Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Published October 3, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe, which involves marinated chicken cooked and coated in a zesty tomato-cream sauce, is the ultimate Indian meal. My family orders this every time we go to an Indian restaurant, and now you can make it even better at home with this recipe.
While this is amazing eaten as is, the chicken goes amazingly well with, and is traditionally served with Cooked Rice and Naan. You could also try serving it with potatoes, peas, and carrots.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka masala is a traditional northern Indian dish of yogurt and spiced marinated chicken cooked and served with a creamy, tomato-based sauce. It’s considered to be the most famous Indian dish in the world, as it is on every Indian restaurant menu worldwide. The sauce has a medium spice level, and the chicken can be cooked in a pan or over an open fire.
There are also variations of this dish regarding the spices used. Some add ground cumin, and some use more Kashmiri chili powder. However, the foundational principles of the recipe and the cooking procedures stay intact. You can kick the spice level up using hotter chiles like a habanero.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken – You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or a combination.
- Onion — Red onion is the classical onion used in India. However, a white, yellow, or sweet onion will work. In addition, whole garlic cloves are needed.
- Fat – You can use a neutral-flavored oil, ghee, or clarified butter.
- Cream — Heavy whipping cream is best, but half and half may also be used. You could also substitute yogurt.
- Herbs – Fresh cilantro. Bay leaves and optional dried fenugreek are used.
- Chiles – The traditional pepper used is a Jwala. However, this is hard to find and can be substituted with a serrano or jalapeño.
- Spices – I used a combination of ground turmeric, Kashmiri powder, and garam masala. You can substitute the Kashmiri for regular chili powder.
- Ginger – Fresh peeled and grated ginger is needed.
- Lemon – Freshly squeezed lemon is used in the marinade to help curb some of the spice and tenderize the chicken.
- Tomato — You can use tomato puree, canned tomatoes that are blended, or small-diced fresh, in-season tomatoes.
- Yogurt — I prefer full-fat yogurt for the most flavor, but you can use a lower-fat yogurt.
How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala
Cut the chicken into roughly 1-inch cubes. Set them to the side.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, minced ginger, garlic, turmeric, Kashmiri powder, garam masala, fenugreek, salt, and pepper until combined.
Thoroughly mix in the chicken. Cover it and place it in the refrigerator to marinate from 30 minutes to 24 hours. The longer the marinade, the more flavorful the chicken will be.
Add 3 tablespoons of ghee to a large rondeau over medium heat. Once melted, add onions, gently season with salt, and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Turn the heat down to low and stir occasionally for 10 minutes or until dark brown. Stir in 1 tablespoon of minced ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 to 45 seconds.
Sauté the pepper for 1 to 2 minutes, then mix in the ½ teaspoons of garam masala and 2 teaspoons of Kashmiri powder.
Pour in the tomato puree and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until reduced slightly.
Add 1 cup of chicken stock and cook for 8 to 10 minutes more to reduce and concentrate the flavor.
Finish the sauce with ¾ cup of heavy whipping cream, fenugreek, salt, and pepper. Set it to the side.
How to Cook Chicken Tikka Masala
In a large carbon-steel or non-stick frying pan over high heat, add in 3 tablespoons of ghee or oil and heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
Place the chicken in and immediately spread it around the pan to form a single layer. Let it sit untouched for 3 minutes.
Sauté the chicken for an additional 5 minutes or just until the chicken is cooked through.
The other option is to skewer the cut-up chicken onto wooden skewers soaked in water. You do this so that they do not burn. In addition, I like to pack the chicken tightly onto the skewer to help keep it moist throughout the entire cooking process.
Next, place the skewered chicken tikka onto a hot grill between 450° and 550°.
Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side on all four sides. The goal is for it to have some grill marks and be cooked throughout.
Transfer the chicken to the pot with the tikka masala sauce with ¼ cup minced cilantro and stir to combine.
Serve the chicken tikka masala with basmati rice and naan.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten immediately; However, you can keep warm in the sauce on low heat for up to 30 minutes before serving.
How to Store: Cover and keep the butter chicken in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze well-covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of chicken tikka masala to a small saucepot and heat over low heat until hot. You may need to slightly thin out the sauce with a few tablespoons of water.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Substitute 4 cups of small-diced fresh tomatoes for the cups of tomato puree.
- The longer the marinade, the more flavorful the chicken will become.
- I used a 6-quart rondeau pot for the sauce.
- When searing the chicken, you can use a carbon steel, cast iron, or non-stick frying pan.
- To grill, skewer the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side on all four sides on a hot grill between 450° and 550°. Once it’s done, remove them from the skewer and coat them in the sauce.
More Indian Recipes
Video
Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 pounds chicken – both thighs and breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup full-fat yogurt
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon finely grated garlic
- juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1 to ½ tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek, optional
- ½ to 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 3 tablespoons ghee or oil
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
For the Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons ghee or oil
- 1 peeled small-diced red onion.
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon finely grated garlic
- 1 seeded thinly sliced serrano pepper
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ to 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 3 cups tomato puree
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek, optional
- ¼ cup finely minced fresh cilantro
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into roughly 1-inch cubes. Set them to the side.
- In a large bowl whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, minced ginger, minced garlic, turmeric, Kashmiri powder, garam masala, fenugreek, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Thoroughly mix in the chicken. Cover it and place it in the refrigerator to marinate from 30 minutes to 24 hours.
- Add 3 tablespoons of ghee to a large rondeau over medium heat. Once melted, add onions, gently season with salt, and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Turn the heat down to low and stir occasionally for 10 minutes or until dark brown.
- Stir in the 1 tablespoons each of minced ginger and garlic and cook it just until it’s fragrant, which takes about 30 to 45 seconds.
- Sauté in the pepper for 1 to 2 minutes and then mix in the ½ teaspoon of garam masala and 2 teaspoons of Kashmiri powder.
- Pour in the tomato puree and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until reduced slightly.
- Add in 1 cup of chicken stock and cook for a further 8 to 10 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavor.
- Finish the sauce with ¾ cup of heavy whipping cream, fenugreek, salt, and pepper. Set it to the side.
- In a large carbon-steel or non-stick frying pan over high heat, add in 3 tablespoons of ghee or oil and heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
- Place in the chicken and immediately spread it around the pan to get a single layer and let it sit untouched for 3 minutes. Sauté the chicken for an additional 5 minutes or just until the chicken is cooked through.
- Transfer the chicken over to the pot with the tikka masala sauce with ¼ cup minced cilantro and stir to combine. Serve the chicken tikka masala with basmati rice and naan.
This turned out to be awesome. Wow. Definite repeater. Thanks Chef.
Thank you for giving it a shot!
Hey Chef, I Love Food of all kinds, but I really do enjoy Indian food a lot. This recipe is a great one too. You have nailed all of the great flavors of India. I live in California and there are a lot of People from India here so of course several Indian Markets so I’m lucky enough to be able to get them all. We have Lot’s of open air Farmers Markets too, so Our Produce is in abundant. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
Thank you!