Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka masala is a dish of marinated and broiled chunks of chicken in a creamy, spice-infused tomato sauce. Alongside the requisite basmati rice, buttered peas and naan, it makes a fabulous family feast. This version is terrific for entertaining since it can be made entirely ahead of time — and it’s also a great intro to Indian food for kids, as it’s not too spicy.
For a dish with such a complex flavors, chicken tikka masala is surprisingly easy to make: one hour start to finish, plus just an hour of marinating time. Most of the ingredients are pantry and fridge staples, with the exception of garam masala, a fragrant Indian spice blend typically made from peppercorns, mace, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg. It’s available at some large grocery stores (McCormick makes it as part of their Gourmet Collection), but if your regular supermarket doesn’t carry it, you can always find it at Whole Foods or substitute curry powder.
Begin by chopping the chicken breasts into chunks. Feel free to substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs if you like, but I prefer white meat for this recipe since the sauce is quite rich.
In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, combine the yogurt, salt and spices.
Whisk to combine.
Then add the chicken and mix until it is evenly coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat the broiler and set an oven rack in the top position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack on top; spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
Place the chicken on the prepared rack, spooning any marinade left in the bowl over the chicken. Broil for 7 to 8 minutes, until browned on top. (The chicken does not need to be flipped over.)
While the chicken cooks, start the sauce.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pan. Add the onions and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary.
Add the spices and cook 2 minutes more.
Add the tomatoes, heavy cream, salt, sugar, pepper and 1/2 cup water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
Add the broiled chicken to the sauce and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and fully cooked, a few minutes.
Sprinkle the cilantro over the chicken and serve with buttered Indian basmati rice and/or naan.
Enjoy!
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Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (okay to substitute curry powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch chunks
For the Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1-1/4 teaspoons garam masala (okay to substitute curry powder)
- 1-1/4 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1-3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 (14-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, whisk together the yogurt, salt and spices. Add the chicken and mix until it is evenly coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack in the top position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack on top; spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the chicken on the prepared rack, spooning any marinade left in the bowl over the chicken. Broil for 7 to 8 minutes, until browned on top. (The chicken does not need to be flipped over.) While the chicken cooks, start the sauce.
- To make the sauce: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pan. Add the onions and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary. Add the spices and cook 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes, heavy cream, salt, sugar, pepper and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I usually add a bit more salt and sugar).
- Add the broiled chicken to the sauce and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and fully cooked, a few minutes. Sprinkle the cilantro over the chicken and serve with buttered Indian basmati rice and/or naan.
- Make Ahead: Feel free to make this dish entirely ahead of time. Reheat the chicken in the sauce on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 475
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Sodium: 745 mg
- Cholesterol: 201 mg
Reviews & Comments
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Hi Jenn, question, can I sub coconut cream for heavy cream? Also what can I sub for yogurt? I’m dying to make this but have a dairy free family member. Thank you!
Hi Noreen, I would suggest coconut milk over coconut cream. It will change the flavor profile a bit, but will still be good. And I haven’t tried this with a dairy-free yogurt, but I think it should work. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Hi Jenn, I normally buy Greek yogurt. Your thoughts on using that rather than regular, please. Perhaps your not using because it’s much thicker. Cheers!
Greek yogurt should work fine here. Enjoy!
I like a lot of sauce – would anyone suggest doubling the sauce recipe? Or do the original quantities make enough sauce?
I could not eat enough of this. What a wonderful recipe, next time I shall use chick thigh fillets though as I prefer a more juicy meat. Fantastic sauce. Is going to be a regular in my family home. Thank you.
Jenn you did it again! An amazing flavor combination that I easily converted to my Plant-Based Whole Food cooking way of eating. LOVE! this flavor mix so perfect for warm fall meals. I have made this about 5 times now.
The first time I made it I used the cauliflower instead of the chicken and glazed it with cashewbutter and the spices before roasting in the oven. Once it was dropped in the sauce the glaze seemed to just blend in, so on subsequent tries I have just skipped the roasting of the vegetable and just moved directly to making the sauce adding all the spices from the chicken part of the recipe to the sauce and a bit of cashew butter and soymilk instead of yogurt. Then add the big chunks of cauliflower and cook till tender.
