The Best Chicken Tikka Masala
This is the best Chicken Tikka Masala – perfectly seasoned and full of flavour, this dish is a delicious one pot style meal that the whole family loves!
Where did tikka masala come from? Some say it dates back to India, a very long time ago. Others suggest that it was first created in the United Kingdom, in the recent past.
While the origin of chicken tikka masala is up for debate, its deliciousness is not. As long as I get to enjoy this great recipe, I won’t argue!
Too busy to make this right away? Pin it for later! Pin this post to your favorite board on Pinterest and it will be there when you’re ready!
Whats the difference between butter chicken and tikka masala?
Butter chicken has a much creamier consistency and base. Tikka masala incorporates more tomatoes and spices, giving it a richer flavour.
When it comes to Indian cuisine, we have a lot of wonderful options to choose from where we live. But it isn’t very budget friendly to always be ordering in from our favorite Indian restaurant.
Enter today’s amazing recipe for the perfect chicken tikka masala. It is full of flavor and very easy to make.
The simple two-step process involves marinating the meat and then cooking the marinated chicken pieces in a delicious creamy sauce. And though it may look like a long list of ingredients, everything is readily available at the grocery store.
You probably have most of them in your pantry cupboards already!
Chicken Tikka Masala:
Marinade
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt or any plain unsweetened yogurt
- 1 tsp garlic, minced or paste
- 1 tsp ginger, minced or paste
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tsp liquid honey
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large red onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp garlic, minced or paste
- 1 tsp ginger, minced or paste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp dried coriander or ground coriander
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato puree (thicker tomato sauce, plain)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add all the marinade ingredients and mix until chicken is coated. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, and for a juicier and softer chicken, preferably overnight.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and sear the marinated chicken for 3 minutes on both sides. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3. Wipe the skillet clean and add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add onion and cook until it starts to get golden brown.
4. Then, add in spices, garlic, ginger, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute until the spices open up.
5. Stir in tomato paste, tomato puree, stock, and honey. Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce is reduced.
6. Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer in the sauce for another 5-10 minutes over low heat.
7. Lastly, stir in coconut milk and cook for 1-2 minutes. Don’t boil the coconut cream.
If the sauce seems to be too thick for you, add in more stock or a little water to thin it out. The sauce will also thicken even more once cooled.
8. Serve over basmati rice with crusty bread or naan bread.
You can drizzle the chicken tikka masala with lemon juice or lime juice right before serving and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garish with fresh cilantro if you want.
Tips & Tricks:
- Coconut cream can be subbed with heavy cream with more fat content. Do not boil the cream. You really only need just 1 or 2 minutes to simmer it on low heat.
- Chicken thighs give even juicier results than chicken breasts.
- You only need to sear the chicken in the beginning. The meat doesn’t need to be fully cooked at that point. It will continue to cook when added to the sauce.
- A pinch of cayenne adds a wonderfully smoky and spicy kick.
- The kind of tomato paste and sauce you use matters. A good quality one will make quite a difference to your finished product.
- For a change of pace, thread chunks of chicken onto wooden skewers and grill the kabobs.
- Curry powder may be used instead of garam masala but the flavour will not be quite the same
A note on flavor and texture – the sauce is thick, very rich in flavor and seasonings. I only add a little salt in the beginning and this is usually enough until the end.
The dish is very mildly spicy unless you add a pinch of cayenne pepper, chili powder, or red pepper flakes. Ginger and garlic do give some spiciness, but combined with other ingredients, the overall flavor is well balanced.
What to serve with tikka masala:
- Naan, roti, and/or rice
- Green peas, carrots or broccoli
- Raita or plain greek yogurt
- Garden salad or cucumber salad
Whether you prefer it spicy or mild, I know you’re going to love this easy chicken tikka masala recipe. Give it a try the next time you are in the mood for Indian food!
We also love this crockpot coconut curry chicken recipe if you’d like to try it.
If you love this chicken tikka masala recipe, please give it a five star review and help me share it on Facebook or Pinterest so that others can enjoy it too!
Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt or any plain unsweetened yogurt
- 1 tsp garlic minced or paste
- 1 tsp ginger minced or paste
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tsp liquid honey
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large red onion finely diced
- 1 tsp garlic minced or paste
- 1 tsp ginger minced or paste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp dried coriander or ground coriander
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato puree thicker tomato sauce, plain
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add the next six ingredients and mix until chicken is coated. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, and for a juicier and softer chicken, preferably overnight.
- 2. In a large nonstick skillet, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and sear the marinated chicken for 3 minutes on both sides. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- 3. Wipe the skillet clean and add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add onion and cook until it starts to get golden brown.
- 4. Then, add in spices, garlic, ginger, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute until the spices open up.
- 5. Stir in tomato paste, tomato puree, stock, and honey. Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce is reduced.
- 6. Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer in the sauce for another 5-10 minutes over low heat.
- 7. Lastly, stir in coconut milk and cook for 1-2 minutes. Don’t boil the coconut cream.
- 8. If the sauce seems to be too thick for you, add in more stock or a little water to thin it out. The sauce will also thicken even more once cooled.
- 9. Serve over basmati rice with crusty bread or naan bread.
Nutrition
Save this recipe?
I’m happy to email it to you, so that you can come back to it later!
