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Chicken Tikka Masala is so easy to make right at home in one pan with simple ingredients!
While it is famously celebrated as a UK national dish, you do not need to head out to a restaurant to get that authentic flavor. I love that making it yourself means you can control exactly what goes into the pan, which is super helpful if you are keeping an eye on chicken tikka masala nutrition.
When people ask me about the differences between this and butter chicken, I always point out that this recipe leans heavily into a robust blend of garam masala and authentic tikka masala spices. The secret to the texture is a quick yogurt curry marinade that tenderizes the meat before it gets seared. You end up with beautifully charred, juicy chicken pieces swimming in a thick, vibrant curry sauce. To contrast the warm spices, I usually serve this alongside a fresh apple, bacon and cranberry salad tossed in a simple honey dijon dressing.
Why This Tikka Masala Works?
I still remember the first few times I tried making this dish years ago. I ended up with half my kitchen covered in splatters and a sink full of dirty pots just trying to replicate that authentic smoky taste. It was so chaotic that I decided to completely rethink my approach. When looking into chicken tikka masala history and origin, I learned the dish was actually created on the fly by a chef who needed a quick gravy to rescue a plate of dry meat. I love that it was born out of fast problem-solving, which is exactly how I eventually perfected this simple stovetop version.
The BEST part about this recipe is that you may already have these ingredients in your kitchen. If not, they are so easy to find in any grocery store, you won’t need to go searching high and low to find them! Authentic Chicken Tikka Masala is usually made with yogurt-marinated chicken, skewered and chargrilled for incredible BBQ flavors. For the sake of making this recipe much easier to make at home, I am using a single skillet to cook it all in, while still keeping those amazing flavors.
Cooking everything in that same pan lets you scrape up all the caramelized browned bits from the bottom to build a massive flavor base, and basically requires some garlic naan to soak up every last drop.
Recipe Ingredients
- Plain Yogurt: You need plain, unflavored yogurt to build the marinade. I highly recommend grabbing full-fat yogurt because it helps tenderize the chicken. I have tried using low-fat versions before, but they tend to separate when cooked and just do not give you that thick consistency.
- Garam Masala: This is the backbone of the entire dish. You want a high-quality, fresh garam masala blend because its warming spices bring that deep flavor. If your jar has been sitting in the pantry for years, buy a fresh one. The potency makes a massive difference.
- Kashmiri Chili: I choose Kashmiri chili powder for its vibrant red color and mild heat. If you cannot find it, you can substitute it with standard sweet paprika to get that red tint, though the flavor profile will be slightly different.
- Tomato Puree: Look for a smooth, plain tomato puree or passata without added salt or sugar. This gives you complete control over the final flavor. Its tangy base is absolutely essential to building the thick curry sauce.
Note: See recipe card for full list of ingredients and measurements
Chicken Thighs or Breasts
I highly recommend using chicken thighs!
I am still coating and marinating my chicken with an aromatic spiced Tikka yogurt, using chicken thighs instead of breasts for juicy and succulent results. Their higher fat content means they are less likely to dry out, which is exactly why I rely on them whenever I make thai satay. Using thighs also cuts down on marinating time, needing only a minimum of 10 minutes to soak all of those flavours in!
You CAN use breasts if you wish, but I suggest marinating them overnight for better results. This gives the yogurt time to tenderise them, yielding a better result when cooking over high heat.
How To Make Chicken Tikka Masala
Let’s get started! With just a few simple steps, you’ll have a rich, creamy Chicken Tikka Masala bursting with flavor, ready to impress anyone at the table. Let’s dive straight into making this irresistible dish!
- Marinate the Chicken: Combine chicken, yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, chili, and salt in a bowl. Mix well, cover, and marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to overnight for deeper flavor.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the marinated chicken in batches for 3 minutes per side until browned. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Make the Sauce: In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté diced onions until soft and caramelized, then stir in garlic, ginger, and spices. Cook for 20 seconds to release their aroma.
- Combine Ingredients: Add tomato puree and mix with the onions and spices. Season with chili powder and salt. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and deepens in flavor.
- Add Cream and Chicken: Stir heavy cream into the thickened sauce, then add the seared chicken and its juices. Coat the chicken in the sauce, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Adjust with water if needed for the desired consistency.
- Final Touches: Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with basmati rice, naan, or flatbread for a complete Indian meal experience.
Expert Tips For The Best Tikka Masala
- Do not crowd the pan: When searing the chicken, leave plenty of space between the pieces. If you dump all the meat in at once, the temperature of the skillet will drop drastically. The chicken will end up boiling in the yogurt marinade instead of getting that dark brown char. I always cook the meat in two or three batches to keep the pan screaming hot.
