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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!
Spice up Your Dinnertime
I was first introduced to Chicken Tikka Masala years ago while living in California, when some dear friends made it for dinner. I’ve since tried the same dish at various Indian restaurants in Utah and Idaho. And let me tell you – this recipe tastes exactly the same (if not better)! 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 takeout 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
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 eventually became the most popular dish in British restaurants.
The chicken is first marinated in yogurt and spices, and then grilled on skewers. Next, the grilled chicken is added to the perfectly seasoned, creamy tomato sauce. I love that this dish is mild enough for the 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!
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.
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:
Questions About Tikka Masala
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.
Tikka Masala is a tomato based sauce that is creamy, earthy, and 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 South Asian-inspired chicken meals:
Chicken Massaman Curry
Coconut Curry Grilled Chicken
Chicken Panang Curry
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Cool Cucumber Salad
Butter Chicken
Mulligatawny Soup
How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala
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 rice cooked
- 1 cup cucumber yogurt (see recipe HERE)
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 cucumber yogurt.
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.
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.
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!
I am pretty sure I just used a regular can of Hunt’s tomato sauce, nothing fancy!
Sounds good, thank you! I’m looking forward to making it tonight!
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!!
i live in an apartment and cannot grill the chicken. any ideas on how to prepare this dish without grilling the chicken?? thanks
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!
Awesome recipe, had my picky eater asking for seconds.
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.
Yes, it is plain yogurt. I have used plain greek yogurt and it works great!
Thanks for the reply back. I trust you and am cooking the dish right now! 🙂
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???
All the spices together give it an indian curry taste, it is more authentic than using curry powder.
@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!
I love love LOVE this recipe. It is now in our regular dinner rotation.
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!
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!
@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
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!
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.
I actually do have the recipe for the Chicken Coconut Kurma!!! Coming soon! Keep watching….
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!
That's it I'm making this tomorrow. Love the Bombay House in Provo and there's no Indian restaurants in Fairbanks, Alaska.
I used to travel to Provo, UT at least once a month for work and LOVED the Bombay House.
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 🙂
Mmm, I love the Bombay House!