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
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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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Comments
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Wow. Truly an awesome and very easy to follow recipe.
I’ve tried many recipes but this one puts them all to shame.
The results were fantastic and the whole family loved it.
My 4 kids are now asking me to make it once a week.
Next time I’m going to try adding some cauliflower along with the chicken.
I made this for Sunday dinner yesterday. OMG, my kids loved it. I’ll definately make for some houseguests over from U.K. next month.
I have tried this recipe and I tried a couple more others that are supposedly very traditional and are much more fussy and time consuming. I will say this recipe put both to shame — so easy and delicious. The only thing I changed was using skinless boneless chicken thighs instead of the breast. Thank you Chef Jenn for yet another Amazing recipe that went straight to my tried and true recipe book.
Just incredible. Made it two days in a row. Thank you!!!
What an incredible dish! This is my first time trying Indian food, and I must say I was very impressed! This dish had so many flavors and that sauce is absolutely wonderful!
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 double the sauce all of the time much to everyone’s delight. Jenn’s depth of flavor in this sauce is incredible! People can’t get enough of it.
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!