Indian
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken is roasted with yogurt and spices, then simmered in a tomato-cream sauce. Milder than a vindaloo, richer than a dry tikka.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Photo: cyclonebill (CC BY-SA). Source
Why you’ll love it
- Yogurt helps the chicken brown.
- The sauce is tomato plus a little cream.
- Garam masala at the end as well as the start.
- 425°F for the chicken, then a simmer.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the chicken with yogurt, half the garam masala, and salt. Roast 15 minutes, until browned in spots.
- 2
Cook onion in oil until soft. Add garlic, ginger, the rest of the garam masala, and tomato paste for 1 minute.
- 3
Add tomatoes and simmer 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and the chicken, including any juices. Simmer 5 minutes, until the chicken is 165°F.
- 4
Finish with cilantro.
Pro tips
- Breasts work if you cut them even and do not simmer them longer than it takes to hit 165°F.
- If the sauce is sharp, a pinch of sugar fixes it.
- Serve with rice. The rice is not cooked in this pan.
Easy substitutions
- Cream
- Coconut milk
- Garam masala
- Curry powder
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm gently so the cream does not split.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 420
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Moderate · Stovetop, Oven · High Protein, Gluten-Free
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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