Butter Chicken in Edmonton: Where to Find Authentic Pakistani Butter Chicken

Most butter chicken in Edmonton is too sweet. Restaurants compensate for thin tomato work by adding sugar — and the result is a curry that looks right but tastes flat. At Punjab Sweets & Restaurant on 34 Ave NW, we've been doing it the traditional way since the early 2000s: deep, creamy, and built on a sauce that's actually been cooked.

What Separates Real Butter Chicken from the Imitations

Butter chicken — known in Punjabi kitchens as murgh makhani — was invented in Delhi in the 1940s at Moti Mahal restaurant. The dish came from a chef folding leftover tandoori chicken into a tomato-butter sauce. A practical solution that turned into one of the most popular curries on earth. The original was never sweet. It was smoky, rich, and built on tomatoes that had cooked long enough to caramelize.

The problem with most versions you'll find in Edmonton: the tomatoes don't get that time. Raw or barely-cooked tomato produces a thin, acidic sauce. Sugar goes in to balance it. You end up with something orange and one-dimensional — butter chicken in name only.

There's also the chicken itself. Real murgh makhani uses meat that's been through a tandoor before it ever hits the sauce. That char is non-negotiable. It gives the finished dish a smokiness no amount of liquid smoke or paprika can replicate. Skip it, and the chicken just tastes like it was simmered in curry.

These aren't minor distinctions. They're the difference between a dish you remember and one you forget before you've finished it.

How We Make Butter Chicken at Punjab Sweets

The process starts with the marinade. Chicken goes into a bath of yogurt, garlic, ginger, and spice — and it stays there overnight. That's not a shortcut step you can rush. The yogurt tenderizes the meat and the spices start building flavour before any heat is applied. The next morning, the chicken goes into the tandoor.

The sauce comes together while the tandoor does its work. Whole tomatoes and aromatics, cooked down slowly until the oil separates from the masala. That's the visual cue every Punjabi cook watches for — it tells you the base is ready and the raw flavour is gone. From there: butter, cream, kashmiri chili for that distinctive brick-red colour, garam masala that the kitchen grinds fresh weekly, and dried fenugreek leaves at the very end. That last ingredient — kasuri methi — is what gives genuine butter chicken its slightly floral finish. Most people notice it without being able to name it.

Our kitchen team at Punjab Sweets carries more than 30 years of combined experience with these recipes. They haven't changed the method because it doesn't need changing. Generous portions, consistent spicing, the same care on a Tuesday lunch as on a Saturday dinner rush.

All meat is halal. Every piece of chicken goes through the same marinade, same tandoor, same sauce — no variations by the day or the cook. Serve it with fresh naan or basmati rice. The naan is the better call: tear it through the sauce in a way that rice simply doesn't allow. Take a look at our full menu — butter chicken is where most people start, but it's far from the only dish worth ordering.

What to Order Alongside It

Butter chicken brings people in the first time. Lamb Biryani is what brings them back.

Our Lamb Biryani is prepared dum-style — the pot is sealed with dough, and the marinated lamb and basmati rice slow-cook together so the grain absorbs the meat's flavour rather than sitting beside it. It takes significantly longer than most restaurants are willing to commit to. Finished with fried onions and mint, served with raita. It's on the menu because it's the right way to make it, not the fast way.

The Samosa Chole doesn't get enough attention. Crispy vegetable samosas over spiced chickpea curry with tamarind chutney — each piece works on its own, but together they're sharper and more interesting. It surprises people the first time and gets ordered every visit after that.

Edmonton families from Bisset, Summerside, Ellerslie, and Mill Woods come in regularly for the daily lunch and dinner buffet — a way to try several dishes in one sitting without committing to just one. The buffet runs seven days a week. If you're planning ahead for a group or a celebration, call us at (780) 434-7373. We also have a private room on-site for parties and catered events.

Where to Find Punjab Sweets on Edmonton's Southside

We're at 9393 34 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB — on the southside, straightforward parking, no hunting for a spot. The location has been here since the early 2000s, in a space that used to house an Arby's franchise. That's changed a bit. Punjab Sweets & Restaurant has become one of the city's most recognized spots for Pakistani and East Indian food, built on two decades of consistent cooking and an owner who still greets regulars at the door.

Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 10 am – 9 pm. Thursday through Sunday, 10 am – 9:30 pm. We're open every day of the week.

We serve the whole southeast end of the city. Rutherford, Charlesworth, Walker, Twin Brooks, Silver Berry, Tamarack — all a short drive. Customers from Blackmud Creek and Crawford Plains make it a regular stop. For event planning or the private room, reach out through our contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the butter chicken at Punjab Sweets halal?

Yes. All meats at Punjab Sweets & Restaurant are prepared halal. The chicken in our butter chicken is marinated, tandoor-cooked, and handled according to halal standards from start to finish.

What are the hours at Punjab Sweets Edmonton?

We're open Monday through Wednesday 10 am – 9 pm, and Thursday through Sunday 10 am – 9:30 pm. Open seven days a week.

Can I order butter chicken online from Punjab Sweets in Edmonton?

Yes. Order online at www.punjabsweet.ca. We offer dine-in, takeout, and delivery seven days a week from 9393 34 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB.