Chicken Tikka Masala

4.96 from 50 votes
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Chicken Tikka Masala is one of our favorite Indian dishes of all time. Tender chicken in a creamy, flavorful, tomato sauce is so easy to make at home. A must try!

A blue bowl filled with Chicken Tikka Masala and rice. Naan bread and yogurt on the side.
Featured with this Recipe
  1. Ingredients in Chicken Tikka Masala
  2. Chicken Tikka Masala History
  3. Garam Masala
  4. What to Serve with Chicken Tikka Masala
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. More Chicken Dinner Recipes
  7. How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala
  8. Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

Chicken Tikka Masala first came into our lives years ago while we were living in California and some dear friends made it for us. Later we tried the same dish at an Indian Restaurant called The Bombay House in Provo, Utah. This recipe tastes exactly the same! Warm, creamy, and slightly spicy, this signature Indian meal can be made at home with ingredients and spices that you may already have in your kitchen! You can have an authentic Indian dinner in minutes without ordering take-out or spending a fortune at a restaurant.

Ingredients in Chicken Tikka Masala

Marinade

  • Yogurt – not Greek yogurt, just regular plain yogurt
  • Lemon Juice
  • Cumin
  • Cinnamon
  • Garam Masala
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Ground Pepper
  • Fresh Ginger
  • Salt

Chicken Tikka Masala

  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs, you can also use other protein like shrimp
  • Butter
  • Garlic Cloves
  • Cumin
  • Paprika
  • Garam Masala
  • Chili Powder
  • Salt
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Heavy Cream
  • Fresh Cilantro
  • Optional Sides – naan bread, basmati rice, raita

Chicken Tikka Masala History

The dish Chicken Tikka Masala gained popularity in an Indian restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland of all places, even though it was originally created in India. The Ali family who owned the restaurant came up with the creamy chicken recipe in the 1970s and word has it that it went on to become the most popular dish in British restaurants.

The chicken is first marinated in yogurt and spices, and then grilled on skewers. The next step is to add the chicken to the perfectly seasoned, creamy tomato sauce. We love that it is mild enough for our kids to enjoy, but spicy enough for the adults. If you’re looking to broaden your dinner horizons, try this recipe; you will love it!

Chicken Tikka Masala cooking in a large skillet and stirred with a wooden spoon.


Garam Masala

You’ll notice garam masala is listed as an ingredient in this Chicken Tikka Masala recipe. If you’ve never heard of garam masala, it is a ground spice blend traditionally used in Northern Indian dishes. When purchased, the blend can include cardamom, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and turmeric. You can also make your own garam masala blend, but it won’t taste the same if you just mix use a mix of these powdered spices. Garam masala is so flavorful because the whole spices or seeds are first toasted before they are grounded and blended together. This brings out the the richest flavor and fragrance in the spices.

What to Serve with Chicken Tikka Masala

For a delicious Indian dinner, serve Chicken Tikka Masala over a bed of rice with warm naan bread or a simple green salad. You can also try a few of these tasty sides:

Chicken Tikka Masala in a blue bowl with rice, yogurt, and naan bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cook the chicken in the oven instead of the grill?

Yes, place the chicken skewers on a baking sheet lined with foil. Place on the top rack and broil at 390 degrees for 20 minutes, turning once.

What does Tikka Masala taste like?

Tikka Masala is a tomato based sauce that is creamy, earthy, and spicy.

Is chicken tikka masala spicy?

This recipe is not spicy at all. You can make it more spicy by adding cayenne pepper.

Read Next:35+ Quick and Easy To Follow Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Surely Love

More Chicken Dinner Recipes

Need a little variety to your chicken dinners? Try these delicious chicken meals:

How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala in a bowl with rice and a side of yogurt dip and naan bread

Chicken Tikka Masala

4.96 from 50 votes
This Chicken Tikka Masala is one of our favorite Indian dishes of all time. Tender chicken in a creamy tomato sauce is so easy to make at home. A must try!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinating time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 6

Video

Ingredients

Marinade:

Sauce:

Optional Sides:

Instructions

For the Marinade

  • In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, garam masala, cayenne, pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, cover, refrigerate 1 hour. 
    Chicken marinating in yogurt and spices for Chicken Tikka Masala
  • Preheat a grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
    Uncooked chicken on skewers being prepared to grill.
  • Grill chicken skewers 5 minutes on each side.
    Chicken skewers cooking on grill.

