How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: June 29, 2021 Tested

Chicken tikka masala is a great introduction to cooking Indian food. Although it's not as traditional as most curries, it's flavorful and easy to make at home. Start by marinating chicken in seasoned yogurt before broiling it and cutting it into pieces. Then, sauté onion with spices and tomato purée. Stir in cream and simmer the sauce until it thickens a little. To serve chicken tikka masala, stir the chicken into the sauce and offer naan or basmati rice on the side.

Ingredients

Chicken

1 ¹⁄₂ pounds (680 g) of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup (70 g) of plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon (15 ml) of peanut oil or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons (9.9 ml) of fresh lime or lemon juice
1 large clove of garlic, minced

Masala

1 tablespoon (8 g) of ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons (4 g) of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons (4 g) of paprika
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of cayenne
1 tablespoon (7 g) of grated fresh ginger
4 tablespoons (56 g) of unsalted butter
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups (340 g) of canned tomato purée
³⁄₄ cup (180 ml) of water
¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of heavy cream or half-and-half
1 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (25 g) of chopped fresh cilantro

Makes 4 servings

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Marinating the Chicken

1
Whisk the yogurt, oil, juice, and garlic in a small bowl. Get out a bowl and put 1/4 cup (70 g) of plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt into it. Whisk in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of peanut oil or vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons (9.9 ml) of fresh lime or lemon juice, and 1 minced clove of garlic.^{[1]
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Tip: If you can't find Greek-style yogurt, measure the same amount of plain yogurt into a coffee filter set in a fine mesh strainer. Set a bowl underneath and refrigerate the yogurt for 1 to 2 hours so the excess liquid drains out of the yogurt.
2
Slice the chicken breasts in half and toss them in the marinade. Put 1 ¹⁄₂ pounds (680 g) of boneless, skinless chicken breasts onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice each breast in half lengthwise. Then, stir the chicken in the marinade so the breasts are completely covered.^{[2]
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- Slicing the chicken breasts into thin halves will help the chicken cook faster and evenly.
- Always practice food safety when handling raw meat. Wash your hands well before and after handling the chicken. Then sanitize the cutting board and knife before using them again.
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3
Cover the bowl and marinate the chicken for 4 to 6 hours. Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Leave the chicken to absorb the flavors for at least 4 hours or up to 6 hours.^{[3]
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- The longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will be.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Cooking the Masala

1
Mix the dry spices. Get out a small bowl and put all of the dry spices into it. Then whisk the spices for about 20 seconds so they're combined. You'll need to whisk:^{[4]
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- 1 tablespoon (8 g) of ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (4 g) of ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (4 g) of paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of cayenne
- 1 tablespoon (7 g) of grated fresh ginger
2
Sauté the onion for 5 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons (56 g) of unsalted butter into a large pot and turn the burner to medium-high. Once the butter melts, stir in 1 finely chopped onion. Stir the onion frequently and cook it until it becomes lightly brown.^{[5]
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- It's alright if the onion doesn't caramelize evenly. It will finish cooking as you make the rest of the masala sauce.
3
Stir in the spices and cook them for 30 seconds. Add the dry spice mixture to the pot and stir them until they're combined with the onion. Stir and cook the spiced onions over medium heat for about 30 seconds.^{[6]
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- Heating the spices in the oil will intensify their flavor.
4
Add tomato puree, water, cream, and salt. Pour 1 1/2 cups (340 g) of canned tomato purée into the pot along with ³⁄₄ cup (180 ml) of water, ¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of heavy cream, and 1 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) of kosher salt. Stir to incorporate the liquids.^{[7]
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Tip: For lighter sauce, you can use half-and-half instead of the heavy cream.
5
Simmer the masala sauce for 10 minutes. Heat the sauce until it comes to a boil and then turn the burner down to medium-low. Let the masala sauce bubble gently with the lid off so it thickens a little.^{[8]
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- Stir the masala sauce occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Cooking the Chicken

1
Turn the broiler on and adjust the rack. Most broilers simply have an ON or OFF option but if yours has heat levels, turn the heat to HIGH. Then move the rack so it's about 8 inches (20 cm) below the heating element.^{[9]
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2
Lay the marinated chicken on a baking sheet. Remove the bowl of chicken from the refrigerator and get out a baking sheet. Lift out each piece of chicken and use a spoon or spatula to scrape the excess marinade back into the bowl. Then lay the pieces of chicken on the baking sheet so they're in a single layer.^{[10]
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- For extra flavor, sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the chicken pieces.
3
Broil the chicken for about 12 minutes. Put the baking sheet on the rack under the broiler. Cook the chicken until it's charred on the outside and fully cooked on the inside. You'll need to flip it 1 to 2 times as it broils so it cooks evenly.^{[11]
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- Remember to wear oven mitts when handling the hot pan and opening the oven. Use tongs to flip the chicken so you don't burn your hands.
Tip: To test if the chicken is done, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into a piece. The temperature should reach 165 °F (74 °C) once it's finished broiling.
4
Cut the chicken into 2 in (5.1 cm) pieces. Turn off the broiler and transfer the cooked chicken to a clean cutting board. Then use a sharp knife to cut the chicken into even pieces.^{[12]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Assembling the Chicken Tikka Masala

1
Stir the chicken into the masala sauce and simmer it for 5 minutes. Add the cooked chicken pieces to the pot and stir until the chicken is coated in the masala sauce. Heat the chicken tikka masala until it bubbles gently and cook it for 5 minutes over medium heat.^{[13]
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- Stir the chicken tikka masala occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pot.
2
Turn off the heat and stir in salt, pepper, and cilantro. Move the pot of chicken tikka masala to a trivet or a burner that's not hot. Then stir in 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of freshly ground black pepper and salt according to your taste. Add 1/2 cup (25 g) of chopped fresh cilantro just before you're ready to serve the chicken tikka masala.^{[14]
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- The cilantro will immediately begin to lose its bright green color, so serve the chicken tikka masala quickly.
Did You Know? Cilantro is also known as fresh coriander.
3
Serve the chicken tikka masala with rice or naan. Garnish the top with a little extra fresh cilantro and serve the dish with basmati rice or naan. To store leftover chicken tikka masala, put it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.^{[15]
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