I sub vegetable stock for the butter and a big chunky vegetable for the chicken. I use Soy (prefer) or coconut milk instead of cream and vegetable stock instead of water to thin as needed.
One time I used cauliflower – awesome! Once I blended the cauliflower into the sauce – not good, to thick!
This last time I used Kobocha Pumpkin – YUM YUM! Make sure to not cook the vegetables too long, you want them to hold their shape. Also after tasting depending on how much sauce I have or how thick it is I may double the tomato. Definitely play with this recipe, it is soo good. Again Jenn you know how to combine your flavors so beautifully!
Love the idea to use cauliflower, Maureen. Will definitely try that!
Delicious! My family enjoyed the complex flavors. I couldn’t believe how quickly the dish came together!
My broiler terrifies me, this is after a number of disasters, but i am dying to make this tonight. Any thoughts on baking it and maybe broiling it for a minute or two at the end? I don’t doubt its a five star recipe!
Ha! That ought to work fine, Holly. Lmk how it turns out.
I plan on making this tonight but don’t have a wire rack. Any suggestions?
You can make it without it, Z. Enjoy!
Thanks! I made it last night and it was amazing. Added a little garlic and Indian chili powder to both and marinade and the sauce and it was so good!
Woah, so good. I tried making Indian before and failed miserably.. either not enough spice, not creamy enough, not enough sauce, etc. This was delicious..even seemed on par with the Indian restaurants. I crave Indian all the time, so I’m so glad I don’t have to go across the city now to get it.
Is there a way to make a vegetarian version of this recipe…thanks so much for all your great recipes!!!
Hi Barbara, I think you could substitute tofu for the chicken here. Please lmk how it turns out if you try it!
Search for Paneer Masala. PANeer is and Indian cheese and it is absolutely delicious in masala sauce just add it at the end.
I made this last night – and loved it! Next time I will have to try to make your homemade naan to go with it, this experience has really inspired me. I used cream with 20% fat instead of the heavy cream, it was still fantastic.
Loved this recipe. Was not as difficult as I thought. I made as is in the hopes my kids would eat and it was mild in spice. Husband and I decided we liked it spicier so 2nd time I made it I added a bit of cayenne and a bit of a curry powder I had on hand in addition to spices listed. A definite winner. This is one of my go to sites for recipes as I haven’t had a bad one yet
This is a great recipe – I add a few chiles to add heat.
This was delicious and my family loved it. The only changes I made were to add a little Cayenne (we like spice) and cook the chicken in a grill pan instead of the oven — my AC isn’t working and it’s too hot to turn on the oven. Thank you again for a great dinner.
Hi! Thank you so much for wonderful recipes! I tried the Tikka masala tonight with a tweak of adding lemon juice, honey, and chicken stock instead of water. IT WAS fantastic !!!!
I have tried many different variations of this dish and this is by far the easiest and most tasty. I encourage cooks to try as written and then modify based on their personal preferences as far as spices.
Amazing recipe (I am an Indian myself). Some changes to make it lighter: (1) used olive oil instead of butter (2) substituted reduced fat coconut milk for the cream. Also, I added chopped ginger and garlic to the chicken marinade. This will be a staple recipe in our house from now on. Thanks, Jen!
Super yummy and easy to make. One of my family’s favorites.
One of my favorite dishes is Chicken Tikka Masala. Jen’s recipe is by far the BEST I’ve ever had. What’s the difference? Most recipes cook the chicken right in with the sauce. Jen’s recipe instructs you to marinade then broil the chicken. WOW! That takes this recipe to a gourmet level. The only thing I do different is up the garam masala to 2+ tsp. I serve this with roasted cauliflower, basmati rice and garlic naan. Color me happy!
I love this dish and usually get it as take out, my kids always cringe – this was the perfect recipe to introduce my kids – the entire family loved it
So, so yummy! The sauce is pretty incredible! I added fresh mango cubes when eating the leftovers for lunch and that was delicious too!
This recipe is the absolute best Chicken Tikka Masala I have ever made. And trust me, I’ve tried many. I’m usually not a fan of chicken and I just really love tikka masala sauce and soaking rice in it. However, the way this Chicken came out following the recipe was on point. I ate more than one piece which is very unusual for me. The one time when I made the chicken marinade, I added medium curry powder (from savory spice shop) instead of tumeric. Very good substitute.
