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Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken tikka masala dish ready to serve.

An Indian favorite such as Chicken Tikka Masala couldn't have been left out of our Indian recipes! This is such a creamy, flavorful and amazingly delicious culinary experience that is no wonder why it's many people's favorite. And that's around the globe!

If you follow along the details of this recipe it will highly likely turn out better than any restaurant you can think of that has it. Why? Because you control how to make it, the ingredients and the portions!

There are so many options to serve it, but for now we're going to focus on the actual recipe...

Before you start

Please be aware that the preparation part of this Chicken Tikka Masala recipe is the longest section, so be sure to read the whole recipe before you start. Go through the ingredients list, the instructions, recipe notes and frequently asked questions before you begin.

It is very important to have all the ingredients ready and time the moment of when you want to have this dish ready, so for best results we recommend you plan accordingly. We want you to have the best results possible even from the very first time you make this recipe at home!

For a quick hint on what to serve this with, check out our Instant Pot Garlic Noodles recipe...even though we have more suggestions on our Notes and FAQ's below...

Ingredients

We're not going to lie to you, this is a recipe that takes some planning. But don't get discouraged by this because even though the recipe list might look a bit too long, they're all very usual and easy to find.

These ingredients could likely be found at your local grocery store, or even online in some websites. Just make sure you don't skip any ingredients, unless we tell you so or in case you absolutely know what you're doing.

Later on, we'll also give you suggestions for substitutions for the cases that apply.

So, here's the list of ingredients (specific amounts on the recipe card below):

Ingredients List

  • Boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • Greek plain yoghurt
  • Garlic gloves
  • Fresh ginger
  • Garam masala
  • Sea salt
  • Cumin
  • Ground coriander
  • Paprika
  • Coconut oil
  • Cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Black ground pepper
  • Lemon
  • Turmeric
  • Coriander
  • Cardamon powder
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Unsalted butter (ghee is also acceptable)
  • Onion (white, red or yellow is okay)
  • Fresh ginger
  • Garlic cloves
  • Tomato passata (tomato puree)
  • Water
  • Brown sugar
  • Cream (thickened or pure)

Preparation

The full instructions are going to be below in the recipe card, but we wanted to give you an overview of what to expect from the preparation.

We begin with a Chicken Tikka yoghurt marinade for chicken thighs. Make sure is thighs, not breast! We are looking for juicy meat for this recipe because we’re going to pressure it with some intense heat to replicate the char grilled flavor of Chicken Tikka!

Leave it to marinade for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight if you can. Then heat your pan until it’s VERY hot. Then cook those chicken pieces so the yoghurt coating gets chargrilled.

After that, we make the sauce, then toss the chicken back in to bring all the flavors together. You'll then have your very own homemade Chicken Tikka Masala, made from scratch.

With the signature deep orangey red sauce, boasting with aromatic curry flavor, smothering chicken with a beautiful chargrilled flavor!

Cooking Method ,
Cuisine ,
Courses
Difficulty Advanced
Time
Prep Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr Total Time: 4 hrs
Servings 5
Calories 580 kcal
Best Season Suitable throughout the year
Description

Chicken Tikka Masala

This recipe is made from scratch with the signature ingredients such as yoghurt, spice infused curry sauce to smother the marinated chargrilled chicken.

Marinating time: 3 to 16 hours - Spiciness: Low

Ingredients
    Marinade Ingredients
  • 1.2 lbs of boneless/skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup of plain greek yoghurt (preferable full fat)
  • 1.5 tablespoon of minced garlic (this is about 6 garlic cloves)
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon of garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional ingredient)
  • 1 pinch of ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon of lemon juice (pure lemon juice, not watered down)
    • To Cook The Chicken
  • 2 tablespoon of coconut oil
    • The Curry Sauce Spices
  • 2 teaspoon of turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon of garam masala
  • 2 teaspoon of coriander
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon of cardamon powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
    • Curry Sauce Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoon of coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoon of unsalted butter (could also be replaced with ghee)
  • 1 finely chopped onion (could be brown, white or yellow)
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 2 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
  • 6 cloves of garlic (could be crushed or grated)
  • 1 tablespoon of paprika
  • 2 cups of tomato passata (or tomato puree)
  • 2 cups of water
  • 100 ml of cream (could be thickened or pure)
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 3 tablespoon of unsalted butter (could also use ghee)
Instructions
    Chicken Tikka Instructions
  1. Combine marinade ingredientsChicken
    • Pour only marinade ingredients in a bowl.
    • Mix ingredients.
    • Add chicken and turn until fully coated.
  2. Let it marinadeChicken tikka masala with chicken fully coated.
    • Cover chicken with cling wrap.
    • Leave it in fridge to marinade.
    Marinade time should be at least 3 hours up to 24 hours.
  3. Cook chickenChicken tikka masala with chicken fully cooked.
    • Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a non stick pan on high heat until it smokes.
    • Place half the chicken and spread out.
    • Let it sit for 2 minutes or until charred.
    • Turn each piece and cook the other side until charred.
    • Remove and place the chicken in bowl.
  4. Cook rest of the chicken
    • Scrape out charred bits in pan.
    • Discard the charred bits.
    • Add ½ table spoon of coconut oil if necessary,
    • Cook rest of chicken like in the previous set of steps.
    5. Curry Sauce Instructions
  5. Wipe skillet or pot
    • Wipe skillet with paper towels. You could also do this part in a pot as you need a lid.
    • Turn heat down to medium high.
  6. Add oil, butter, onions, ginger and sea salt
    • Add oil and butter.
    • When butter is melted, add onions, ginger and salt.
    Remember that butter can be replaced with ghee.
  7. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes

