This. This is going to change my life. An Easy Chicken Tikka Masala recipe from the comfort of my own home? In only 30 minutes? Yes, please!
And it’s guaranteed to be healthier, and cheaper, than your favorite Indian restaurant, without sacrificing taste!
Don’t be scared because you’ve never made it before- it’s SO EASY to make. Promise.
Indian food is one of my favorite things to eat, but living in a small town, we have to drive at least a half an hour to the closest Indian restaurant.
This easy recipe for chicken tikka masala, which is always my go-to order, helps me satisfy the craving without packing up the the whole family to go out to dinner.
What spices are in Chicken Tikka Masala?
The thing that makes this recipe extra super easy (and extra super yummy): garam masala. It’s a spice mixture that you can buy or make yourself, consisting of all kinds of yummy aromatic spices like cardamom, cumin, coriander, and ginger.
When you already have the spices mixed, it’s easy to grab a tablespoon of it from the pantry to flavor this entire meal, along with cayenne pepper for some spice.
True, authentic Indian cooks often toast whole spices in a skillet before crushing it themselves using a mortar and pestle.
While this can introduce complex and delicious flavors you otherwise wouldn’t get, I’ll choose the pre-mixed, pre-ground garam masala almost every time just to make my life easier.
A happy compromise is achieved in this recipe by adding the spices to the onions and letting them toast for a while before adding the tomatoes helps bring out that extra level of toasty flavor.
Where did Chicken Tikka Masala originate?
Chicken Tikka Masala is actually a curry, consisting of Chicken Tikka (chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, then cooked in a tandoori grill), served with a creamy, tomato-based sauce over rice.
Actually, there’s some speculation that Chicken Tikka Masala originated in the UK, rather than India. Chicken Tikka is authentically Indian, but it’s thought that putting it in the creamy sauce was developed by Indian immigrants to the area to satisfy the desire of British people to have their meat served in gravy.
The sauce is often bright red or orange in color- this is achieved by adding spices like turmeric, or in some cases, food dyes.
This recipe isn’t as brightly colored as those I’ve seen in restaurants, kind of like this egg drop soup, but it’s still delicious.
How do you make Chicken Tikka Masala?
First, you’ll marinate the chicken in a simple mixture of Greek yogurt, garam masala, salt, and pepper. It’s good to let it sit for at least 20 minutes, but ideally let it sit overnight.
If you don’t have time to do this step or forget, fear not. It will still be delicious. You can even use leftover cooked chicken from another meal or a store-bought rotisserie, if you want to keep things really simple.
Then, brown the chicken in some butter. No need to fully cook it- you’re just trying to get it some color.
Remove the browned chicken and add some onions to the pot, along with some more butter. You want to soften the onion a lot, but avoid browning it.
I find the flavor a bit better if I let the onions sweat, rather than brown. It takes a little longer but I think it’s worth it.
Then, add ginger, garlic, spices, crushed tomatoes, and the chicken back into the pot. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked, and stir in some heavy cream.
You can also use regular milk, or even coconut milk instead.
I like serving this over cumin-scented basmati rice. I add whole cumin seeds to basmati rice while it cooks- see recipe notes for more on how to do this.
After a quick garnish of fresh cilantro and some sliced fresh jalapeños (or not, whatever floats your boat), the chicken tikka masala is ready to eat. Don’t forget the naan to mop up the delicious sauce!
As a bonus, this recipe is a great thing to make in advance- it reheats beautifully for dinner later in the week or to take for meal prep lunches all week long.
And you can freeze it for up to 6 months in an airtight container!
If you like this recipe, you’ll love this Curried Chicken Salad with Apples and Raisins, this Oven-Broiled Tandoori Chicken (which you can use in this recipe, if you prefer), and this Red Lentil Dal with Poached Eggs and Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.
Here’s the printable recipe for this Easy Chicken Tikka Masala!
Easy Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast or thigh meat cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1.5 tablespoons garam masala divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated (see notes)
- 2 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 14.5 oz. canned crushed tomatoes or pureed
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream whole or coconut milk can also be used
- Naan bread cooked basmati rice, fresh cilantro and sliced jalapeños, for serving ((optional- see notes))
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken in the yogurt (1/2 cup), 1/2 tablespoon of the garam masala, kosher salt (1 teaspoon) and black pepper (1/4 teaspoon) for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat.
- Brown the marinated chicken on both sides over very high heat- it shouldn't be fully cooked, you're just trying to get some color on it (about 2-3 minutes on each side). Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to pot and sauté the onions over medium heat until very soft, about five minutes.
- Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon garam masala and cayenne pepper (1/4 teaspoon). Sauté for a minute or so, until spices are toasted and fragrant.
- Add the 2 cloves minced garlic and minced fresh ginger (1 tablespoon) and sauté for approximately 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Pour in the 14.5 oz. crushed tomatoes and add the browned chicken. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for about 15 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.
