Homemade Restaurant-Style Chicken Tikka Masala
Rich and creamy tomato sauce with Indian spices, ginger, and tender chicken—this chicken tikka masala is the perfect comfort meal to enjoy on a cold night with rice and warm naan!
After having some of the best chicken tikka masala at Nashville’s Chauhan’s Ale and Masala House, I knew I had to recreate it at home! I don’t often have Indian food, but this dish has got it all—acidity from the tomatoes and yogurt, spiciness from the garam masala and chili powder, and smoothness from the heavy cream. Now, I won’t claim that this is an authentic recipe, but I can tell you that it’s delicious!
What is Chicken Tikka Masala?
Contrary to popular belief, chicken tikka masala isn’t an Indian dish—rather, it’s a fusion of British and Indian cuisine and remains England’s national dish. Chicken tikka comes from India and is traditionally made from skewered, boneless chicken pieces that are chargrilled. The “masala” part comes from the creamy, tomato-based masala sauce, which chefs later added to appease the English palate. Compared to butter chicken, chicken tikka masala is typically spicier, tangier, and made from a stronger tomato base.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe requires quite a few ingredients (mainly because of the spice blend), but I promise it’s worth it! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are infinitely easier to cook than breasts, since they remain tender and don’t dry out.
- Plain yogurt. Make sure it’s not flavored or Greek yogurt. Of course, flavored yogurt will make the chicken taste odd, but Greek yogurt is too thick to marinate in.
- Lemon juice. For brightness and acidity.
- Garlic and ginger. Garlic-ginger paste is a staple in Indian cooking for it’s aromatic, strong flavor.
- Spices. Of course, curry needs a lot of spices—you’ll need salt, pepper, garam masala, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and curry powder (optional).
- Unsalted butter or ghee. To cook the onion in and flavor the stew.
- Onion. To flavor and sweeten the sauce.
- Tomato paste. For a stronger tomato flavor.
- Crushed tomatoes. To make the base of the sauce.
- Water. To thin the sauce, if needed.
- Heavy cream or cashew cream. Heavy cream will enrich the sauce, but you can also use cashew cream for a lighter alternative.
How to Serve Chicken Tikka Masala
Though you can technically serve this dish on its own, there are a few different ways you can eat it to take it to another level!
- Basmati rice. The traditional method—a simple pilaf adds another bit of texture and soaks up the masala.
- Raita. A simple and cooling cucumber sauce that mellows the curry and adds another layer of flavor.
- Naan or roti. In my opinion, no curry is complete without fresh naan (stay tuned—my recipe’s coming soon)!
Hope you guys are keeping warm—be sure to leave a rating and let me know if you have any questions about the recipe!
Chicken Tikka Masala
Equipment
- Wooden skewers
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
- ½ cup plain yogurt, NOT Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon grated garlic
For the spice mixture
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Dash cinnamon and nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- 1 tablespoon kasoori methi or curry powder (optional)
For the masala sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves grated garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons each smoked paprika, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek leaves or curry powder (optional)
- 1 (28-ounce can) crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup water, if needed
- ¾ – 1 cup heavy cream or cashew cream
- Rice, naan, and fresh cilantro, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken. Combine all ingredients for the spice mixture and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the plain yogurt, lemon juice, grated garlic, grated ginger, and half of the spice mixture until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Toss the cubed chicken thighs with the other half of the spice mixture. Add the chicken to the yogurt mixture and stir until fully coated. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour (ideally overnight).
- Set an oven rack to the top position and preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
- Take the chicken from the fridge and arrange the pieces onto a wooden skewer. Line the skewers on top of the wire rack and spoon over any remaining marinade. Place the sheet under the broiler for 12 minutes, flipping the skewers halfway through, until the chicken is golden brown on top and just cooked through.
- As the chicken cooks, begin the sauce. Place the butter/ghee in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent (around 5-7 minutes).
- Add the grated garlic, ginger, and tomato paste. Stir for 2 minutes, until the tomato paste has cooked out into a deeper color, then add the spices. Lower the heat and bloom the spices for 2 minutes more, until toasted and fragrant.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and water (if the sauce is too thick), then stir in the heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a simmer and season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar (if too acidic).
- Carefully remove the broiled chicken from the skewers and stir into the sauce. Simmer until the chicken is warmed through and fully cooked (around 3 minutes).
- Sprinkle cilantro over the chicken and serve warm with basmati rice and naan.
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