhuna Masala is a north indian chicken dish prepared by frying chicken with bhuna masala(spice blend), onions and yogurt. You may also call it Bhuna Chicken or Bhuna Murgh, this tasty chicken dish pairs beautifully with any indian flatbread like naan, roti or paratha.

I think I get my love for sukha (dry) chicken curries from my mom. Just to be clear, when I say dry, I don't mean juiceless, tasteless poultry. I mean a chicken dish that doesn't have a lot of sauce or gravy (as we indians refer to it). Rather the masala clings to the chicken.

My husband and kids love this chicken. It is flavorful,not too spicy but still with bold flavors. It is a great meal prep dish because the flavors get better as it sits in the fridge.

What Does Bhuna Mean?

In Hindi, "bhuna" or "bhoona" simply refers to cooking on high heat. Bhuna dishes are an integral part of cooking across the indian subcontinent.

Bhuna is a cooking style rather than a type of dish. Searing proteins or stir frying vegetables or masalas (spice pastes) on high heat develops deep flavors. The dishes that are prepared in this manner are called as "bhuna".

For meats and poultry, bhuna refers to searing the meat or chicken while frying with the masala For vegetarian curries like bhindi (okra) or cauliflower, bhuna is a means to stir fry the cooked masala on high heat towards the end to include a smoky toasty flavor in the sabji.

Since bhuna is a technique, the recipes vary in terms of ingredients and cooking time. Bhuna dishes originated in state of Bengal (north eastern parts of India), however these dishes are now popular all over the Indian subcontinent as well as Europe.

What Is Bhuna Chicken?

The verb form of bhuna is "bhuno or bhunana", meaning the process of frying. You will bhuno (cook) the onion + spices + yogurt + chicken together over high heat until most of the liquid dries up and in the process, the chicken pieces are seared.

The result is a succulent dry chicken dish with rich, bold spicy flavors. Some people like to add tomatoes as well, however I use full fat yogurt only. Yogurt lends a beautiful tangy creamy richness to chicken without needing nuts or heavy cream.

Is Bhuna Very Spicy?

Bhuna dishes are highly spiced and very aromatic due to fresh ground spices, however you control how hot they are. You could always the control the amount of chillies going in.

Sometimes when I make bhuna chicken for my kids, I skip the dried chillies and use just black peppercorns.

You may skip the green chili peppers at the end as well if you want less heat.

Jump to:

• What Does Bhuna Mean?
• What is Chicken Bhuna Made of?
• Make Bhuna Masala (Spice Blend)
• How to Make Chicken Bhuna Masala
• Chicken Bhuna in Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
• Some Tips
• Serving Chicken Bhuna
• FAQ
• Chicken Bhuna Masala

Which Chicken Cut is the best

• Ideally, dark meat bone in chicken. Needless to say, bones add a lot of flavor to any chicken dish and dark meat stays juicy during the searing process. I prepare this dish using a mix of skinless bone in thighs and drumsticks. I purchase separate packs of thighs & drumsticks, mix and use.
• Here in the States, another option is to use family chicken pack (aka whole chicken cut in 8 pieces) and it works too (you will have to skin the chicken). The only thing to keep in mind when buying a family pack is to check that the chicken pieces aren't too large (i.e. the pack should not weigh a lot).

Pro Tip :- To skin the chicken , grab the skin with a paper towel or napkin and pull away. Also, cold, straight out of the fridge chicken is easier to handle when doing so.

• In India, you could use the usual bone in chicken from the butcher shops. As mentioned in few of my earlier posts, I also use the halal "curry cut' that my middle eastern butcher sells. It is similar to how we get whole cut up chicken in India.
• Everything said, my husband is leaning towards boneless chicken these days, so for this post as well as past few times, I have used a mix of drumsticks and whole boneless skinless chicken thighs for making it too. The thighs remained absolutely juicy by the end of cooking hence proving that you could use those in this recipe too if you aren't a fan of bones.
• Lastly, I would not recommend using chicken breast simply because breast won't stand up to the process of "bhuna" and will dry out. It takes about 30-45 minutes of cooking time depending on size of chicken and breast will get stringy.

What is Chicken Bhuna Made of?

Ingredients Needed For Bhuna Chicken

• Chicken - As discussed above.
• Fats/Oil- I use mustard oil because it is my first choice when cooking such robust north indian curries. Mustard oil adds a pleasant piquant taste to the chicken, however, don't fuss, use avocado or grape-seed oil. We also need Ghee(to finish).
• Onions, Green Chillies
• Whole Spices - Bay Leaf & cinnamon
• Ginger & Garlic - Store bought ginger garlic paste is fine to use. To make at home, in a small blender jar, simply grind together equal quantities(by weight) of fresh ginger garlic.
• Whole Milk Yogurt- I always use full fat yogurt for curries because you are adding it not just for the tang, but also for the richness(fat). Usually I go for indian style malai(creamy) top dahi (curd) from indian stores. However, trust me greek yogurt works fine too.
• Turmeric & Salt
• Cilantro - To garnish

Ingredients for Bhuna Masala

Bhuna Masala is the soul of this recipe. Yes, you can mix powdered spices, however I go that extra mile and put all the effort in making this bold spice blend in terms of using fresh spices, taking time to slow roast them, cool and grind them. Here are the spices you will need.

Whole Spices (& Substitutions)

• Dried Kashmiri Red chilies - Or Use Red Chilli Flakes
• Coriander seeds - Or Use Coriander powder
• Cloves - Or use clove powder
• Cumin Seeds - Or use ground cumin
• Black cardamom - Has a unique woody aroma and it lends a smoky sweet flavor. While it cannot be substituted with green cardamom, you can use it if you dont have black cardamom. It is a great spice to invest in and stash in your cabinet. Works beautifully for meat curries or even desserts!
• Black peppercorns
• Nutmeg - A fresh grind of nutmeg is the best way to use it. I use my microplane grater to do so.