- Have your tomato puree open and ready: Once you add the ginger, garlic, and dry spices to the onions, they toast incredibly fast. If they stay on the dry heat for even a few seconds too long, they will turn bitter. I always make sure my tomato puree is open and sitting right next to the stove so I can pour it in immediately after the spices become fragrant.
- Watch for the oil to separate: You will know the tomato base has cooked down enough when it deepens in color and you see tiny droplets of oil rising to the surface, pooling slightly around the edges of the pan. This tells you the raw tomato flavor has completely cooked out, leaving a rich, concentrated curry base.
- Turn the heat down for the cream: Heavy cream can separate or look grainy if you boil it rapidly. I always lower the stove to a gentle simmer right before stirring in the cream to keep the sauce smooth.
- Do not panic if the marinade splits: When searing the chicken, the yogurt might look like it is curdling or separating in the hot pan. This is completely normal and happens all the time! Once you scrape up the bits, build the tomato gravy, and let everything simmer together, it smooths out completely.
What To Serve With Chicken Tikka Masala
Because the tomato gravy is thick and heavily spiced, I usually serve this with sides that bring a lot of freshness to the table. Warm garlic naan and fluffy basmati rice are absolute musts to soak up the sauce, and a simple cucumber raita helps cool things down.
If I want some extra vegetables, I will throw together a simple, fresh tomato salad or quickly pan-fry some green beans with garlic. Sometimes I roast carrots in honey and butter to complement the natural sweetness of the curry base. If we have a crowd to feed, a chili lime bean and corn salad works great as a chunky side.
If you are looking for an appetizer to start the night, I often make creamy stuffed eggs mixed with buffalo sauce because they are so easy to prep ahead of time.
The best thing about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can easily swap the chicken for paneer, shrimp, or tofu and the sauce still tastes incredible. And if you enjoy making curries from scratch, I highly suggest trying a hearty slow-cooked beef and potato curry next.
Recipe FAQ’s
The level of spiciness in Chicken Tikka Masala can vary based on the amount of chili powder used in the recipe. Kashmiri chili powder is milder and adds color without excessive heat, while the quantity can be adjusted according to personal spice preferences. If you prefer a less spicy dish, simply reduce the amount of chili powder.
While both dishes are similar, the main difference lies in the preparation and sauce. Butter Chicken typically has a richer, more buttery sauce and is often sweeter, whereas Chicken Tikka Masala has a more robust spice flavor and is creamier.
The color comes from a mix of tomatoes, turmeric, and paprika in the sauce.
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Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade:
- 28 oz boneless chicken thighs skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger fresh, crushed or minced
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili or 1/2 teaspoon ground red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 small onions or 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic finely grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 14 ounces tomato puree tomato sauce/Passata
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili optional for colour and flavour
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder adjust to your taste preference
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups heavy or thickened cream, use evaporated milk for lower calories
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/4 cup water if needed
- 4 tablespoons cilantro fresh coriander to garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 10 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).
- Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
- Melt the butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.
- Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add garam masala, cumin, turmeric and coriander. Fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the tomato puree, chili powders and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.
- Stir the cream and sugar through the sauce. Add the chicken and its juices back into the pan and 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, if needed.
- Garnish with cilantro (coriander) and serve with hot garlic butter rice and fresh homemade Naan bread!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow! I was a bit skeptical until the end… it seemed to lack flavor, but once everything came together and simmered a bit, it truly became one of the best chicken tikka masala recipes I have had. I used a combo of finely diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Also I did double the amount of spices, but used smoked paprika instead of chili pepper (was feeding some little ones who didn’t like heat), but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Amazing flavor and will definitely make this again. Thanks!
Love this recipe. Has anyone tried substituting the chicken for lamb?
I’ve made a few Chicken Tikka Masala recipes and this is my absolute FAVORITE one. The flavors are on point, taste better than the restaurant. Marinating the chicken is one of the biggest differences I’ve found that makes this dish stellar. The only change I make is I sub the cream with coconut milk. Its a family favorite now. I served it with basmati rice and roasted cauliflower – chefs kiss!
This is an amazing recipe, one of the best curries I’ve ever made!
I’ve followed the recipe to the T, except for some involuntary or cosmetic adjustments. Didn’t have ready-made tomato puree, so I just threw one and a half 400g cans of San Marzano tomatoes into a blender, and of course I interpreted the onion, garlic, and ginger amounts quite generously. Unfortunately (and quite shockingly), boneless, skinless chicken thighs are not a thing in Germany, but you can get bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs at Turkish/Arabic butcher shops. I removed the bone prior to cooking, but left the skin on the individual pieces. The one cosmetic adjustment was to use a few sprinkles of red food coloring from an Indian grocery store in the marinade (doesn’t affect the taste, but looks nicer).