I took Jenns advice and added a little more salt and sugar after I tasted the sauce … wonderful. I also added a very small amount of organic arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce even more when I added the spices in. I love my sauces really thick, however this recipe without the arrowroot is not thin !! I just prefer mine thicker than normal.
I make this once a week now. Please do make this. My 4 year old ate his whole plate no problem. He’s picky !!
Hi, in your recipe when it says 1-1/2 teaspoons, do you mean 1 PLUS a half? Or just a half ? Thanks!
Hi Emma – it’s one plus a half. Enjoy!
YUM.
With the kick off of the new school year, our family is back in the swing of regular dinners. My goal is to make a new recipe of yours each week! This was my 2nd. A big hit with the entire family. From my 7 year old girl to my 69 year old mom. The latter is the pickiest and always scared to try new foods. She even asked for more sauce!
Speaking of the sauce, it is amazing! The chicken couldn’t be easier or faster. Next time I think I’ll make it on the weekend and reheat for any easy Monday night dinner.
Has anyone tried freezing this dish? I know we’ll eat the leftovers for lunch but it would be nice if we had extra ready to go in the freezer.
I made this today and I was so happy with how it turned out. It was better than what I order at my favorite Indian restaurant. I made this once before using a different recipe and was disappointed but this recipe was so easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I cooked this last weekend for my bi-monthly ladies dinner and it was such a hit. Side dishes were your curried carrots (ladies went crazy over those things) and cucumber salad. I love one stop shopping and your website is just that! Thanks
PS. Didn’t change any of the recipes all were perfect.
😊
Hi what broil setting should I put my oven to? my oven allows for ” high ” and ” low “….what rack should I put the chicken on? Thanks
Hi Layla, the broiler should be set to high and the rack should be in the top position. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious. The sauce is addictive. Served over the perfect basmati rice – which came out perfectly as advertised. I’m not a great recipe-follower and have never been successful with rice. Ever. That being said, I followed the recipe to the letter and was rewarded with a wonderful dinner that was surprisingly easy to put together. This is now on my rotation. Thank you. I really appreciate recipes that actually produces delicious food.
This is the best recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala I’ve ever used. Simple to prepare and absolutely delicious! 100% satisfaction from dinner guests and I’m not going to look for another recipe for this dish again, ever! Thank you ?
I agree. It is FANTASTIC!!!
Just made this for dinner and it was delicious!! (I made zero changes to the recipe and plan on keeping it that way.) My husband loved it and got seconds. My 2 young children ate it without any trouble (which allows me to enjoy the meal even more). Thank you Jen! I have made several of your recipes and they never let me down. I can’t wait for your cookbook!!
My whole family enjoyed this recipe! It was so easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing!!
Made this last night with basmati rice, naan and a chickpea/spinach side dish. It was easy to make. I put the chicken in the marinate before I left for work and made the dish after work. I had a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, so I used that. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. I will definitely make this again. I’m thinking about using jumbo shrimp next time for my pescatarian guests.
Hi Jenn and readers: Want to freeze leftovers of this dish? I tried it and it works. Here’s what I did: I spooned spooned individual portions into Pyrex glass storage containers. Before popping the lid onto the container, I pressed plastic wrap directly onto the tikka masala. This helps prevent ice crystallization and keeps the defrosted tikka masala from getting too watery. Defrost the storage containers in the fridge for about 24 hours or until fully thawed. Reheat the chicken tikka masala in a saucepan on LOW setting, keeping the lid on the pot and stirring gently every few minutes. This low and slow re-heat allows the sauce to get its act together and not separate, plus it keeps the chicken from getting rubbery. The sauce is ever-so-slightly thinner than when freshly prepared, but still fully delicious and texturally enjoyable. It’s been said many times before, but this dish absolutely, positively ROCKS!
Absolutely delicious! The complexity of flavor was wonderful, but the heat intensity not too high. My son has a descriminating palate for Tikka Masala and requested it for a special meal date. He gave this rave reviews. Everyone at the table agreed and all plates were licked clean. Served with warm Naan, basmati rice and peas. Easy to follow recipe with fabulous outcome!
