Chicken Tikka Masala
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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
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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
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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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This is a delicious meal. And very easy directions to follow. My only problem was when I put the chicken into the toaster oven on grill, which I’ve done each time I’ve made this, the element blew out. Sooo, all the chicken with extra marinade was put into the sauce to cook. It was delicious over rice.
Help! I love your recipes but I admit I get confused with your measurements of ingredients. When you write “1 – 1/2 teaspoon salt” does that mean 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt or one 1/2 teaspoon of salt? Same for “1 – 1/4 cup heavy cream”. I’ve never seen measurements written like that before and it’s very confusing.
Hi Sharon, I’m sorry for any confusion. When a measurement of mine says 1-1/2 teaspoons it means 1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon. Unfortunately, the platform that I use won’t allow me to enter fractions in in the way that we are all accustomed to seeing them. Hope that clarifies!
Absolutely delicious. I think I’ll reduce the salt in the sauce to 3/4 tsp but sooo good. And not difficult to make. Curious why the photo appears to show skinless thighs.
So glad you enjoyed it! And while thighs will also work here, those are breasts in the picture. 🙂
This is soooo good, my picky kids asked for seconds! I served it with basmati and the homemade naan and cucumber mint salad suggested. Easy enough for a week night but special enough for company!
This is delicious! I put the sauce in the blender before adding the cream because we prefer it smooth + added a bit more garam masala and cayenne at the end because I like spice haha. Everything else kept the same, it was so easy and quick, marinated the chicken in the morning made everything else quickly while baby was taking a nap in the afternoon. Can’t wait for dinner!
I made this dish for dinner tonight-amazing!!! This was so delicious!!! This recipe is a keeper!!
Jenn, This is one of my all time favorites and I love to make it for company. Question: I recently got a new stove and when I put the marinated chicken in the broiler, it got really charred, to the point I felt I had to spend a lot of time cutting it away, etc. I’m having a guest this weekend who is very adverse to “char” on food so am wondering: Is there another way I can cook the chicken so I don’t have to worry about it getting charred, for example, just in the oven at 450 for 10 minutes or something like that? If you have any thoughts, please let me know ASAP as I may have to go with a different meal choice but really wanted to make this if at all possible as it’s exceptionally delicious.
Hi Diane, Glad you like this! Yes, I do think you could go the route of roasting the chicken at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. You could also stick with the broiling method but moving the broiling rack down by one notch. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much, Jenn. I ended up using the broil feature but inserted the chicken on a middle rack. It worked perfectly–beautifully cooked chicken (stayed moist) with no char. I also loved the suggestion below for starting the sauce first and then sticking the marinated chicken in the oven–finished chicken goes right into the sauce and your all done. I’ve made this dish so many times over the years for guests and every time it’s so deeply delicious and flavorful. Everyone always loves it and goes back for seconds. Thanks for this beauty of a recipe, Jenn. You’ve got the touch!
So glad it came out nicely, Diane — thanks for the follow-up! 🙂
I thought the same thing when I read the recipe – to start the sauce first. That way, I could keep an eye on the chicken. Will definitely try this … maybe even tonight! Jennifer’s recipes are always perfect!
Hi Jenn,
I wanted to know if this can be frozen?
Hi Jennifer, Typically, I’d hesitate to freeze this because of the dairy it contains. That said, some readers have commented that they have frozen it and were happy with the results. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
I can’t tell you how many tikka masala recipes I have tried that have not lived up to expectations. This recipe is absolutely amazing and will be my go-to moving forward! I made it exactly as written, and only marinated the chicken for an hour. Next time I will marinate it for longer, but I can’t wait to make it again.
I made this recipe last week and followed it exactly and it turned out amazing from marinating the chicken to the sauce. I will definitely make this again and add to my favorites.