Chicken Tikka Masala
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Spice up dinner with chicken tikka masala, a crowd-pleasing favorite featuring yogurt-marinated chicken in a creamy tomato sauce—easy to make and totally delicious!
Chicken tikka masala combines yogurt-marinated, broiled chicken with a creamy, spice-rich tomato sauce. It’s easy to prepare and makes a fantastic introduction to Indian cuisine for kids, thanks to its mild spice level. The origin of the dish is uncertain, but it’s thought to have evolved from butter chicken and was popularized by cooks from India living in Great Britain. Today, it’s a staple at Indian restaurants around the world.
The vibrant orange sauce is seasoned with garam masala, an aromatic blend of peppercorns, mace, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg, available at most large supermarkets. If necessary, curry powder can be used as a substitute. Serve chicken tikka masala with fluffy basmati rice, buttery peas, and warm naan bread for a truly delicious meal that brings the flavors of India right to your dinner table.
Table of Contents
“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, the yogurt helps tenderize the meat and adds a subtle tanginess to the flavor.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: The main protein in the dish, marinated in yogurt and apices, then broiled before being added to the sauce.
- 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: The acidic component of the sauce, 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, it introduces a fresh, herbaceous element to finish the dish, adding a burst of color and flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken tikka masala is an excellent dish to make ahead. Simply prepare the dish as directed, allow it to cool, and then store it in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat, adding a little extra cream or water if the sauce has thickened too much in the fridge.
Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs will work well in this recipe. Keep in mind the cook time will be a bit longer.
Yes, for those looking for a dairy-free option, full-fat unsweetened coconut milk makes an excellent substitute for the heavy cream. It offers a similar creamy texture and adds a slight coconut flavor that complements the spices well.
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
Chicken Tikka Masala
Spice up dinner with chicken tikka masala, a crowd-pleasing favorite featuring yogurt-marinated chicken in a creamy tomato sauce—easy to make and totally delicious!
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Wonderful recipe. I made this tonight for my wife who loves Indian cuisine, and she said it was perfect. Since my broiler was not working, I put a tad of oil in an iron skillet, seared off the chicken chunks on both sides, then put the iron skillet in a 400 degree oven to finish it off while I made the sauce. I am a tomato freak and after tasting the sauce, I upped the tomato with 1/3 cup of tomato paste, and 3 more teaspoons of sugar, as you had suggested it might need a bit more sugar. I also added 2 more T. butter, let it cook down like the recipe directed and had a wonderful thick creamy tomato’ey’ sauce for the buttered chicken. I like it a bit spicy, so on serving, I sprinkled a little cayenne on mine. My wife asked for two more helpings of the sauce so she could finish her naan bread with it. Ha. Thanks Jenn, we love it!!
Very, very good! At first I thought that marinating the chicken and broiling it seemed like an unnecessary extra step, but I followed the recipe, and oh wow! The chicken has a nice contrasting tartness and distinct flavor and it makes it so much more complex. Can’t wait to eat some leftovers today.
I just made the marinade and realized that I had defrosted pork instead of chicken! Are there any differences in the preparation that I should be aware of?
Thanks,
Linda
Hi Linda, I haven’t used pork here, but I suspect it should work without any adjustments to the recipe. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Hi Jenn. All ended up well. The pork was very tender and, of course, the flavours in the sauce were terrific.
So glad – thanks for reporting back!
Made this exactly as written…got great reviews from guests! Love the spice combination!
Hi – this looks amazing! Can it be adapted to a slow cooker and, if so, how?
Thanks!
Hi Linnie, I don’t have a lot of experience with a slow cooker but because you’d need to complete most of the recipe steps before putting it in a slow cooker, I don’t think it really makes sense. Sorry!
Just made this dish tonight. Loved the flavors. My husband said it reminded him of a curry dish from one of his favorite restaurants. He said I could have told him it was from a restaurant and he wouldn’t know the difference. I grew up with three spices (salt, pepper, and garlic salt). Most of our meals used to be from a box. Now I’m making my way through the dishes on this site (there is plenty of variety), and, with each dish of Jenn’s I make, my confidence is growing. Never thought I could make food like this! Thank you Jenn!!!
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes and increasing your skills in the kitchen! 🙂
I made this twice. The first time I followed the recipe as closely as possible and it was delicious. It was a bit milder than I usually like Indian food but amazingly good. Cooking with cream is a new thing to me since discovering Jenn’s recipes and I couldn’t believe what a difference it makes. The second time, I instead used mostly coffee cream (10%} with the little rich cream (35%) that I had in the fridge plus I added more garam masala, a little curry powder and a dash of cayenne. It was still delicious but I have to say that it lacked the depth of flavour that this recipe had with the rich cream. It actually seemed like a very different dish.
On an added note, I want to say that in the past few months I have become a Once Upon a Chef groupie. I have had a lot of company over the holidays and made at least 10 different recipes, including cookies, which are not my forte, all to rave reviews. I totally trust Jenn’s advice and really appreciate her presence on this blog. I have had all of my questions answered by reading through the comments and finding her answers to the questions that I would have asked.
This recipe was easy to make and fabulous. I followed the recipe and my family raved about it!
Made a huge batch for 11 people for New Year’s and to have extras to freeze. I basically quadrupled the recipe. Recipe is easy to follow and came out delicious. I used a combo of skinless, boneless chicken thighs and chicken breasts and marinated it for about 16 hrs. I did add garlic both into the marinade and for the sauce and I reduced the sugar by 50%. When I make it next time I will also increase the spices, excluding the salt and ginger, by about 25-40%. Another Jenn winner!
I made this again yesterday. Didn’t include any garlic (not in your recipe, I just used some last time I made it) and frankly didn’t miss it. I used about 60% of the cream and increased all spices other than salt/ginger by 30%. I forgot to add water. Didn’t matter. Came out great. Thanks Jenn!
Hello! Does your salt for the sauce (1 teaspoon) assume no-salt added crushed tomatoes or the normal salt-included crushed tomatoes? Thanks!
Correct! Hope you enjoy 🙂