Chicken Tikka Masala is quite likely the world’s most favourite curry. It features tender pieces of marinated chicken in a rich, aromatic and spicy tomato sauce. The dish is packed with bold, warm flavours, yet is usually mild enough for everyone to enjoy. And contrary to a popular belief, it doesn’t require a whole lot of exotic ingredients! In fact, most of them are probably already in your pantry. The cooking process is also very straightforward and only requires about 45 minutes of hands on time. And take my word for it: once you’ve tried it, you’ll be hooked!

Fun Fact: while the name of the dish suggests it comes from India, chicken tikka masala is, in fact, an adapted British recipe. This simplified version of the original uses ground spices instead of whole, canned tomatoes in place of fresh, and cooking cream rather than cashew cream.

At A Glance:

There are two major components in this dish. First is the ‘tikka‘ – it means ‘chunks’ and refers to the pieces of chicken. The second is ‘masala‘ – the sauce. Each is prepared separately, although the seasoning is largely the same. You will need a bunch of ground spices such as coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder (which you can swap with cayenne pepper or hot paprika), salt and sugar. Both the marinade and the sauce also require minced garlic and ginger. Dried fenugreek leaves, or katsuri methi, is another very traditional ingredient in this dish:

Apart from that, you will need yoghurt, lemon juice and oil for the marinade, and chopped tomatoes, onions and cooking cream for the sauce. Chunks of chicken are marinated and grilled (you can also fry them, or cook in an oven or air fryer), then added straight into the creamy masala. Let’s have a closer look at each part of the process:

Chicken Tikka

The key to success is to allow enough time for marinating. The longer your chicken sits, the better it will taste. Marination also help tenderize the meat, which means you can use no-fuss chicken breast for this recipe.

The Marinade ingredients are:

Ground Spices: as we saw above, the set includes coriander, cumin, chili powder or paprika, garam masala, turmeric and salt. In my recipe, I use hot smoked paprika: it gives a milder kick and a bit of smokiness.

Greek Yoghurt: you can also use plain yoghurt. Just make sure it is thick and not runny/watery.

Oil: any neutral oil will do. For a more authentic taste, use mustard oil.

Lemon Juice: adds a little acidity and helps tenderize the chicken.

Minced Ginger: adds fresh, zesty heat (fresh or from a jar).

Minced Garlic: warm and pungent, it helps deepen the flavours (fresh or from a jar).

You can also use ready-made garlic & ginger paste.

There is no need to whisk anything separately for the marinade. Just cut chicken breast into 3-4cm pieces, pour over the powdered spices, add oil, lemon juice, garlic and ginger and youghurt. Then, mix everything together until all chicken pieces are evenly coated. Cover with cling film, or transfer into a large ziplock and place into the fridge for a minimum of two hours. Ideally, keep it there overnight or up to 24 hours.

To cook the chicken, multiple options exist. Traditionally, chicken tikkas are grilled, it imparts a smoky flavour and chars them nicely. However, it is also possible to fry the chunks in a pan – just make sure to do it in batches to avoid overcrowding. The easiest way though is to roast them in oven. Simply line a baking tray with wax paper, spread the meat in a single layer and roast for 12-15 minutes at 210C. The cooked pieces will then go straight into the sauce (although you can make them a day in advance).

Chicken Tikka Masala Sauce:

Ohhh, that sauce! So, so much goodness in here. Its main characteristic is the layered texture: creamy with small chunks of fried onions and tomatoes. To make this fragrant, rich, un-be-lievably delicious masala, we will need:

Finely chopped onion: one large or two medium, typically yellow or white, but red will also do.

Minced ginger and garlic: freshly minced or in a jar, or swap for ginger-garlic paste.

Ground spices: the usual suspects – coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, salt. Giving turmeric a pass here.

Chopped tomatoes: I use a 400ml pack of chopped tomatoes. They have a concentrated flavour, sour with a bit of umami, that benefits the sauce but also needs to be balanced with sugar. If you want a smoother sauce, use tomato passata instead.

Dried fenugreek leaves (katsuri methi): a must in Indian chicken tikka, and personally I like to add them for a more authentic flavour. It brings in savory, slightly bitter notes, giving the sauce a perfect finish. However, even if you skip it, your masala will still taste amazing.

Cooking cream: we need it to balance the tartness of canned tomatoes. 200ml of regular cooking cream is usually enough.

Fresh coriander leaves: for garnish – they are perfect as an enlivening final touch.

Preparation of the Masala:

The sauce needs about 40 minutes. We start by frying onions over medium heat for 10-12 minutes until they turn light brown. After that, minced garlic and ginger go in, followed by spices. Everything is given a quick stir (we don’t want the spices to burn!) before pouring in the tomatoes. Another good stir, and the sauce is left to simmer for about 15 minutes. During this time, spices and aromatics blend in together to create a wonderful medley of warm and pungent flavours. The sauce will be very thick by then, so we’ll be adding a cup of water and leaving it to simmer for another 10 minutes – for even more flavour. Finally, we add grilled or fried chicken, cream and fenugreek leaves and cook for the last 2-3 minutes.

To serve, simply drizzle over some more cream – those white swirls look so pretty! Scatter over fresh cilantro and offer a side of white rice, or fry some parathas. Enjoy for the next couple of days – this dish keeps very well in the fridge, and it is filling enough to last for a few meals!

Looking for more delicious, soul-warming recipes? Check out these ones:

Dhal Curry With Coconut Milk and Tempered Spices

Beef Stew with Hawaij Spice Blend

Chorizo Stew with Potatoes and White Beans

White Fish Stew in Tomato Sauce with Spices and Aromatics

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