Easy Creamy Chicken Tikka Masala

Easy Creamy Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken tikka masala is a dish consisting of marinated chicken chunks in spiced curry sauce. The curry is usually creamy and orange-colored. The dish was popularized by cooks from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh living in Britain and is offered at restaurants around the world.

Garam masala can be made from many different spices, but some of the most common are cinnamon, peppercorns, cardamom, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, mace, and nutmeg. To create your own blend, toast whole spices to bring out their flavor, then grind them.

What is garam masala made of?

What to serve with chicken tikka masala

The BEST side is hot and fresh Basmati rice, garlic butter rice, fresh homemade Naan bread or flatbread.

Watch the video tutorial

Easy Creamy Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade:

2 lbs boneless and skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup plain yogurt

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger

1 tbsp garam masala

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon red chili powder or Kashmiri chili

1 teaspoon of salt

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons of vegetable/canola oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger finely grated

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground red chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups of heavy or thickened cream

1/4 cup of water (if needed)

4 tablespoons fresh cilantro to garnish

Instructions

In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for one hour (or overnight if time allows).

Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)

Melt the butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.

Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add garam masala, cumin, and coriander. Fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes, chili powders, and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown-red color.

Stir the cream through the sauce. Add the chicken and its juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Pour water to thin out the sauce, if needed.

Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice and fresh Naan bread!

Enjoy your Easy Creamy Chicken Tikka Masala