Chicken Tikka Masala
Updated
Updated
The best homemade Chicken Tikka Masala recipe like you get at your favorite Indian restaurant! With tender, juicy pieces of charred chicken, swimming in an unbelievable luscious, flavor-packed creamy tomato sauce, it will make your taste buds sing with every bite. Pair this with our homemade Naan bread to mop up the amazing sauce!
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5 STAR REVIEW
I adore Indian cuisine, but since we don’t live close to any Indian restaurants anymore, I have learned to recreate my favorites at home. Chicken Tikka Masala is right at the top of that list. Every time I make it, I spend the following morning anxious and fidgety waiting for lunchtime to draw near so I can inhale the leftovers. If you’re unsure about Indian food, I am 1000% certain this dish will convert you.
What is Chicken Tikka Masala?
Tikka Masala is a traditional Indian dish made up of chicken that’s been marinated in yogurt, charred and simmered in a rich, creamy tomato-based spiced sauce. The gorgeous color comes from Garam Masala, which is blend of cinnamon, black pepper, coriander, cumin, and cardamon. It has a subtle nutty and sweet, unique flavor. Don’t skip any of complex Indian spices or you’ll miss out on the optimal Tikka Masala experience.
Tips for the Best Chicken Tikka Masala
Authentic tikka masala is usually skewered and cooked in a hot clay tandoor oven that reaches up to 900F! I don’t have one of those and don’t know many people who do. So for ease, I make this dish in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop, while maintaining all the authentic flavors. Here are some tips to get as close to the real deal as possible:
- Don’t skip marinating. Marinating helps tenderize the chicken and is critical for this dish. Chicken thighs require a minimum of 15 minutes, while breasts need at least an hour. The longer the better!
- Use a cast iron skillet. A well seasoned, cast iron skillet will get you the best charred results. If you only have a regular nonstick pan, cook over high heat.
- Pan fry in batches. Cooking the chicken pieces in batches helps prevent over-crowding, which can result in steaming, instead of charring.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade
- 1 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, (not cayenne pepper)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- 1 & 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, , cut into small bite-sized pieces
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large sweet onion, , finely diced
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, , finely minced
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce, (unseasoned)
- 1 & 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup 1/4 cup water, , only if needed
For Serving
- chopped cilantro, , for garnish
- naan bread
- cooked basmati rice
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade; add the chicken and toss to coat. Let marinate for 1 hour (ideally overnight in the fridge, if time permits.)
- Warm oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add chicken pieces in batches, if necessary, making sure not to crowd the pan. Let them fry, untouched, for 1 minute to develop a crust, then saute until browned for about 5 more minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
- Melt the butter in the same pan. Saute the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Add ginger and garlic; sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add in the brown sugar, coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, and salt. Stir occasionally for about 15 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the tomato sauce; let simmer gently for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes deeper in color.
- Stir in the cream until incorporated.
- Add the partially cooked chicken along with its juices back to the pan; cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Pour in the water to thin out the sauce, only if necessary.
- Serve over cooked basmati rice, with Naan bread, and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
Butter Chicken vs. Chicken Tikka Masala
These two classic Indian dishes are both mouth-watering and extremely similar. They even look practically the same, but there is a difference in taste and cooking method. Butter chicken is cooked mainly with butter (thus the name) and a creamy blend of spiced tomato sauce that’s somewhat mild and slightly sweet. Tikka masala is mainly cooked with oil in a creamy tomato and onion sauce that has more heat and bigger flavor.
What to Serve with Chicken Tikka Masala
I always serve this dish over hot cooked basmati rice with a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro (or parsley) and a side of homemade Naan bread to mop up that amazing sauce! It’s also great with a simple side salad or vegetable like roasted broccoli or roasted asparagus. Then wash it all down with some sweet tea.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Leftover chicken tikka masala should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer. Chicken tikka masala freezes fairly well. I recommend placing it in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag, remove as much air as possible, and lay flat. It will keep up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat. The best way to reheat is on the stovetop on low, though the microwave will work in a pinch. Be sure to store it separately from any rice, as the rice will absorb the sauce.
Other Indian-inspired dishes we love include our Turkey Keema, Beef Kofta, and Chickpea Curry.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
This recipe turned out super yummy! I doubled it, omitted the onion for our tastes, and subbed coconut milk for the cream. We had leftovers the next day and it was even better! Made naan bread and we were sopping up every last bit of the sauce with it. Thanks for a great recipe 😊
This is THEE BEST recipe I’ve ever made for chicken tikka masala and I’ve tried ALOT. I made this and had a native Indian woman over and she said it was better than our local Indian restaurant. Bravo!
Amazing! Tastes just like our favorite Indian Restaurant! I e tried a few other recipes before, but this one is amazing. We do like a little spice. I added 1/8 teaspoon of ceyenne powder.
FANTASTIC recipe! We licked our plates clean. This tastes as close to authentic as it gets but it was SO easy to make, thank you!
I normally do not do reviews, but I had to for this recipe. It was better than any chicken tikka masala I’ve had at restaurants!
I tried a few recipes before using this one three times now and it’s always a hit with guests!
Delisa
Loved this recipe! Full of flavor!
This is the best Chicken Tikka Masala recipe! My husband and I were long searching for something as good as what we each in a restaurant and this is it. It is our favorite dish and we make it all the time.
This is the BEST Chicken-Tikka-Masala
I loved how easy and simple this recipe was to follow!
Fabulous recipe !Didn’t change a thing. YUM!
