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Chicken Tikka Masala is my favorite Indian restaurant dish and it’s surprisingly easy to make at home. Tender pieces of marinated chicken are grilled until lightly charred, then simmered in a rich tomato cream sauce.
The Chicken Tikka Masala That Won Me Over
I was first introduced to Chicken Tikka Masala years ago while living in California, when some dear friends made it for dinner. Since then, I’ve ordered Chicken Tikka Masala at Indian restaurants where I live and when I travel, but I keep coming back to this recipe when I want a good Chicken Tikka Masala. It’s warm and creamy with just the right amount of spice.
I serve it over hot basmati rice with warm naan to soak up every bit of the sauce. It’s an authentic Indian dinner I can enjoy in minutes without ordering takeout or spending a fortune at a restaurant.
❤️ Emily
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs work great in this recipe.
- Plain yogurt: This helps tenderize the chicken while adding flavor to the marinade. Regular plain yogurt (not Greek) works best so the marinade coats the chicken evenly.
- Garam masala: This warm Indian spice blend gives the sauce its incredible flavor. Fresh garam masala makes the biggest difference in getting that restaurant-style taste.
- Tomato sauce and heavy cream: This is what makes the rich, smooth sauce. The tomato sauce brings depth, and the cream balances the spices and gives it that classic silky finish.
- Fresh ginger and garlic: These build the savory base and give the sauce that homemade flavor you expect from a good tikka masala.
- Optional onion: Many restaurant-style versions start with sautéed onion for extra sweetness and depth. This version keeps the sauce smooth and simple without it, but you can sauté ½ cup finely diced yellow onion in the butter before adding the garlic if you’d like that extra layer of flavor.
What is Garam Masala?
You’ll notice garam masala 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 use a mix of these powdered spices. Garam masala is so flavorful because the whole spices or seeds are first toasted before they are ground and blended together. This brings out the the richest flavor and fragrance in the spices.
How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala
- Prepare marinade: Combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, garam masala, cayenne pepper, ground pepper, ginger, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for one hour.
- Preheat grill and skewer chicken: Turn grill on high heat and lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto wooden skewers and discard the remaining marinade.
- Grill chicken skewers: Place skewers on the hot grill and cook 4–5 minutes per side, until the edges are lightly charred and the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Prepare the sauce: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Season and simmer the sauce: Add cumin, paprika, garam masala, chili powder, and salt. Stir for about 30 seconds so the spices bloom in the butter, then add the tomato sauce and cream. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and turns silky.
- Add chicken: Remove the chicken from the skewers and stir it into the sauce. Let it simmer 5 more minutes so the smoky grilled flavor blends into the sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro. Serve with rice, naan bread, and raita. Want Chicken Tikka Masala on the table quicker? Try our Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala recipe.
How To Make It Mild or Spicy
This recipe is easy to adjust depending on who you’re serving.
- For a milder version, reduce or skip the cayenne pepper.
- For extra heat, add more cayenne or a pinch of chili flakes.
- For kids, stir in extra cream or milk to mellow the spices.
Storing and Reheating
Chicken Tikka Masala is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave, add a little cream or milk if the sauce thickens too much.
Chicken Tikka Masala History
Chicken Tikka Masala gained popularity in an Indian restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland, 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 eventually became the most popular dish in British restaurants.
The classic dish starts with yogurt-marinated chicken that is grilled, then finished in a rich spiced sauce. It’s easy to see why it became such a restaurant favorite. The tender chicken and creamy sauce are hard to resist!
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Yes, in fact the flavor gets even better after a few hours in the refrigerator, making it a great make-ahead dinner.
Yes, chicken thighs stay especially tender and flavorful and work great in this recipe.
Tikka masala is a tomato based sauce that is creamy, earthy, and spicy.
More Chicken Dinner Recipes
Need a little variety to your chicken dinners? Try these delicious Asian-inspired chicken meals:
Chicken Massaman Curry
Coconut Curry Grilled Chicken
Chicken Panang Curry
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Cool Cucumber Salad
The Best Butter Chicken
Mulligatawny Soup
Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe (Better Than Takeout)
Video
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 5 wooden skewers
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garam masala, (optional)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Optional Sides:
- 6 pieces naan bread
- 3 cups jasmine rice, cooked
- 1 cup raita, (raita recipe)
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.
- Preheat a grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
- Grill chicken skewers 5 minutes on each side.
For the Sauce
- Melt butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute.
- 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.
- Add grilled chicken to the sauce, and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with rice, naan bread, and raita.
Notes
- For a more authentic taste, use a can of full fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
- Chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breasts.
- You can broil the chicken skewers in the oven, instead of grilling. Place the skewers on a pan lined with foil and broil at 390°F for 20 minutes.
- This can be prepared and frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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First off, this has been a family favorite of ours for years, so thank you for posting it.
I was wondering, can this meal be frozen?
Yes it should freeze great!
MAGNIFICENT AWESOME TREMENDOUS DELICIOUS……A CROWD PLEASER
AMAZING…AND PHENOMENAL
DELICIOUS BEYOND MEASURE
This recipe looks too dry with too little sauce dip into or blanket over basmati rice which is the traditional way of enjoying this dish. Also, where are the onions??? Diced onions slowly sauteed until caramelized is a hallmark of indian recipes which is painfully missing here. Means you are not bringing out and optimizing the full favors of the spice mix and results in a blander taste, why bother going through all that cooking and end up with a mediocre dish?
Hi! If you look in the notes of the recipe you’ll see that we left the onions out because of dietary preferences specific to our family, but we provide instructions for adding them.
We added a pepper and onion to the sauce, and broiled the chicken instead of grilling but this was the best tikka masala recipe ever, our 2.5 year old daughter loved it too!!! Thank you so much for sharing.
going to try it at home love Indian food, i have all the goodies to make it with. 80 years young love to cook too.
This is by far my family’s favorite meal and I share it with everyone I know! Anytime I ask for dinner suggestions this is what everyone requests. I usually don’t prep ahead of time enough for it or forget to buy at least 1 ingredient, but it s always turns out great. I don’t ever grill the chicken, I just throw it in the broiler or toaster oven on broil for a little bit.
Loving the flavors!! Bold & tasty! Great over rice or pasta!
One of the most flavorful meals!!! Wasn’t too spicy for my family & they are already asking when I’ll make it again!
This was the most flavorful dish ever! The combination of spices worked so well together! My entire family enjoyed this meal! Making it again soon!
Thanks a lot for sharing this masala recipe! Really delicious!
I loved the original recipe you had for this but lost it! Can I please get the recipe that you had before? It didn’t have garam masala. It has been a family favorite for years and years and we loved it!
Hi! We are so glad you love the recipe! The only thing we changed is adding the garam masala, and that is optional. You can follow the recipe exactly, and just leave that out. Hope this helps!
Excellent! Made it exactly as written. Made fresh naan bread to go with it. Mmm.