- Stir in the heavy cream (1/2 cup). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve over rice with naan, garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and sliced fresh jalapeños, if desired.
Video
Notes
- You can serve this with plain basmati rice (or another variety), but I recommend adding some whole cumin seeds when you cook it to pump up the flavor. I usually toast 1 cup of basmati rice in 1 tablespoon butter along with 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds for 2-3 minutes. Then, I add 1 3/4 cups water, bring to a boil, cover, and turn the heat to low to cook for about 15 minutes. Delicious!
- A note about the ginger: I keep fresh ginger in the freezer and use a microplane grater to grate it directly from the freezer when I need it. This way, you don’t need to worry about fresh ginger going bad, if you use it infrequently.
- You can freeze this in an airtight container for up to 6 months, and you can make it ahead of time to reheat for dinner or lunches throughout the week.
- To make this dairy-free/whole30/paleo compliant, use ghee instead of butter, skip the marinating, and use coconut milk in place of the cream.
- This recipe first appeared on Bowl of Delicious on December 13, 2014. It’s been updated to include more information, updated photos, a video, and some small recipe adjustments.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Madelynn
Wow! Delicious! Great flavor. So easy. I’ll make this again and again. Followed the recipe to the letter and it is fabulous.
Elizabeth
I’m so happy you liked it!
Laura
I was skeptical at first cause every Indian dish I made was not good. I made this recipe and absolutely love it!! I’m so glad I found a dish that taste as good as going out to the restaurant. I used the coconut milk and yogurt, omg delish!! I think I found one of my favorite dishes now.
Elizabeth
Hooray! So glad this recipe turned out great for you.
Mary
Made this tonight! Followed the recipie to a T and it was just perfect. I grew up in Marblehead and have fond memories of going to Passage to India, so when I saw you went there too I knew I had to try it out. Can’t wait to make it again. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Elizabeth
I’m so glad you liked it, and how cool that you also know Passage to India! I’ve since moved to Texas and miss the food there. Thanks for the comment!
Laura
This was so good! I like that I live near you near you in Arlington. I randomly googled “easy chicken tikka” as I hadn’t made chicken tikka since having kids. Ran across your recipe and tried it w coconut milk (the full fat kind) and Earth Balance butter because my littlest has lactose intolerance. I also omitted the cayenne (for kids) Still Delicious!
Elizabeth
I’m so glad you liked it! Since writing this post I’ve actually moved to Texas from Cambridge. My husband and I used to go to Punjab (an Indian restaurant) in Arlington! I remember it being very tasty. Say “hi” to Massachusetts for me, and stay warm up there!
Karen Dasher
Can I prepare the basmati rice in a rice cooker? If so, should I add the extra ingredients in the recipe above? Ps I made this one other time and used fat free half and half and my family loved it….so those of us watching fats and calories this may help. I also cheated and used Costco rotisserie chicken…still yum!
Elizabeth
Yes definitely you can prepare it in a rice cooker! Add the ingredients like cumin seed before you cook it. And it’s NOT cheating to use rotisserie chicken- I do that all the time! I’m all for shortcuts :) thanks for the suggestion to use fat free half and half!
Karen Dasher
You are most welcome and thanks for the quick response…I am making this for a Christmas potluck! Merry Christmas??
Sher
I’m allergic to tomatoes. Could I use tomato sauce or ?
Elizabeth
Hmmmm. Well, since this recipe uses tomatoes as the base of the sauce, I’m not sure that you can omit them! However, I did come across this other recipe that looks like it uses roasted red peppers as the base, with just a bit of tomato ketchup (that you could probably just omit). Hope that helps! Here’s the recipe: https://cant-live-without.com/2012/02/14/chicken-tikka-masala/
Addie
This looks lovely. How many does it serve? Thanks!
Elizabeth
I’d say it serves 4… but if you serve it with rice AND naan you can make the meal go a bit further so you might be able to stretch it to 6 :-) Hope you like it!
Elizabeth
Also- if you make a double batch and have leftovers, it freezes beautifully!
Megan
Hi! I know this is an old post but windered if there is a way i can do this in the crockpot?
Elizabeth
I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure it would work. Just dump all the ingredients (except for the cream) in the crock pot! Low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Save the cream for the end. Here’s a recipe for a slow cooker version that might help. http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-slow-cooker-chicken-tikka-masala-recipes-from-the-kitchn-211284
Hannah
Hi it says ‘cup sized’ a few times in the recipe, Is this like a mug of tea size? Just unsure how much you mean when you say cup?
Thanks
Elizabeth
Hi! A cup is just the standard cooking measurement of a “cup.” Are you by any chance in Europe, or some place with the metric system? In that case, the amount may be different than you are used to. You can try googling conversions to ounces, pints, liters, etc. :-) Hope that helps!