This was amazing…I used 2 tbs of olive oil instead of butter and added a can of chickpeas and some baby spinach leaves at the end for a healthier boost and it was perfect. A definite keeper
Made this for dinner last night exactly as written. Exceptional!!! (But than again, was I expecting any other outcome?? lol )
I’ve made this 5 times now and it’s one of the best tikka masala recipes out there.
I exchanged garam masala for curry powder because the cardamom in garam masala is a touch too foreign for my palate.
Highly recommended!
This was delicious – am an Indian and can attest to its authenticity !
Another winning recipe! Made it twice already as the first time my family ate it all. The second time I increased the marinate to accommodate 3 lbs of chicken. I kept the sauce in the same proportion and it was fine. Heated up the leftovers the next day and it was still delicious! We eat Indian all the time, but this was even better than the restaurants. We do like it spicy, but I liked the flavors so much that I resisted the urge to add the heat. It just tasted so good and it was relatively easy to make. I grilled the chicken on the BBQ. I used a disposable aluminum grill topper to cook the chicken. Once it cooked a bit I took it off and put it directly on the grill to give it a little char. easy and delicious!
Another winner! This was great and so easy. My son loved it and I will make it again. Thank you for all you do to bring these recipes to us. I get so excited when I see a new recipe posted because I always know they will good.
Quick question….I made this a few weeks ago and it was absolutely delicious! I am making it again now and realize that when I bought more ground cumin it is “roasted” ground cumin. The chicken is marinating now. Will the flavor of the roasted ground cumin be too strong?
Hi Laurie, Is that McCormick’s new product? I haven’t tried it yet but I wouldn’t worry about it – the sauce can handle the extra flavor.
This Chicken Tikka Masala was so delicious. The marinade on the chicken charred up beautifully and elevated us to new flavor heights! For the sauce, I added minced garlic with the ginger and we like it spicy so 1/4 tsp of cayenne for a tiny bit of heat. Such a rich, beautiful sauce. Jenn, I always look up your version of popular main dishes first, your recipes are truly tested and perfected.
This is a good base for a tikka masala recipe. However, this needs some adjustments, imo. This is nowhere near flavorful enough.
I think, in the process of adding more and more spices, I at LEAST doubled, perhaps even tripled the amount of spices. I also added about a tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 1/2 tablespoons of turmeric, and 1/2 tablespoon of chili powder to the sauce.
An additional change that I made is that I purchased a single pot of yogurt; I bought the Siggi’s brand of orange and ginger skyr yogurt because I wanted to impart some more ginger and citrus flavor, and skyr is as thick and as luscious as greek yogurt.
However, despite all these changes, this is a very stable base, and you may find that the recipe suits your tastes; I am one for extremely flavorful, burping up spices for a midnight snack type of person 😉 Thank you very much for the recipe, and cheers!
Simply scrumptious. The chicken broiled in the spiced yogurt coating is delectable all on its own; it was hard not to keep picking on it while the sauce was finishing on the stove! The chicken and creamy sauce together are a marriage made in Indian comfort food heaven. Every one of your recipes that I’ve tried has been a winner. Thank you for a terrific site!
Excellent. Let the chicken marinate overnight and made the sauce early the next day, cooked the chicken, combined with sauce, cooled and popped in fridge until dinner time. Served it with Madhur Jaffrey’s aromatic rice and naan bread, they were the perfect combination. Will try adding the cayenne next time since we are a “spicy” family, but regardless, it was a subtle delicious dish that will be enjoyed over they years. Great dish for company since it can be made ahead. Made it to the “keeper”file!
Is there a substitute for 1 1/2 cups heavy cream?
Hi Sally, You can replace the heavy cream with half and half. Enjoy!
Loved it! broiled an additional 5-7 minutes to insure a nice looking char and might add a little cayenne next time because I wanted a little more heat. Overall savory and tender and delicious!!
I am Indian and often cook or eat out chicken tikka masala. This recipe is just superb, so easy and yet so delicious.
This recipe was my first experience with Chicken Tikka Masala. After a night of marinating and then preparing it for dinner the next evening, I am hooked!!! The chicken was soooo juicy, and the creamy sauce was perfect with it. As suggested, I paired it with buttery peas and warm naan, and it became a dinner that everyone loved!