This recipe is the best! I’ve made it at least 10 times and I always get rave reviews!
Very tasty meal. a hit with the whole family.
Very easy to make. My daughter-in-law who is Indian said it was very authentic.
I have made this so many times and will keep coming back to this recipe! So delicious, and way easier than you may think!
So delicious. I added lime juice on top and it elevated it so much
My whole family loves this recipe! I add green peppers and onions, and substitute the yogurt with cashew yogurt due to dairy intolerances.
I have made this over and over. It’s amazing! Have some marinating for tomorrow. But I’m attempting to do it in a slow cooker tomorrow. I’m going to wait to add the cream towards the end in hopes it doesn’t separate ?
How’d it work in slow cooker?
Lovely recipe. I received a lot of praised . Thank you!
My go to tikka masala recipe! I’ve tried many, this is the only one I use anymore.
I have made this recipe dozens of times for family and friends. It’s a regular dish in our rotation now. I crave it all the time and it’s amazing leftovers as well. We serve it with white basmati rice and cilantro, lime & jalapeño cucumbers. Side of naan too! It’s best when you get a good sear on the chicken. The sauce comes together so nicely.
I am a food tech teacher and my students loved making this recipe with Naan bread … they even used it for an assessment … thank you
This was DELICIOUS and the instructions were easy to follow. I’m looking forward to making this for company. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
happy i found this recipe! i’ve made this many times now and it comes out perfect every time. personally i double the spices, and use sour cream instead of yogurt in the marinade (more accessible for me) and it’s perfect! will continue to use this recipe forever
We have made this so many times and it is always amazing
I’m making this for the 2nd time in a pretty short time frame. My husband and I really enjoy this! I do substitute coconut milk in for the heavy cream, other than that I make it as stated and thoroughly enjoy.
I have made this several times. It’s a hit with the whole family!
Absolutely love this recipe
Just made it today. And will now be part of my rotation. So yummy
very good! personally i used an immersion blender so that the onions were undetectable. added extra chili powder and salt at the end. will definitely make again!
I’ve made this again and again. This is the best homemade recipe for non-spicy Chicken Tikka Masala. My 10yo daughter loves it and gets excited when I tell her that’s what I’m making for dinner. It’s my favorite homemade meal now. Thanks for this awesome recipe. It’s really easy too! Just make sure to have everything marinated and chopped up ahead of time. Then it’s a 30-minute meal!
This recipe is amazing! Came together so easily and tastes, in my opinion, better than the takeout I can get in my hometown! I did use coconut milk instead of heavy cream and added a dash of cayenne for spice. So delicious with garlic naan!! Will definitely be making again!
Made this last night for dinner. Very delicious. Will definitely be making it again. Thanks for sharing!
I loved loved the recipe, my guests really enjoyed it
It was so good! I made a couple adjustments. I substituted coconut milk for the heavy cream, added lime juice and substituted honey for the sugar. Small tweaks. So yummy!
I made this last night to rave reviews! It came together quickly and easily and packed a ton of wonderful flavor. I will definitely make this again and soon!
This recipe was delicious! The only problem was that my sauce split when I added the cream. Any suggestions on how to avoid this the next time I make this recipe? Thanks!
Fantastic recipe! I have made it twice, but I had to change a couple things. I only use a half teaspoon of brown sugar and 1/3 cup of heavy cream. I also added some cayenne pepper to spice it up. Highly recommended!
I’ve made this recipe twice in the past week and it’s absolutely amazing! Never thought I would be able to make chicken tikka masala at home but it’s pretty close to authentic! A new fav!
Absolutely amazing recipe!
We make this recipe probably twice a month now! It’s perfection as is. Our 3 year old is a big fan and that’s always a win. Curious if there’s any tips on how to freeze to prep for postpartum. I think I’ll wing prepping the marinate and freezing. Have shared this recipe with so many friends.
This recipe is time consuming but delicious! I doubled everything in the recipe except the chili powder because I was not sure if it would be too spicy, and it ended up being perfect for my kiddos. If you prefer it spicy then double the chili powder. I also only used 2 cups of heavy cream because that’s all I had. For the tomato sauce I used jarred strained tomatoes instead of canned sauce because the canned varieties had other ingredients in addition to tomatoes. When making the sauce the instructions say to add salt but I don’t see that in the ingredient list. Is there a specific amount you add?
Can this be frozen once it is made?
New favorite!! I’ve made this quite a few times now and I can’t get over it ? My fiancé is super picky and I thought he wouldn’t like it but he gobbles it up every time. Thank you for the recipe! I’ll be making this on the regular for years ??
This recipe is AMAZING!!!!
Grandson said I nailed it with this dish!
My go to recipe! This recipe is so good, my son loves this meal very much! Thank you.
This is a gorgeous recipe and easy to make. I used plain yogurt instead of the cream. We had a lot left over, so the next day I made some more rice, added some broccoli, mushrooms and bean sprouts and it was delicious. Definitely a keeper!
This was excellent. I also made the naan from this site to go with it. We didn’t want to stop eating!
Thank you so much. I will try to make it by the recipe.
Absolutely the best
This has become a staple recipe in our family. I’ve made nearly 10 times now & always turns out amazing, even with small changes and substitutions
Just made this for dinner & I’m obsessed!! The flavors are so deep & complex, & it’ll definitely be going into my usual rotation of meals! Only thing I changed was not adding the red chili powder to the marinade (I didn’t have any) & added a dash of cayenne & substituted it with paprika. Absolutely delicious over rice & with some home made naan! Love that this is a naturally gluten free dish too!