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showing how to serve chicken tikka masala recipe by adding to a bowl with basmati rice with naan
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Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is a must-make, astonishingly easy recipe, made with local grocery store ingredients!  The lusciously rich and creamy, bronze-orange tomato-cream curry sauce is earthy, smoky, packed with spices and of course juicy, marinated, charred chicken.  This Tikka Masala recipe has been perfected from the spices, to the cooking techniques, down to which tomatoes you use for the best recipe out there!  Now, just load your chicken curry over hot rice with a showering of cilantro and a side of naan to mop up the silky sauce, and prepare for downright deliciousness!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Marinating 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

Chicken and Sauce

  • 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into large bite-sized pieces (about 1 1/2-inches)
  • 1 cup plain or Greek yogurt, fullfat is best
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger, divided
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
  • neutral, high smoking point oil such as canola or coconut, see notes (do NOT use olive oil for chicken)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 28 oz. can FIRE ROASTED crushed tomatoes (see notes)

Spice Blend

  • 1 TBS EACH garam masala, chili powder, paprika (not smoked)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tsp EACH turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon (optional if you have it)

ADD LATER

  • 1 1/3 cups heavy cream (use evaporated milk for lower calories)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar, optional, as needed

Instructions

  • Mix spices: Whisk together all of the Spice Blend spices in a small bowl; set aside.
  • Marinate chicken: Remove 2 1/2 tablespoons Spice Blend to a large bowl or freezer bag (whatever you are going to marinate the chicken in). Add the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon grated ginger and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Whisk to combine. Add the chopped chicken and stir to evenly coat. Marinate for 30-45 minutes at room temperature, but BEST if refrigerated overnight.
  • Sauté aromatics for sauce: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon garlic and the remaining Spice Blend and sauté for 1 minute.
  • Make sauce: Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce to gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often and scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. (You can cook the chicken while the sauce simmers, see Step 6).
  • Blend sauce (optional but recommended): After simmering, transfer the tomato mixture to a high-powered blender and purée until smooth, leaving a corner of the lid open and covered with a paper towel so steam can escape and it doesn’t explode. Alternatively, transfer to a bowl and use an immersion blender to blend, then return back to the pan. Season to taste. Depending on the tomatoes you used, you may need 1-2 teaspoons sugar to balance the acidity.
  • Cook chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Working in batches, add the chicken in a single layer and cook until charred on each side, about 2 minutes per side (it will not be cooked through). Transfer chicken to a bowl; set aside. Scrape out the skillet in between batches and add more oil to cook the next batch.
  • Combine: Stir the heavy cream into the blended sauce followed by the chicken. Cover and gently simmer for a few minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste with additional salt, sugar and/or cayenne pepper.
  • Serve: Serve over basmati rice with optional cilantro.

Video

Notes

Tips and Tricks

  • Chicken: Please do NOT use chicken breasts. The high temperature required to char the chicken will overcook it and cause it to dry out.  Chicken thighs are dark meat and will not dry out, are inherently more flavorful and will become melt in your mouth tender.
  • Garam Masala:  This is a common spice blend and can be found with the spices at every grocery store.   
  • Spice level:  1 teaspoon cayenne pepper is medium, leaning towards medium-hot spice level, which should be perfect for those who like heat, but not fiery heat.  If you don’t like heat, reduce the cayenne pepper.  You can always add more to taste after the sauce is complete.
  • Oil:  You must use a high smoking point oil and NOT olive oil.  Use canola, vegetable, coconut, grapeseed or other neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point.
  • Fire roasted crushed tomatoes:  The type of tomatoes is crucial and makes a huge difference in the taste of the entire dish!  Please use fire roasted crushed tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes.  These tomatoes have been roasted which gives them a complex smokiness, deeper flavor and lower acidity. In fact, they are so balanced and sweeter than regular tomatoes, you shouldn’t even have to add any sugar to the sauce!  I highly recommend getting good quality such as Cento Marzano®, Carmelina Marzano Italian®, or Muir Glen®.
  • Make it lighter:  Use half and half or evaporated milk in place of the heavy cream.  You may also use full fat coconut milk for coconut infused sauce. 
  • Vegetarian Tikka Masala: Swap the chicken with chickpeas, extra firm tofu, paneer (detailed below) or your preferred blend of vegetables such as cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers, etc.  To use tofu, start by draining excess moisture from the tofu by placing it in a pie plate, topping with a heavy plate and weighing down with 2 heavy cans (to release water). Set aside for 10 minutes then cut into ½-inch cubes. 
  • Paneer Tikka Masala:  Substitute the chicken for paneer cheese.  Paneer is a fresh Indian cheese that holds its shape and doesn’t melt, even after being cooked. It’s similar to halloumi, but softer and not as squeaky. 
  • Vegan Tikka Masala:  Choose your preferred vegetarian protein substitute above and use dairy free yogurt and coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
  • To clean your blender:  If you blend the tikka masala sauce in a blender, be aware it will stain due to the turmeric.  You will need bleach to get it clean.
  • To clean your cast iron enamel:  Cleaning cast-iron enamel is a breeze!   Fill it a little over halfway with water.  Bring the water to a simmer then add 2 tablespoons baking soda.  Using a long-handled dish brush, clean the skillet – any residue will come right off!
  • Storage:  Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  You may also freeze the Tikka Masala for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.