Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
This Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe, which involves marinated chicken cooked and coated in a tomato-cream sauce, is the ultimate Indian meal.
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.
Notes
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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 737kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 56gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 25gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 253mgSodium: 462mgPotassium: 1979mgFiber: 5gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 2287IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 5mg