Chicken Tikka Masala Easy Indian Recipe Wellplated Com

Chicken tikka masala is FAB-U-LOUS. I spent one of the tastiest months of my life traveling around India, and Ben worked there for two summers. Thanks to our mutual food affair, on the nights we order takeout, it’s almost always Indian food. Each time, we pick a different mix of dishes to share. Well, most of the dishes are different, with one notable exception. I think you know where this is going. Chicken tikka masala. If you haven’t eaten Indian food before, the taste of tikka masala can be a little hard to describe. Picture warm, aromatic, and a little exotic. Indian food, in general, is robust which is one of the reasons I love it. Every time I eat it, I’m transported to a faraway, dreamy place. It’s also really, really good.

What is Chicken Tikka Masala?

Traditional Indian chicken tikka masala features pieces of chicken tikka (chicken tikka is boneless chicken marinated in spices and yogurt that is roasted in an oven), served in a creamy tomato curry sauce. Chicken tikka masala is typically served over rice (try Turmeric Rice!), often with naan bread to mop up the saucy goodness (this Homemade Naan recipe is our favorite).

Some say it was created Punjab, India by accident a mere 50 years ago.Some say it originated in a South Asian community in Britain.One popular account states that chicken tikka masala actually originated in Scotland, where a British Pakistani chef added a tomato cream sauce over the top of his chicken tikka to satisfy a customer (the customer was expecting more of a gravy and thought the original dish was dry). The addition was a huge success, and the variation stuck.

Wherever and however this dish came to be, I’m certainly glad it did! I suspect you will be too. No one single recipe is standard.

Made with garam masala (which is a blend of many spices), turmeric, and cumin, chicken tikka masala is spicy and rich, but only in the sense of FLAVOR.

A Healthy Adaptation

Both dishes have the same orange-colored sauce and bite-sized pieces of chicken.Unlike chicken tikka masala, however, butter chicken does not have a prominent tomato flavor.Butter chicken’s sauce is also slightly creamier and richer.

Both dishes are unbelievably delicious, and I highly recommend trying them both. Check out both my Slow Cooker Butter Chicken and Instant Pot Butter Chicken for easy butter chicken recipes.

How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala

Many authentic Indian chicken tikka masala recipes have a list of ingredients that runs the length of my forearm.

This particular chicken tikka masala recipe is nut-free. Others sometimes call for cashews or almonds.Chicken tikka masala is a great gluten-free dinner option. You can make this recipe dairy-free by swapping the greek yogurt for your favorite plain non-dairy yogurt.

As always, if you have specific dietary restrictions, make sure to verify your ingredients were processed in a dairy, nut and/or gluten-free facility to be safe. However, what you’ll find in today’s post is a streamlined, easy chicken tikka masala recipe made on the stovetop with lightened-up ingredients you can find at most grocery stores. While not every version of chicken tikka masala is healthy, this one, which includes veggies, light coconut milk, no salt added tomato sauce, and uses Greek yogurt instead of cream, certainly is. All you need is a great big pot, a spoon, and of course, an appetite!

The Ingredients in Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken. I used boneless, skinless chicken breast, though you can certainly swap chicken thighs. It becomes tantalizingly tender once slow cooked in the sauce and spices.Garlic + Ginger. Both add to the complex flavors of the dish.Garam Masala. A blend of many spices (including cinnamon, mace, peppercorns, coriander, cumin, and cardamom to name a few), it’s a one-stop flavor shop and a must-have spice for Indian-inspired recipes like this one. It can be found at most grocery stores and online here.More Classic Indian Spices. Turmeric, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne help create the bold, deep, and complex flavor we expect from chicken tikka masala sauce. Adjust the amount of cayenne as needed to reach your desired level of spiciness.Tomato Sauce. I prefer to use a sauce with no salt added for better control over the saltiness of the dish.Coconut Milk + Greek Yogurt. My wholesome swaps for the heavy cream. Both ingredients help thicken the sauce and make it supremely rich and creamy. I used light coconut milk and nonfat Greek yogurt.

Peas. A colorful final veggie addition. Frozen peas work beautifully here. You don’t even need to thaw them first.

The Directions

Storage Tips for Chicken Masala Recipe

To Store. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.To Reheat. Rewarm tikka masala in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat. You can also reheat this dish in the microwave.To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The texture of the sauce may change, but the flavors will still be delicious.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Dutch Oven. A classic kitchen tool that’s perfect for making this recipe.Extra Large Cutting Board. Never run out of cutting space again.Measuring Spoons. Perfect for measuring all the different spices in this dish.

Cooking this recipe takes me right back to that wonderful summer in India. I hope it transports you there too!

Roasted Carrots

30 mins

Oven Roasted Potatoes

1 hr 10 mins

Homemade Naan

1 hr 1 min Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe. As always, if you try this recipe please leave a comment below to let me know how it came out. Your notes and kind reviews keep me going, and your feedback is so important to me.