Wow that was great! And i just used the curry powder. Hubby claimed he didn’t care for anything curry but really liked this dish.? Thank you for sharing!!
My husband asked me to marry him again based on this dish! Absolutely delicious! Also shared with co-workers, they begged me to make for them! Thank you! This week will make your Lamb ?!
This was fantastic! Flavor city!
Jen, very hot here. Can I grill the chicken and then add to sauce to avoid turning on my broiler?
Definitely!
Made this last weekend for dinner and had the leftovers last night. As always, delicious! Thanks!!
So good!!! Even my picky 13 and 10 year old kids gave it “Five stars!” This has quickly taken over as my go-to recipe website~
Absolutely delicious!!!! Did’t have chicken on hand, so I made it with pork tenderloin, now have a husband who thought he didn’t like Indian food converted!
This is delicious! Just as good as the high end Indian restaurant version that I had recently–maybe better! The recipe makes more than the two of us can eat though. Can it be successfully frozen and reheated?
So glad you enjoyed it, Wendy. I’m not confident that this would freeze well because of all the dairy- sorry! (If you do freeze it though, I’d love to hear how it is once defrosted.)
Really really good. family rated as best “Indian” style I have made. We had it with steamed basmati rice and cucumber, tomato, red onion and avocado salad. Think we would like it a bit spicier what would I add?
So glad you enjoyed it, Marjory! To add some heat, you could include a pinch of cayenne pepper in the marinade, or the sauce (or both)!
Thanks, Jenn!–If doubling the recipe for people who like spicy food–should I use 1/8 tsp. cayenne?? I’m not sure how much a “pinch” is — don’t want to do too much or too little…
I’d start with that but add more to taste – I think you could safely add 1/4 tsp.
Delicious! Everything I’ve ever made from this site has been great! Easy ingredients and steps. Great for me with 3 little children running around.
This was easy and fabulous. I love all Jennifer’s recipe but this one is really good.
Very good! The whole family enjoyed it. This is a keeper.
Very flavorful. I used fire roasted chopped tomatoes as that was all I had on hand. I used my immersion blender to smooth out the sauce a bit since my tomatoes were diced vs crushed. Everyone enjoyed the dish and we are looking forward to the leftovers. My broiler has a low and high setting so I’m never sure which to use for these types of recipes. The broiler is they type below the oven.
Hi Danita, Glad you liked it! I always use the high setting on my broiler, but all ovens are different, so it’s hard to say for sure. If you have a user manual, I would take a peek at that. (Or you could experiment and, if you find things are over (or under) cooked on one of the settings, you should probably use the other one. Hope that helps (at least a bit)!
This recipe was so delicious! Definitely going to make it again!
I thought this was very good. I don’t know how authentic the taste was, but I like that it was easy to make and the family liked it. I have a tough crowd so if everyone likes it that is a real success.
To save a step/time–could the chicken just be marinated and then simmered in the sauce until cooked through (how long do you think), stored overnight and reheated? (Provided willing to sacrifice “browning” and whole element that broiling brings to the equation). The spice and flavor profile sounds amazing, Jenn!
I don’t recommend it, Diane. The marinade is quite thick and will change the sauce; also the chicken won’t be as tender or tasty. Sorry!!
Dear Jenn: I need to cook for healthy eaters: Can I substitute Non fat Greek yogurt and then use Low Fat Coconut Milk instead of the Cream in the Sauce? I understand it is sacrificing richness, etc. but knowing this want to make sure this would still hold up okay structurally, i.e. not separate or throw off the flavor profile too much. Thanks for any thoughts you may have.
Hi Diane, I think those changes will be okay – although coconut milk will definitely change the flavor profile. Please lmk how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn! I made a super lightened up version for company and it turned out GREAT!!!
Did everything you said except: marinated it in nonfat Greek yogurt, used no butter (1-2 tsp. only olive oil ), used light coconut milk instead of cream. As expected, I had to simmer the sauce for longer than you said until it got thick (WORTH IT!).
Reheated for guests. Everyone LOVED it. Could not stop talking about how delicious it was! My husband who had professed to not liking Indian food said “I could eat this all night”. The depth of flavor on this dish is simply incredible.
