This recipe for the Indian classic dish chicken tikka masala roasts tender chicken in a spicy creamy yogurt sauce for a delicious flavorful chicken dinner!
I’ve been dying to make chicken tikka masala for ages…not only because it is so, so, so delicious, but because it is also fun to say. Tikka Masala…it’s up there with Zucchini Carpaccio in terms of things you can say you are making for dinner and sound super-exotic.
So in order to do this, I needed two things. One was garam masala, which is a special spice blend. If you don’t have any and neither does your supermarket, you can get some by clicking here. Or you can do what I do, which is ask my mom if she has any.
Of course she did.
First you make a lovely, aromatic spice mixture that you are going to coat your chicken with. Next, you are going to make a lovely aromatic creamy sauce.
And then you are going to dunk your chicken into a lovely aromatic mixture of yogurt, garlic and ginger and broil it until it is gorgeously cooked with a little bit of char.
Now cut up that chicken into chunks, stir it into the sauce, and then spoon the whole thing over some rice. Sprinkle with parsley. Say Chicken Tikka Masala three times fast and dig in.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Prep Time: 15 minutes- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop and Oven
- Cuisine: Indian
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Pin RecipeDescription
This recipe for the Indian classic dish chicken tikka masala roasts tender chicken in a spicy creamy yogurt sauce for a delicious flavorful chicken dinner!
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed and chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and I teaspoon of salt and cover both sides of the chicken breasts with spice mixture, pressing it on gently.
- Whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger in another bowl and set aside.
For the Sauce
- Heat oil in a large heavy pot, add onion and stir until it starts to soften up, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, pepper, tomato paste, and garam masala and stir it up for about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium low, cover your pot and let it simmer away for about 15 minutes. (Your kitchen is going to smell all kinds of awesome).
- Stir in the cream, turn off the heat and cover up the pot.
- Now put your oven rack about 6 inches from the top and turn on your oven broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on the pan.
- Dip the chicken into yogurt mixture until it is thickly covered (spoon it on if you need to) and put the chicken pieces on the wire rack. Pop it into the oven and broil it until the chicken is cooked through and it’s charred here and there, about 15 minutes (the best way to tell if it’s done is to check with an instant read thermometer – it should read 160). I like to flip the chicken over halfway through but that’s optional.
- Let chicken rest for about 10 minutes minutes, then cut it into bite-sized pieces and stir it into the warm sauce Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve, sprinkling some parsley on top.
Notes
We like to have this over rice, or with crusty bread on the side to sop up the sauce!
You are right…time consuming but absolutely delicious and worth every minute it takes to prepare. Yours looks wonderful!
I could say tikka masala over and over again and never get bored. I could also drink that sauce for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and never get bored.
YUM sounds delicious. i always order this when i go out for Indian food. xoxo jillian:: cornflake dreams
This sauce is also amazing with paneer instead of chicken.