Easy Chicken Tikka Masala
by Chungah
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100x better (and faster) than take-out! And the chicken is perfectly juicy and tender with the dreamiest, creamiest, most flavor-packed sauce!
Featured Comment
why i love this chicken tikka masala recipe
- Weeknight superhero. Dinner is handled with this easy, lightning fast dish made in 30 min start to finish.
- No more boring chicken. Winner winner, chicken dinner! The chicken is tender, juicy, saucy and so flavorful (thanks to a lovely blend of a few pantry staples – we’re talking tomato paste, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder and turmeric).
- Flexible recipe. Use chicken thighs or breasts, serve over naan or basmati rice (or a grain of your choosing).
WHAT IS CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA?
Tikka masala is a very popular Indian dish (that may have actually originated from Great Britain) that consists of boneless chicken in a spiced curry sauce of tomatoes, cream, and traditional Indian spices such as garam masala and turmeric.
BUTTER CHICKEN VS. CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
Butter chicken, originating from Delhi, is generally milder, sweeter and richer than chicken tikka masala, made with more cream and butter.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
- Let’s get the rice going first so it can cook while we prep everything else (we love this over basmati rice but jasmine rice can be substituted)
- Cook the chicken until nice and golden brown – we want a good sear to lock in all the flavors and juices inside the meat
- Stir in all your spices and aromatics until fragrant
- Simmer simmer simmer to let all the flavors blend together, about 10 minutes
- Add in your finishing touches, stirring in heavy cream and sprinkling with cilantro
- Serve over rice and all the naan
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS
- Use chicken thighs. Chicken breasts are great as a leaner protein source, but chicken thighs will be more tender and juicier due to its higher fat content.
- Tomato paste adds so much flavor. Tomato paste is a key ingredient in chicken tikka masala, adding body and richness in small amounts without adding too much liquid to the dish. Opt for tomato paste in a tube, using up only what you need at a time without having to open up a whole can.
- Add the cream slowly. Always add the heavy cream at the very end, pouring very slowly to prevent curdling.
- Serve with naan. Serve with all the naan for dipping, sopping and dunking!
- Make it dairy-free. For a dairy-free version, swap the heavy cream for coconut milk.
what to serve with chicken tikka masala
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Garlic Butter Mushrooms and Cauliflower
- Baked Garlic Herb Potato Wedges
Easy Chicken Tikka Masala: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
Basmati rice, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro leaves and toasted naan for sopping and dunking are crowd-favorites!
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the heavy cream in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding heavy cream when serving.
Easy Chicken Tikka Masala
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ medium sweet onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
- Season chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and onion to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder and turmeric until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in tomato sauce and chicken stock; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream until heated through, about 1 minute.
- Serve immediately with rice, garnished with cilantro, if desired.
Equipment
Did you make this recipe?
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Easy, great, right amount of spice and can spice it up if you prefer more, my boyfriend who thinks he doesn’t like Indian food loved it. Had to leave to pick a friend up from the airport mid-cook – after adding the tomato sauce and chicken broth, we let it rest. Got back, brought to boil, simmer, etc., added cream, and it was great. Good to know if you need to prep and dip. Delicious regardless.
I haven’t tried anything from here that hasn’t been a home run, and this is no exception.
I have tried a ton of chicken tikka masala recipes and my go-to before this one was a several hour ordeal making lots of dirty dishes.
I always double this recipe hoping for leftovers but I’m usually disappointed as the kids will eat this til they bust. Sometimes I’m smart enough to put some aside for a lunch for myself the next day before they wreck it.
Only a couple of small tweaks –
I serve it over brown rice and sautée up a bunch of veggies to serve with it – usually at a minimum summer squash but sometimes also colored bell peppers and onions. I scoop out the rice then top with veggies then chicken and sauce – it’s a great way to get more veggies in and the super delicious sauce makes the veggies go down easy for the kids.
Also since I had it on hand from another recipe, I used kashmiri chili powder for the regular and add a couple of tablespoons of dried fenugreek leaves with the tomato sauce before simmering. These two additions really take it to the next level.
This recipe is super delicious and super easy and always a huge hit!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This was just delicious and uncomplicated ♥️ wow! Yum
This is spot on. Such great flavors with just a few spices. I loved it.
This is such an easy and tasty recipe. I like knowing all the ingredients going into it, instead of a jar sauce. The kids love it too, yummy!
Easy and my kids loved it !!!
This has quickly become a family favorite! So easy and so delicious!! Do you have suggestions for a vegetable to serve with this?
I just sautée up some summer squash and sometimes add tricolor bell peppers and onions and just scoop it over the rice before the chicken and sauce. There is a lot of sauce and it makes this go further – though I never have leftovers no matter what I do!
We loved this. I have never had or made anything like this but if I had to describe it I would say it was like special comfort food.
I enjoyed the process and watching it come together.
Actually said “damn, that’s good” upon trying the finished sauce. A+
You are so funny! “Be sure to make this when your husband is out of town. Because you won’t want to share this.” I will absolutely be making this soon!
This doubled beautifully; was out of chili powder so did 2 tsp paprika and 1 tsp chipotle chili powder and it tastes great.
this was definitely the best thing I have ever cooked. It was so good. Wasn’t too hard to make. I added less tomato sauce since I thought it was be too much. It was so good!
I just made the Easy Chicken Tikka Masala from Damn Delicious, and it was absolutely fantastic! The recipe was not only simple to follow but also resulted in a dish full of flavor and warmth. It’s the perfect comfort food for any night of the week. Thank you for sharing such a delightful recipe that’s both easy to make and incredibly satisfying!
Its sitting in the pot now as i contemplate whether or not to wait another 10 minutes for my husband to get home, i could literally drink the sauce! Thank you for a very yummy and easy meal
I made this tonight and it was a hit at our house! My 10 year, husband, and I all loved it! I used chicken breast, substituted chili flakes for the chili powder and added a couple teaspoons of sugar. This recipe was fabulous because it was super easy, everything was done in one pot (except the rice), it looked gorgeous, and it tasted sooo good! We will be making this again!
A great place to start with Tikka Masala, you can add whatever you want. I add Cauliflower.
I’ve never marinated in yogurt before, but based on what I’ve eaten at restaurants, you’re not really missing anything going with this recipe.
I made this as a last minute meal prep before going to bed and wow wow wow! This is one of, if not the best and easiest tikka masala revipe I’ve ever tried I followed the amount of each ingredient by eye, and added more of each spice and carrots as a personal preference and I couldn’t help but have a small serving after it was finished. Such a simple and delicious recipe, thank you for sharing it with us
What is the tomato sauce you refer to?
This was really, really good! I messed up by using a new to me chili powder which proved much hotter than I like, but the overall flavor was wonderful.
This is the best Tikka Masla receipe by far! My friends & family beg me to make this meal at least once a month. 10/10 would recommend to anyone.