Hannah
Thanks very much. Yes I’m in Britain! Desperately trying to impress my husband! ;)
Maria
I wanted to try this dish since my husband travels to India frequently and talks of all the foods he’s tried. This seemed pretty easy and it was delicious! He said not quite the traditional Indian food he has there. He said this was definitely an Americanzied version but very tasty. This is a keeper, will be making this again.
Elizabeth
Glad you both liked it! I’ve been wanting to try to make a more authentic version, but whenever I look up recipes for it the ingredients are always things that I don’t know about, where to get, or how to use. Some day when I’m less busy I’ll try it :-)
Eve
You stated instructions for if you did not marinate the chicken….I take it once the chicken is marinated you would do the same which is brown it then set aside. Sounds like a stupid question I know. Just want to make sure that with marinated chicken that there is not a different cooking instruction like baking the chicken instead.
Elizabeth
That’s not a stupid question, and sorry it wasn’t clear! Yes, cook the chicken just like in the instructions if it is marinated :-) Hope you like it!
Jane
Hello, would coconut cream work instead of heavy cream? I have a can I’m wanting to get rid of!
Elizabeth
I’ve never tried it in this recipe, but I bet it would work! I’ve used coconut milk in other curries before. I think it would probably taste a bit like coconut, which would add some sweetness to the dish. But I think coconut taste goes so well with Indian and Asian curries, that it would probably work! If you try it, let me know how it comes out :-)
Jane
Hello,
I tried the coconut cream and it tasted amazing! I had left it to reduce whilst I was making some homemade naan and it was such a great hit with the kids. It had a good coconut flavour and the reduction of the sauce made the chicken very succulent and the remaining sauce very creamy. This will definitely be one for my recipe book!!
trish b
Just marinating the chicken for our Indian meal this evening. I have made this tikka a few times & it is a REAL hit with all the family including my nine year old daughter who is a bit fussy with food! ?
Elizabeth
So glad you and your family have enjoyed it! That reminds me, I need to make this again soon too :-) Thank you for the lovely comment!
Gemma
Hi. I’m about to try this and just wanted to double check the heaped tablespoon of garam masala is not a typo, thankyou
Elizabeth
Hello! No this is not a typo :-) Because it’s the only spice in there, it’s a lot. Although, if you think it’s going to be too much, you can always try a half a tablespoon and add more later if you need more flavor! Hope you like it!
Gemma
Thankyou.
Vasi
Can’t wait to try this! Looks delicious! How spicy is it? and how many people is the recipe for?
Elizabeth
It’s not very spicy at all- the cayenne pepper is the only spicy ingredient. If you are particularly sensitive to spiciness, you can omit it or only use 1/8 teaspoon! This will feed about 4 people. Hope you like it!
Aileen
Lovely recipe, thanks for sharing. I added a tablespoon of mango chutney just at the end for a bit of sweetness. ‘Twas really nice.
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it, and I love that idea about adding mango chutney! I’ll have to try that next time :-)
Nicole Whelan
This was so delicious! I’m not very experienced in Indian food, so it was kind of new to me, but my husband loves Indian, and he said it was tasty, but a bit too sweet and metallic tasting…we think it’s the pureed tomatoes I used (Contandina?) Maybe there is a better brand..I’m wondering, what did you use? He said the spice level was *perfect* :) :)
Elizabeth
Glad you liked it! I always buy Tutto Rosso crushed tomatoes- they are light years ahead of any other canned tomatoes! If I can’t find that specific brand, I make sure to buy San Marzano canned tomatoes imported from Italy. Sometimes it’s hard to find them already crushed, so if you have to use whole, just use a potato masher to chop them up a bit. Hope that helps! :-)
Nicole Whelan
Thank you, that does help!! I will try to find those brands. :)
Rohit
Can we just puree fresh cut tomatoes in a blender?
Elizabeth
I don’t think this would work as well. Canned crushed tomatoes are usually the Roma variety, and have been blanched, their peels removed, and their cores removed. All of these things make them more flavorful and have less liquid content, and the texture is smoother without the peel. If you do try using fresh tomatoes, I recommend cooking the sauce uncovered until much of the liquid evaporates- that should help a bit! And if you’re interested in making your own crushed tomatoes from fresh, here’s a great guide I found. Hope that helps!
plasterers bristol
thanks for this recipe. I love this dish.
Simon
Elizabeth
Glad you like it, Simon!
bee
is the butter 100% necessary or can i just replace with olive oil?
Elizabeth
You can replace with olive oil. I think the creaminess and flavor of the butter pairs very well with it, but olive oil will totally work! Let me know how it comes out :-)
Caroline @ Shrinking Single
This looks delicious. It is so hard to find quick but tasty Indian dishes. Have been looking around recently and they all seem to require a couple of hours of cooking so this definitely solves that problem! Have a wonderful Christmas of cooking more great recipes.
Elizabeth
Thanks, Caroline! Hope you like it :-) Merry Christmas to you as well!