Butter Chicken has 438 kcal per 1 cup, with 28 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates and 32 g fat.
Last updated: October 3, 2026 · Written and fact-checked by the Calorie Cal team.
Butter Chicken is a high-protein food: 25% of its calories come from protein. Most of its calories (64%) come from fat.
Calculated with 4 kcal per gram of protein and carbohydrate and 9 kcal per gram of fat, so the total can differ slightly from the listed calories.
Butter chicken, or murgh makhani, is tandoori-style chicken simmered in a mildly spiced tomato gravy enriched with butter and cream. Those two ingredients drive its calories: fat supplies about two-thirds of the roughly 438 kcal in one cup, though it also delivers 28 g of protein. Sharing a portion, or pairing it with roti instead of butter naan, keeps the meal lighter.
Also known as: murgh makhani, chicken makhani, makhan chicken, butter chicken curry, chicken makhanwala
| Serving | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 438 kcal | 28 g | 12 g | 32 g |
| 2 × 1 cup | 876 kcal | 56 g | 24 g | 64 g |
| 3 × 1 cup | 1,314 kcal | 84 g | 36 g | 96 g |
One serving (1 cup) is 22% of a 2,000 kcal day and 29% of a 1,500 kcal day. It also gives 28 g of protein, which is 28% of a 100 g daily protein target.
| Food | Serving | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter Chicken | 1 cup | 438 kcal | 28 g |
| Plain Paratha | 1 piece | 320 kcal | 7 g |
| Chicken Biryani | 1 cup | 290 kcal | 14 g |
| Chole | 1 cup | 280 kcal | 12 g |
| Palak Paneer | 1 cup | 270 kcal | 14 g |
| Naan | 1 piece | 262 kcal | 9 g |
| Samosa | 1 piece | 262 kcal | 4 g |
Butter Chicken has 438 kcal per 1 cup. That serving also has 28 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates and 32 g fat.
Butter Chicken has 28 g of protein per 1 cup, so 25% of its calories come from protein.
No single food makes you gain or lose weight. Your total calories over the day and week do. Butter Chicken can fit a weight-loss diet when the portion fits your daily calorie target.
It depends on your age, sex, height, weight and activity level. Most adults need somewhere between 1,600 and 3,000 kcal a day. Use the free calorie calculator to get your personal number.
Nutrition values are typical averages based on USDA FoodData Central and the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition), with recipe-based estimates for mixed dishes.
Values are typical averages and vary by recipe, brand and portion size. For packaged foods, check the label. This page is general information, not medical advice.