Easy Chicken Tikka Masala
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10000x better (and faster) than take-out! And the chicken is perfectly tender with the creamiest, most flavor-packed sauce ever!
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.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
- Cook the rice. Let’s get the rice going first so it can cook while we prep everything else. Now we love this over basmati rice but Jasmine rice can be substituted.
- Brown the chicken. Cook the chicken until nice and golden brown – we want a good sear to lock in all the flavors and juices inside the meat.
- Add your spices. Stir in all your spices and aromatics until fragrant – tomato paste, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder and turmeric.
- Make the sauce. Simmer simmer simmer to let all the flavors blend together, about 10 minutes.
- Serve. Stir in heavy cream and sprinkle with cilantro, serving over rice and naan.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS
- Chicken breasts can be substituted, but chicken thighs are highly recommended here.
- Make sure you have plenty of naan for serving, dipping, sopping.
- For a dairy-free version, coconut milk can be substituted for the heavy cream.
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.
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
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.
Did you make this recipe?
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I have a question! I am using this recipe for a dietetics/nutrition assignment and I was wondering, approximately how large is the serving size? Ounces per serving would be amazing but cups would also be helpful. I’m making this recipe for a taste test at a nursing home, and I’ll be sure to let you know how it turns out.
Loved this recipe! I subbed cream for coconut milk. My family really enjoyed it. I’d also mentioned I’ve never had tikka masala, so I can telll you if it taste like it or not.
Very tasty, instantly became a family favorite ! also very fast to prepare. Thanks!
Now a question: item 12 on the ingredient list is “1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce” What is that? are we talking pasta sauce in a jar? Pasata? Crushed tomatoes? Ketchup (just kidding) … I used crushed tomato in a carton (17 oz) Can you clarify?
Thanks again and hallo from the Chicago burbs 🙂
P.S. Half my family cannot tolerate *any* level of spicy, so I substituted the Chilli powder with Spanish Paprika – worked out great!
Crushed tomatoes with peel removed is tomato “sauce”.
I believe that’s actually tomato puree. Tomato sauce is lightly seasoned with garlic and onion and is slightly thicker.
This recipe is amazing! Our daughter-in-law is from India and I think she would be very impressed with this dish! We will definitely make this again. We did use chicken breast this time. Will make again and try with the thighs. I have yet to be disappointed with any of your recipes. You have a great team experimenting with all kinds of wonderful foods. Keep them coming! Damn DELICIOUS recipe!
Simply delicious and easy and quick to make!
Very, very good. I like to make mine with coconut cream instead of standard cream- adds a new depth to it to me. Thank you for the recipe.
I’m a college student and just started to experiment with cooking. I have little to no experience in cooking and this recipe was so easy to make and delicious! My housemates were crazy about it. Definitely recommend! 🙂
Wow! I followed the recipe exactly and it was amazing. Very easy to follow/prepare. Perfect amount of heat and tons of flavor. Reminds me of this dish from Gulzar’s in Richmond Indiana… a 4 hour drive from me. Now I can enjoy it at home!
Made this for dinner and everyone has been raving about it. They said it tastes way better than any Indian restaurant we’ve ordered. It’s easy and quick. Will definitely make it again. Thank you!
BUTTER CHICKEN , yum yum
I made this as soon as it’s so good! Better than the Indian restaurant we usually go to on a Sunday and cheaper since I have everything here. My bf is loving your recipes!
Oh my GOSH. I just made this for a late dinner and it was absolutely fantastic. Even my “I would eat steak and potatoes everyday until I die” boyfriend enjoyed it. Making this again soon!
AMAZING recipe! and super easy for a young 20-somethign like me to do. I make this recipe at least once every couple of weeks!
Delicious!!! Substituted with coconut cream and added a pinch of cumin. I was surprised how delicious it turned out. It is a restaurant quality recipe. I made a pasta sauce and did not use the tomato sauce. Would definitely make it again!!!
This recipe is straight forward and easy to follow and the outcome is delicious. My husband and I love it, but can’t make it too often because it is so rich. Thank you for posting!
I have made this twice in about 6 weeks. The first time I made this my ten-year-old daughter actually did most of the work on her own. After eating this for the first time, my husband said it was his new favorite meal prep lunch and asked when I planned to make it again. I made it again this week for lunches and have been asked by several co-workers for the recipe, all because it smells fantastic coming out of the microwave. I am a huge fan of Damn Delicious and while I have never been disappointed with your recipes, this one has to be my favorite.
Delicious and easy- thank you for sharing this amazing dish.
This was so amazing. I was hesitant because of some reviews that said there was too much sauce, but obviously they didn’t have enough garlic naan.
This is spot on.The best curry I’ve ever made.
Thanks.
Fabulous! I used shrimp instead of chicken. Will use chicken next time.
Easy, even though there are more ingredients than I normally cook with, it came together well. Definitely a keeper.
I made this for the first time and it was delicious. I served it with basmati rice flavored with cumin seeds and it was better than the restaurant! My husband ate 3 bowls!