Description
Whip up this chicken tikka masala for a delightful journey through Indian cuisine that’ll have your taste buds dancing. Tender chicken swimming in a creamy, spiced tomato sauce brings restaurant-quality comfort straight to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 lb chicken breast or thighs
Marinade and Spices:
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper
Cooking Base and Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato purée
- 1 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Mix 1 cup yogurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Thoroughly coat your 1 lb cubed chicken, ensuring each piece is completely covered.
- Refrigerate the marinated chicken for 30 minutes to 4 hours to allow deep flavor penetration.
- Heat a skillet to medium-high (375°F). Add 2 tbsp butter and cook the marinated chicken for 6-8 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken and set aside.
- In the same skillet, sauté 1 finely chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until onions become translucent.
- Add 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander, and 1 tsp garam masala. Toast spices for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour 1 cup tomato purée into the skillet. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Stir 1 cup heavy cream into the sauce, reducing heat to low. Gently return chicken to the skillet.
- Simmer the entire mixture for 8-10 minutes until sauce thickens and chicken is heated through.
- Sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro on top before serving hot with rice or naan.
Notes
- Use full-fat yogurt for the marinade to ensure tender, flavorful chicken that stays moist during cooking.
- Toast whole spices briefly before grinding to release deeper, richer flavors in your sauce.
- Let the chicken marinate overnight for maximum flavor penetration if your schedule allows.
- For a lighter version, swap heavy cream with Greek yogurt and reduce the amount of oil used when cooking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg