Chicken Tikka Masala
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Bring the flavors of India to your dinner table with this surprisingly easy chicken tikka masala recipe—tender yogurt-marinated chicken in a spiced tomato cream sauce.
With tender chicken simmered in a rich and flavorful sauce, this chicken tikka masala is a fantastic Indian dish to make at home. It’s easy to prepare and family-friendly, with a mild heat level that everyone can enjoy. The dish is believed to have evolved from butter chicken and gained popularity thanks to Indian chefs in Great Britain. Today, it’s a favorite on Indian restaurant menus everywhere.
The vibrant orange sauce gets its bold flavor from garam masala, a fragrant spice blend that’s readily available at most grocery stores. If you don’t have any on hand, curry powder makes a great substitute. Serve chicken tikka masala with basmati rice, peas, and naan for a comforting and satisfying meal.
“Amazing! Made this for dinner tonight and it was far better than any I’ve had at an authentic Indian restaurant. Adding this to my rotation.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Tikka Masala
- Whole Milk Yogurt: Used for marinating the chicken, it helps tenderize the meat and adds a subtle tanginess.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: This lean cut is a great option for this recipe as the sauce is quite rich, but boneless skinless chicken thighs work well too.
- Onion And Fresh Ginger: These aromatics form the base of the sauce.
- Garam Masala, Coriander, Turmeric, And Cumin: A blend of spices used both in the marinade and the sauce, providing the characteristic flavor profile of Chicken Tikka Masala.
- Canned Crushed Tomatoes: Add body and a rich, tangy flavor that complements the spices.
- Heavy Cream: Added to the sauce for richness and a creamy texture, balancing the acidity of the tomatoes and the heat of the spices.
- Fresh Cilantro: Used as a garnish to add a fresh burst of color and flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, combine the yogurt, salt, and spices and whisk to combine. 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 with an oven rack in the top position. Line a baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on top, and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the chicken on the rack, spooning any leftover marinade over it.
Broil the chicken for 7 to 8 minutes, until it is nicely browned on top—there’s no need to flip it over.
While the chicken cooks, start the sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pan. Sauté the onions and ginger until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the spices and cook for 2 minutes. Next, add the tomatoes, heavy cream, salt, sugar, pepper, and 1/2 cup water.
Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low until thickened, about 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Add the broiled chicken to the sauce and simmer for a few minutes until warmed through and fully cooked. Sprinkle the cilantro over the chicken and serve.
Video Tutorial
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Chicken Tikka Masala
Spice up dinner with chicken tikka masala—a restaurant favorite made simple enough to prepare at home.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- ½ cup whole milk yogurt
- 1½ 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
- 1¼ teaspoons garam masala (okay to substitute curry powder)
- 1¼ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1¾ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 (14-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, whisk together the yogurt, salt, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin. 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 ½ 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 Instructions: This dish can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Pair with
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
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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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.
Thank you both for your suggestions, I do love paneer so I will try both suggestions and let you know how they turn out!
You could also try adding mushrooms, peas and cauliflower.
I thought the sauce was mild and lovely, however, we like a bit more zing, so added more garam masala and a good dose of cayenne.
I didn’t have enough cream, so with an immersion blender, I made a cashew milk in the amount to make up for the missing 1/4c cream and the 1/2c water called for. So Good!
Sadly, my chicken got somewhat overcooked in the sauce- what does anyone suggest a good simmer time to be?
Hi Astrid, great tweaks and suggestions! The chicken doesn’t need to simmer for very long, just to be heated through and fully cooked. How long did you keep it simmering?
Too long because I relied on an instant read thermometer which was clearly off. It simmered for about 15 minutes, until I realized based on the “feel” of the chicken when pierced that the thermometer must have been erroneous. I’m guessing half of that time (max) would have been sufficient. Making it again tomorrow!
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 !!!!