If you have that option, I highly highly recommend preparing the chicken on a charcoal grill. The smokiness from the grill really adds a nice touch to the curry (makes me wonder if the Dhungar method would work well with this dish.. but can’t try this before the outdoor kitchen is ready). And I did go for “charred” instead of “browned” pieces, at least making sure that most pieces have some charred tips (it will not taste bitter due to simmering the chicken in the gravy for a good 10min). I put the pieces over direct heat to ensure that they don’t overcook in spite of the charring.
Because it was raining today, I used my Ooni pizza oven with the cast-iron grizzler plate. Still much better than pan-frying (and with less smoke indoors), but I think I prefer the grill version.
I added probably about 1tsp kasoori methi leaves to the marinade and a little more to the sauce. Definitely not spicy enough, but pretty close. Probably enough spice for most people. I served with garlic naan and basmati rice and it was amazing. Perfect orange color too. I also blended the sauce before I put the chicken back in just so it was very creamy and no lumps. Very good recipe!
Amazing, one of our absolute favourites! Can’t wait to impress family with it.
Excellent butter chicken recipe. We love Indian food. My entire family loves it. I’ve made it about 3 times already. I serve it with basmati rice and even make homemade naan. Thanks for posting!
Wow! Just wow! My husband who complains my chicken is always bland ate 2 plates.. My 18 month old who is always hit and miss with dinner ate all his chicken and rice. I marinated the chicken overnight because I had some time and I knew I’d be busy the next day. I also completely forgot to add cumin but it still tasted amazing! I used regular red chilli powder because that’s all I had and I didn’t want to have to run to the store. This was the best chicken dish I’ve ever made. Great recipe!
This is my second time cooking this and it again didn’t disappoint. To make it a little more catered to my diet I made the cream out of cashews which gave the same effect as the heavy cream. I’m also from Louisiana, so I added a little red pepper to kick up the heat. This is one of my favorite dishes! Thanks so much :)))
I’ve cooked this twice and I’ve found that the response was indefinitely better when you use tinned plum tomatoes instead of chopped. It’s a bit more work to chop them up in the pan (I use scissors). I know they’re practically the same but it just adds something that works for my taste.
First attempt, I cut recipe in half. Might have effed up the spice portions a tad. Hard to cut 1.5 of anything in half. Came out OK but a bit harsh, spice wise. Second time, I made the full recipe and measured exactly. Rinsed the marinade off the chicken before griling the chicken on skewers over very hot coals. Added the chicken to the tomato mixture before adding cream and brown sugar. Came out perfect, just as good as take out!
Fantastic! We loved it! I did not change anything. Making this recipe again tonight and smells delicious! Highly Recommend 😁
La primera vez que lo cocine.
Quedo riquisimo. Mil gracias!
Curious if the recipe would be drastically changed if I subbed coconut milk instead of heavy cream??
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this amazing receipe. The only (accidental) adjustment I made was that I ran out of tomato puree. I had only 200g instead of 400g. As a compromise I used half a tinned can of plum tomatos (the juices only – with sieve keeping tomato clumps out). It still tastes amazing! One of the best chicken tikka masalas I’ve personally ever had (and I thought I was a bad cook!)
When you used 200g of tomato puree was it the thick one from a tube? It just seems a lot
I used this recipe the very first time I ever made chicken tikka masala and my husband and I LOVED it. I tried a recipe written by someone else for butter chicken a few times, and tonight hubby said “the last few times you made this dish it was a bit bland” so I came back to this recipe. MUCH better! I’m using this from now on. It’s so flavorful and delicious. I should have never stepped away LOL. I have a few other recipes from this site that are my absolute go-tos – so I know if I see something here, it’s going to be amazing. Thank you!
This is a very good chicken tikka masala recipe. I’ve sometimes made Indian curries in the past and was never quite satisfied with the result. That was not the case here! This recipe is a keeper. Now I need to go look for Kashmiri chili so I can get an even brighter color. Thank you for the recipe. This is definitely my new go-to for chicken tikka masala!
Hi Noah, I’m so glad to hear that the chicken tikka masala recipe worked well for you and that it has become your new go-to! The quest for Kashmiri chili sounds like a fantastic addition for an even brighter color. Thank you for your kind words, and I’m delighted the recipe is a keeper for you. If you ever try more recipes or have questions, feel free to reach out. Happy cooking!
Yummy! Added a fair bit more garlic, onion, and a bit more spice but my family loves a LOT of flavour. Great base recipe and cooking method — you could use chicken thigh if you want t it really nice and juicy. Awesome overall though.