Make Bhuna Masala (Spice Blend)

You can make the bhuna masala in advance and store it in an air tight container for next 2 months.

To make the bhuna masala, add all the spices listed above except nutmeg to a small sauce pan. Dry roast the spices on low heat while continuously tending to them, keep stirring around so that they dont burn.

We don't want extra toasty masala, however toast long enough to wake up the oils in spices, if you know what I mean.

Cool down slightly and using a grinder (I use a dedicated coffee grinder), grind to a not too coarse or too fine powder.

How to Make Chicken Bhuna Masala

• Using a sharp knife make a few gashes in chicken thighs & drumsticks.
• Sprinkle half of bhuna masala(powder), lemon juice and salt on the chicken. Thoroughly rub the spices & salt on chicken, cover and let sit for about 30 minutes. You can let it sit overnight.
• Whisk the rest of the spice powder with yogurt. Keep near.
• Heat up a wide & shallow, heavy bottom pan (that can fit the chicken in a single layer). Add a little oil, let heat up on medium high and then using tongs, place the chicken pieces in the pan. Here, the idea is just to sear the chicken [not cook it all the way]

Pro Tip :- Alternatively, you can lightly grill the chicken using a cast iron grill pan or outdoor grill keeping in mind that you don't cook it fully. Using a grill pan adds a wonderful smokiness and saves time because in the meantime you can start working on the sauce in another pan/pot.

• Once the chicken is seared, remove it with all the juices and oil (if any) in a plate. Keep aside.
• In the same pan, without wiping, add more oil. Let heat up and temper with bay leaf & cinnamon.
• Add the chopped onions next and stirring regularly cook the onions till golden brown(but not too dark). About 8 -10 minutes.
• Next, add the ginger & garlic paste & turmeric. Cook for few seconds.
• Reduce the heat to low and add back the seared chicken. Pour the spice mixed yogurt on top of chicken and stir to combine well. Stir for 1-2 to coat the chicken and to avoid curdling of the yogurt.You will slowly see yogurt releasing water. 

Pro Tip : Whenever adding yogurt to hot pot, ensure that the stove is on the lowest mark.

• Cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low - medium and let the chicken cook to 95 percent done.Takes about 18-20 minutes(time depends on cut and variety of chicken). As the chicken will cook ,it will release its own juices plus moisture of yogurt is enough to cook it. You will need to stir in between once or twice. Avoid adding any water to the pot.

• Uncover once chicken is cooked.Bhuno (fry) the chicken on medium heat for another 3-4 minutes to cook it throughly and bring out the best bhuna flavor.

Pro Tip :- You could add a few chunks of green or red bell peppers or onions at this point if you wish.

• Add ghee, slit green chilies(if using) and ginger juliennes, keep the stove on medium and carefully keep moving around the chicken using a spatula or flat wooden spoon making sure that it doesn't stick.
• In about 3 minutes, you will notice that the chicken looks shiny and the masala looks nicely fried. Dont dry out the masala. It should stick to the chicken.
• Switch off the stove, add cilantro. It is best if you let the chicken bhuna masala rest for 20 minutes before enjoying.

Chicken Bhuna in Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker

I am pretty old school when it comes to such classic recipes. I don't use pressure cooker or IP personally because I love to take a peek and tend to the chicken while its cooking. Since its on stove top, I can adjust the stove as needed.

However I know few of you might have that question. So, yes you can use IP or pressure cooker. I dont think that there will be lot of time saved, may be 10 minutes overall.

Press saute and allow the oil to heat. Sear the chicken, take out and brown the onions, add ginger garlic, yogurt and cook till masala is glistening. Add back the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes to get it started. Close the lid and then pressure cook for 7-8 minutes (for bone in chicken).

Once you open the lid, the chicken will release a lot of its own juices, dry out most of the liquid on high heat setting. Add ginger juliennes & green chillies and and cook for additional 6-7 minutes for the liquid to boil off until the masala is thick.

Finish with ghee and cilantro.

Some Tips

• Use a wide shallow heavy bottom pan (12 inch or larger). If using a kadai (indian wok), I use a 12 inch or larger. If the pan is not heavy, the masala will burn and stick.
• Except when adding yogurt, the heat should be medium or medium high. We dont want the chicken to boil. We want to sear it.
• At any point you feel that the chicken or the masala is burning add a tiny splash of water.
• If you are using boneless chicken thighs to make this recipe, half them. They will be 95% cooked in about 12-15 minutes.

Few Don'ts When Making Chicken Bhuna

• Cut chicken into small pieces. If you are using boneless chicken thighs, sure you can half or them. Too small chicken pieces start breaking and dry out in this preparation.
• Chicken bhuna maslaa, bhuna murghf you are using this recipe for red meat, you can cut the boneless meat (lamb or beef) into 2 inch chunks.
• Add water. A no no. Letting chicken cook in its own juices and moisture from yogurt brings out the best flavor.
• Skimp the oil. The taste of bhuna dishes comes through best with that extra oil. Else the chicken tastes boiled and flavorless.

Serving Chicken Bhuna

• Serve chicken bhuna masala with any kind of flatbread. Personally I love it with parathas. You could serve with naan or roti too. It is also a great protein side to dal chawal (lentils & rice).
• You could shred the chicken and add it to wraps, salads and rice bowls.
• For a high protein meal. serve bhuna chicken with a side of roasted vegetables.

FAQ