Chicken Tikka Masala

Print Recipe

5 from 8 votes

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: people

Author: Chris Joe

Ingredients

Chicken

2 lb chicken thigh
5 cloves garlic grated
2 inches ginger grated
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground corinader
1 tsp kashmiri chili powder you can sub with 3/4 tsp paprika + 1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt

Curry Spice Mix

1/2 tbsp garam masala
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground corinader
1 tsp cayenne pepper optional
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp kashmiri chili powder you can sub with 3/4 tsp paprika + 1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tsp salt

Sauce

1 white onion large
1 28oz can of tomato puree and 1/4 cup water to rinse out leftover tomato puree from can
4 cloves garlic grated
2 inches ginger grated
4 tbsp butter
1.5 cups heavy cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Slice chicken thigh into 2" pieces and marinate with garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, kashmiri chili powder, salt, and yogurt for 1-2 hours or up to overnight for best results.
Mix together the Curry Spice Mix in a small bowl and set aside.
Grate garlic, ginger, and dice onion and set them all aside.
Over medium high heat, sear marinated chicken for 2-3 minutes per side and remove once browned (it’s ok if the chicken is not fully cooked as it will finish cooking in the sauce). To the same pan, add butter over medium heat and scrape up any fond, then add the grated garlic, ginger, and onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and the onion is translucent.
Add the Curry Spice Mix and stir until combined. Cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add tomato puree, water, and mix together. Simmer for 10 minutes until thickened slightly.
Add heavy cream and mix. Add back the chicken, simmer for another 10 minutes and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Ingredient Tips:

Some recipes call for chicken breast; I prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can use either.
I highly recommend using fresh ginger and fresh garlic - it makes a whole of difference. It's grated into the curry.
I like using canned tomato puree but you can also use canned whole tomatoes or fresh whole tomatoes and crush them to your preference (especially if you prefer a chunkier curry).
Most of the spices in the recipe are easily obtainable at the grocery store or online - I highly recommend making the recipe as is, with no substitutions. The only spice that you may need to use a substitution for is kashmiri chili powder - if you can't find it, you can use 3/4 tsp paprika + 1/4 tsp cayenne in place of 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder.

Marinate the Chicken - The yogurt marinade is KEY to tenderizing the chicken. For best results, I highly recommend marinating it overnight (up to 3 days) in the refrigerator. If you are in a pinch, the minimum time required is 30 minutes - 1 hour.

Brown the Chicken - Don't worry about fully cooking the chicken during the browning process - this step is just to get color on the chicken! The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.

Storage and Reheating - Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. I recommend storing the curry separately from the rice. When ready to reheat, I like to reheat it quickly in the microwave but you can also reheat it on the stove. Curries are one of those dishes that always test better the next day - the flavors continue to meld together in the refrigerator.

Nutrition