For the Sauce

  • Melt butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute. 
    Garlic cooking in a pan with butter
  • Season with cumin, paprika, garam masala, chili powder, and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on medium low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.
    Cream being stirred into spices
  • Add grilled chicken to the sauce, and simmer for 5 more minutes.
    Cooked Chicken Tikka Masala in a large skillet sprinkled with cilantro
  • Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with rice, naan bread, and cucumber yogurt.
    Chicken Tikka Masala in 2 bowls with rice

Notes

  • I am not a fan of onions, so I didn’t include them in this recipe. However, you can add a diced yellow onion and saute it with the garlic. 
  • Want Chicken Tikka Masala on the table quicker? Try our Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala recipe. 
  • For a more authentic taste, use a can of full fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 15gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 1093mgPotassium: 469mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1335IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 1.7mg

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About the author

Emily Walker

Emily lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, Beau, a physician assistant, and her three incredible children: a son and two daughters. Travel is one of her favorite ways to experience new cultures and cuisines, and she has a love for all things Disney.

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Comments

  1. Hummm, vou tentar esta receita, amo comida indiana e os ingredientes tenho todos aqui em casa. Vou depois olhar com carinho seu blog, ele promete coisas deliciosas, agora vou levar a neta para a escola.
    Um abraço.

  2. What kind of tomato sauce do you use? I’ve seen recipes for crushed tomatoes but just want to make sure I’m in line with all these rave reviews!

  3. 5 stars
    Made this exactly as directed and it was AMAZING!! We love it and will be making it for friends real soon. One word…OUTTADAPARK!! Thank you!!

  4. i live in an apartment and cannot grill the chicken. any ideas on how to prepare this dish without grilling the chicken?? thanks

    1. Instead of grilling, just cook the chicken pieces in a skillet until lightly browned. I have done this when it was raining and I didn’t want to go outside to grill, it still tasted great!

  5. I assume yogurt means plain low-fat non-flavored yogurt. Anyone try it with plain low-fat greek yogurt?

    That’s all I have in the kitchen and I want to try this recipe tonight.

  6. This looks good, I’m going to try it tonight. Love all of your recipes that I’ve tried and your site. I did find it interesting that there is no curry in this recipe. We lived in the West Indies for 4 years and had wonderful Indian food, and I always assumed that the Indian flavor came from the curry. Any thoughts???

    1. All the spices together give it an indian curry taste, it is more authentic than using curry powder.

    2. @Bethany- You will love this dish. It is a rich, savory dish.. I know many Indian dishes call for curry but not this one. It doesn’t have the sweet flavor that curry typically brings and it just works with Tikka Masala. This is one of our very favorite dishes–my husband requests it all the time!

  7. 5 stars
    Just made this and it far and away the best Indian recipe I have made at home. It was really easy and so tasty! Will definitely make this again!

  8. 5 stars
    I made this for my family a couple of nights ago and it was amazing! Even my 2-year-old was eating it. I just stumbled across your web site a week or so ago, but I have a very long list of new meals to try. Thanks!

  9. @Melissa-

    I wish there were a "like" button here because I would "like" your comment. In fact. I love it! Thanks so much! I am glad it turned out great for you!

    Erica

  10. 5 stars
    I made this for the in-laws, and I warned them befoe-hand not to judge me when I licked the plate clean. This is so so so so so good. I've tried a bunch of different Tikka Masala recipes, hoping to satisfy my craving for Bombay House Tikka Masala, and this was PERFECT. I'll never have to go to Bombay House again! (plus, I don't live in Utah anymore… sad for me…) Not to toot my own horn, but I even made Naan for this dish. The Naan was also delicious, but my pizza stone cracked while making it! Sad day for me, but not too sad since I still had the tikka masala to make it all better. Thank you for sharing!

  11. 5 stars
    Made this for dinner and loved it!!!! Can't wait to have it again. Are you still going to post the recipe for Coconut Kurma? Would love to try it as well! Thanks for all the yummy recipes.

  12. I love Bombay House! Do you have any idea how to make the Chicken Coconut Kurma from Bombay House?! I would love to duplicate that recipe!! Thanks! I love your blog!

  13. That's it I'm making this tomorrow. Love the Bombay House in Provo and there's no Indian restaurants in Fairbanks, Alaska.

  14. 5 stars
    I recently posted that EXACT recipe on my blog. I will vouch that it's AMAZING!
    My husband lived in the West Indies for two years and knows his Indian fare. He has declared this recipe the best chicken he has ever had 🙂