And yet not heavy and oily at all—you could actually taste the tomatoes along with the incredible spices and tender chicken. Just seemed so healthy and yet so interesting and delicious. Thank you so much. Another winner that I can’t wait to make again.
So glad you were happy with the results! Thanks for following up regarding the tweaks you made- I think it will definitely be helpful to others!
This lightened-up version is the one I will make. Too much heart disease in this family. Thanks, Jenn and Diane for posting!
LCJ
Amazing! This dish was a huge hit with my family! I am so happy there will be leftovers!
Hi Jen! Do you know if there is a non-dairy substitute I could use instead of the yogurt?
Hi Leah, I haven’t tried this with non-dairy yogurt, but I think it would work here. LMK how it turns out!
Curious, is there a benefit (flavor/texture-wise) to broiling the chicken this way, as opposed to sautéing it? Wondering if this yields a less “dry/chewy chicken? What’s the secret in this method?
Hi Colleen, The chicken turns out incredibly tender when marinated and quickly cooked under the broiler. Also, the marinade is thick and clings to the meat when broiled, creating a flavorful and gorgeous brown coating. It’d be a bit of a mess in a sauté pan, but you could definitely grill it as an alternative to the broiler.
We don’t have the best ventilation in our home and even though we love how wonderfully fragrant some of these recipes are while we cook them, we aren’t thrilled to come home the next day to that lingering food smell, especially when it comes to Asian or Indian recipes. It’s a really annoying pet peeve I guess… anywho, you mentioned here that an alternative to the broiler would be to grill the meat. The broiling aspect is the only thing deterring me from making this recipe so how would you recommend to go about the grilling part of it all? Grilled until fully cooked or just to get that slightly burned outer shell and then finished by simmering in the sauce? Thanks so much. Haven’t had something from your site that isn’t a winner!
Hi Celeste, I agree that the aromas the next day are not nearly as appealing they were the night before! I would grill this for 7 – 8 minutes (just like the broiling instructions). The chicken won’t be fully cooked then; you’ll finish it off in the sauce. Enjoy!
I know that using yogurt in the marinade is traditional, but I’m wondering how buttermilk would work, and if so, how much? Just a thought!
Also, what kind of Naan bread is best here? There are several kinds at Trader Joe’s that look good, I’m guessing the garlic flavored…
Hi Susie, While you could use buttermilk, I think you’ll get better results with the yogurt; it clings nicely to the chicken giving it a delicious, almost crust-like coating. Garlic naan sounds like it would pair nicely with this or, if you’re feeling ambitious, you could make the naan recipe I have on the blog.
I just made this today and it was delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Jenn, I love this recipe and can’t wait to make it but is there any way to make it with fewer calories. With the full-fat yogurt butter and heavy cream, it seems really heavy. Thank u.
Hi Talasha, I’ve only made this with full-fat yogurt, but you could try reduced-fat yogurt instead. And you could replace the heavy cream with half and half. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you prepare it with these tweaks!
Hello! Quick question, if i wanted to make this really spicy what would i use? paprika? chilli powder or flakes?
Hi Karina, I would add cayenne pepper or chili flakes.
thank you!
I love chicken tikka masala! I was wondering if it would change the flavor or consistency too much if I subbed I unsweetened coconut milk for the heavy cream? I usually have that as a pantry staple but not heavy cream in my fridge.
Thanks!
Hi Steph, It will definitely change the flavor but I think it’d work. Please lmk how it turns out if you try it that way!
Hi Steph and Jen,
While the flavor would certainly change it will still taste good. Coconut milk and cream are both used as thickening agents. Coconut milk is used more commonly in the coastal regions (Kerala, Mumbai etc), while the Northern regions of India use yogurt and heavy cream as their thickening agents.
I made the recipe last night using the unsweetened coconut milk – it was absolutely delicious! My family loved it! I’ve eaten chicken tikka masala in lots of different parts of the US and England, and I think the coconut milk tastes just as good, if not better, than using the heavy cream! Thanks again for another great recipe!
Thank you for the very helpful comments on using coconut milk rather than cream. I gave that a try this evening and as my husband and son said “we have a winner”! Thanks for another great recipe Jenn!