    Cook, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn't burn, until the ginger is starting to turn golden and the onions smell sweet. This should last about 5 - 7 minutes.

  8. Add garlic and paprika
    • Reduce the heat to medium.
    • Add the garlic and paprika.
    • Cook for 2 minutes.
  9. Add curry sauce spices
    • While stirring, add the curry sauce spices.
    • Cook for another 2 minutes.
  10. Add tomato passata and water
    • Add tomato passata (or puree) and water.
    • Mix.
    • Bring to a simmer.
    • Cover with lid.
    • Reduce heat to low.
  11. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
  12. Make curry puree
    • Pour curry in a bowl.
    • Use a stick blender to puree until it is smooth.
  13. Put sauce back to skillet or pot
    • Return sauce to skillet or pot.
    • Add cream, sugar and butter (or ghee).
    • Stir to melt the butter.
  14. Add the chicken
    • Add chicken to skillet or pot.
    • Stir.
    • Simmer for a couple of minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
  15. Sprinkle with garam masala

    Sprinkle the chicken tikka with a pinch of garam masala as a final step.

    This is completely optional.
  16. Serve and enjoy!Chicken tikka masala already served.
Nutrition Facts

Servings 5

Amount Per Serving
Calories 580kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 47g73%
Saturated Fat 18g90%
Trans Fat 0.6g
Cholesterol 208mg70%
Sodium 1173mg49%
Potassium 639mg19%
Total Carbohydrate 12g4%
Dietary Fiber 2.6g11%
Sugars 4.9g
Protein 32g64%
Vitamin A 700 IU
Vitamin C 18 mg
Calcium 110 mg
Iron 2 mg
Monounsat Fat 16.03g
Polyunsat Fat 12g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

About Charring

Try to keep the charred coating on the chicken, but don't fret if most gets stuck to the pan - you will still get the flavor.

This is why we prefer to use a non stick pan; there is less risk of charred crust sticking to pan. However, you can still make this in a well seasoned cast iron pan which is great for getting that charred crust.

Do Not Skip Blending

When all those caramelized onions cooked with the garlic and ginger gets whizzed up with everything else, it's heavenly. It's one of the steps that we believe made "all the difference in flavor". Restaurants do this as well. It's all about the silky smooth curry sauce!

We transfer it into a bowl because it's difficult to use a stick blender in a skillet. If you're making this in a pot, you can probably tilt the pot to use a stick blender. Another option would be to let cool slightly and do this in a blender.

Make sure not to blitz piping hot sauce in a blender, as it might blow the lid off and curry sauce will end up making a mess in your kitchen.

About Oil

Indian cuisine tends to use a lot of oil. Don't be tempted to skimp on the butter and oil for this recipe because it deeply affects the resulting richness of the dish. Trust us when we say it makes a GREAT difference.

AT MOST you could reduce the cooking oil by 1 tablespoon and omit the butter at the end (taste it first!). Notice that even while using the full amount of butter + oil, it only works out at about 1.7 tbsp per serving, which isn't as much as one might expect.

Also, regarding oil, we prefer not to use pro-inflammatory oils such as canola and chose to go with a high smoke point oil such as coconut oil.

Other Notes

  • Remember that you can use ghee instead of the oil/butter used to sauté the onion. We find oil + butter produces a similar end result. 
  • The dish is very saucy on purpose, as you might expect from chicken tikka masala.
  • Salt level might look a bit high, but curries require this. Generally speaking, the more intense the flavor, the more salt is required.
  • Chicken can be marinated for up to 48 hours in the fridge, or pop it straight into the freezer to let it marinate while defrosting overnight in the fridge.

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Keywords: chicken tikka masala,chicken,
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