• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Sign Up for Emails
  • Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Sides
    • Cocktails
  • Instagram
  • Contact
    • About
    • Work With Me
  • Privacy Policy

Basil And Bubbly logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Sign Up for Emails
  • Recipes
  • Find Recipe from Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Chicken Tikka Masala

    October 18, 2014 Chicken

    Chicken Tikka Masala

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Print

    Okay, I'll admit it:  I was intimidated by Indian cuisine, even the ubiquitous Chicken Tikka Masala, for a long time.  The rich, exotic flavors seemed like something that was probably best left to the professionals at my local Indian restaurant, with their kitchen stocked full of spices I didn't think I could find, and tools I didn't think I could afford.  (I mean, who really just has a full-sized tandoori oven hanging around their house?)

    Jump to Recipe
    easy chicken tikka masala


    As it turns out, I didn't need any special equipment to make some really killer tikka masala in the comfort of my own home kitchen, and only one spice purchase out of the ordinary gave me everything I needed.

    how to make chicken tikka masala

    Chicken Tikka Masala Ingredients - yes, you can find them in your local store!

    Seriously, take a glance down at that ingredient list.  It might look a little long, but there is nothing scary on there other than the garam masala.  And if I can find garam masala in my local South Carolina grocery stores ( Harris Teeter, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Bi-Lo, Publix -- ALL of them have it), then you can find it, too.

    If you get really desperate you can get it from Amazon. Every thing else is will be at the standard store.  Garlic, ginger, peppers, tomato paste, paprika -- you know these things.  You probably already have them in your home!

    chicken tikka masala in pan

    A quick note about this particular recipe -- you can really take this to the next level by going full fat with the yogurt, doubling the olive oil and butter, and using cream in place of the condensed milk, but my husband and I have found that we don't miss the fat when we make this recipe as written, so unless we are cooking for company, we keep it to the lower fat ingredient list.

    chicken tikka masala in bowls
    easy chicken tikka masala

    Chicken Tikka Masala

    An easy recipe for an Indian Restaurant classic: Chicken Tikka Masala.
    Recipe from basilandbubbly.com
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 45 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: Marianne

    Ingredients

    Marinade:

    • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs , cut into chunks
    • 1 cup nonfat greek yogurt
    • 4 cloves garlic finely minced
    • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon pepper

    Sauce:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 6 cloves garlic finely minced
    • 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
    • 2 serrano peppers or 1 large jalapeño seeds and ribs removed if you don't want it spicy
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 2 tablespoons garam masala
    • 1 tablespoon paprika
    • 5 to matoes chopped
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup water
    • ½ cup evaporated milk

    Instructions

    • Whisk together marinade ingredients, and toss in chicken.  Coat the chicken thoroughly with the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  I've left it in the marinade for as long as two days before and it was still delicious.
    • In your favorite large sauté pan, melt the butter in the olive oil over medium heat. Your kitchen is about to smell ah-mazing.
    • Add the peppers, garlic, and ginger to the melted fats.  Stir everything together, and cook until the mixture starts to brown on the edges.
    • Add the tomato paste to the browning pepper, garlic, ginger mixture and cook until the mixture changes from the bright red tomato paste color to a darker, richer maroon color.
    • Add your spices ( garam masala, paprika ) to a corner of the pan that does not contain your yummy tomato paste mixture.  Stir them in that corner of the pan for just a minute to let them toast and bring out all the flavors, then stir everything in the pan together into one delicious, spicy paste.
    • At this point, add the chopped tomatoes, salt, and water. Bring all of that to a boil, then back down to a simmer.  Let it simmer 20 minutes.
    • Now you have some time to kill -- let's start that chicken. First, turn on your broiler to high ( or just "broil", if you don't have an option to select the level of broiling ).  Put the chicken on a foil-lined pan, or else you will have a Cleaning Nightmare on your hands later.
    • Broil the chicken 4 min each side.  It's okay if it isn't cooked through -- it will finish cooking in the sauce later.
    • While your chicken is broiling, puree the sauce in your favorite blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender.  Once pureed, return it to the pan to wait for the chicken.
    • After the chicken has done its time under the broiler, add it to the pureed sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the milk, and serve!
    Tried this recipe?Mention @basilandbubbly or tag #basilandbubbly!

    I updated these photos in September of 2021. Here are the original photos below, in case you'd like to see how my style has changed!

    greek yogurt maranade
    Chicken Tikka Masala
    Chicken Tikka Masala
    « Garlic Green Beans Almondine
    Kale, White Bean, and Sausage Soup »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Becky Daly says

      September 27, 2021 at 4:43 pm

      Would love it if you could format this for printing!
      We love the recipe and I've made it several times (as I have many of your recipes).

      Reply
      • Marianne says

        September 29, 2021 at 1:18 pm

        Thank you so much Becky. I truly appreciate the support!

        I have just now updated it, along with some new photos - there should be a "Print" button on the recipe that will pull up a new page with just the recipe on it for you to print!

        Reply

    Please share your thoughts on this recipe! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Heyyyyyyy!

    My name is Marianne, and I'm two parts food, one part booze, and a dash of snark. I live in Atlanta, GA with my two cats. My personal motto: Champagne and stretchy pants. Sign up for my mailing list to keep up with the new and seasonal recipes!

    as seen in

    Recent Posts

    • Pineapple Infused Vodka (Stoli Doli)
    • Roasted Peruvian Chicken with Aji Verde
    • Air Fryer Onions
    • Espresso Martini
    • Buffalo Shrimp Tacos

    Most Popular

    Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese

    Perfect Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese

    air fryer sweet potato fries

    Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

    Sweet Potato Casserole Bites

    Sweet Potato Casserole Bites

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Copyright© 2023 · Cookd Pro by Shay Bocks