Butter Chicken Ranked 4th Best Stew In The World: How This Iconic Dish Has Evolved

Over the years, butter chicken has become a culinary shorthand for Indian cuisine across continents. It appears in luxury hotel menus, takeout joints, and global supermarket aisles, often bearing little resemblance to the early versions. Its appeal is easy to understand: tender, smoky chicken softened by a mellow tomato-butter base that feels both comforting and festive. Recently, butter chicken was ranked the 4th best "stew" in the world by TasteAtlas, a popular food and travel guide. The list was unveiled as part of its annual awards announced at the end of the year. Other Indian dishes featured among the top 50 were Shahi Paneer, Keema, Saag Paneer, Dal Tadka, Chingri Malai Curry, Rogan Josh and Madras Curry. As delicious as the others are, none are as popular on the global level as butter chicken. TasteAtlas also ranked it among the top 100 dishes worldwide this year. 

Butter chicken's journey from an (alleged) practical kitchen improvisation to an international phenomenon is far less straightforward. It is wrapped up in stories of Partition, national identity, culinary experimentation and even courtroom battles over who invented it.

The Birth Of Butter Chicken And The Battle Over Its Origins

A widely accepted origin story begins in 1947, when Delhi was reshaped by the influx of refugees from Punjab. Among them were the founders of Moti Mahal in Daryaganj. Faced with the practical challenge of repurposing unsold tandoori chicken, the kitchen is said to have simmered the dry pieces in a mixture of tomato, butter, and spices, creating what quickly became the restaurant's signature.

But the invention of butter chicken has become a fiercely contested matter. In recent years, a rival claim emerged from the family behind the Daryaganj restaurant brand, asserting that one of its co-founders played the primary role in codifying the dish. What began as competing origin stories evolved into legal challenges over trademark and legacy. The dispute highlights how intensely restaurants value culinary authorship, not just for pride, but because iconic dishes shape brand identity and commercial success.

Originally a lighter, tangier dish with a distinct smoky edge, butter chicken gradually evolved into the richer, creamier version that is common today.

Global Explosion Of Butter Chicken

It was the Indian expatriates who transformed butter chicken into a global mainstay. In the UK, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East, it quickly emerged as the "entry-level" Indian curry: gentle enough for hesitant diners, flavourful enough to feel distinctly Indian. Restaurants abroad adapted it to local palates, often making it sweeter, thicker, and more vividly coloured. These interpretations were distant cousins of the Delhi original, but they became crucial to Indian cuisine's international acceptance.

Butter chicken also opened doors for other regional Indian dishes. Many restaurateurs abroad credit it with helping Indian food shed the stereotypes of being overly spicy or inaccessible. The dish's success coincided with the global rise of comfort food, making it easy to market: indulgent, soothing, and endlessly customisable. Its journey mirrors that of dishes like pad Thai or ramen, which became cultural ambassadors because they offered an inviting balance of familiarity and novelty.

Also Read: American Influencer Dips Pizza In Butter Chicken, Calls It 'Insanely Good'

Butter Chicken Reimagined: Fusion Recipes And Experiments

In the last decade, butter chicken has entered a new phase. Chefs in India and abroad experiment with charcoal-smoked gravies, clarified makhani sauces, and slow-roasted tomato bases that echo the original's rusticity. At the same time, it has infiltrated global pop culture through fusion formats: pizza, sandwiches, rolls, stuffed buns, and even instant noodles. Some reinterpretations are considered inventive; others have been met with ridicule. Yet every new avatar reinforces how deeply embedded the dish has become in the global imagination.

Butter Chicken As A Global Commodity

The dish's international popularity has naturally led to commercialisation. Major Indian and global FMCG brands now sell bottled butter chicken sauce, ready-to-eat gravies, frozen meals, and meal kits. Supermarkets from Dubai to New York stock butter chicken alongside pasta sauces and stir-fry kits. For many younger consumers abroad, the first encounter with Indian food begins not in a restaurant but in an aisle where butter chicken sits framed as an accessible, foolproof option.

Also Read: 7 Signs You're The Ultimate Butter Chicken Lover

Butter Chicken Is Not All Indian Cuisine Has To Offer

In recent years, butter chicken has also become a point of critique, especially among chefs and food writers who feel it has come to unfairly represent the entirety of Indian cuisine abroad. Many international diners treat it as the default Indian dish, rarely venturing beyond the familiar orangish gravy even when menus offer much broader regional options. This narrow association flattens a hugely diverse culinary culture, reducing it to a single creamy curry while overshadowing the depth of other traditions. For some, butter chicken's global dominance is both a triumph and a limitation. It is proof of Indian food's popularity, but also a reminder of how stereotypes persist when one dish becomes a stand-in for a nation's complexity.

Butter Chicken In Cultural Memory

Despite its global reinventions, butter chicken remains deeply nostalgic for countless Indian families. It evokes celebrations, Sunday lunches, and the early decades of dining out in urban India. Its appearance in films, novels, and pop culture has given it a symbolic status.

Butter chicken's future will likely involve even more transformations, but its core appeal continues to resonate across borders. Its journey is far from over, and that ongoing evolution may be its most enduring legacy.