Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Making homemade chicken tikka masala offers an opportunity to explore your cooking skills and creativity, discover new flavors, and a sense of connection with others. This easy recipe will help you recreate one of the best Indian dishes with restaurant quality, if not better.
Equipment
- A kitchen knife
- Chopping board
- mixing bowl
- Baking tray
- Cooking pot, deep frying pan, or karahi
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tikka
- 2 boneless chicken breasts or 3 boneless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- ½-1 Red Kashmiri red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
For the Masala
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 medium brown onion finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika powder
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 12 fluid ounces chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- A handful of chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
For the Chicken Tikka
- Place the prepared chicken pieces in a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and salt and rub them well. Use a skewer or a fork to pierce the meat as you mix the seasoning. Set it aside for about 20 minutes.
- Add minced ginger, garlic, ground cumin, paprika powder, chili powder, heavy cream and garam masala. Mix well until all the chicken pieces are covered with spices and cream. Cover the bowl and leave it in the refrigerator for at least six hours. The longer, the better for the spices to develop in the meat.
- When ready to cook, put the meat on skewers and place them on a baking tray. Cook the chicken tikka in a grilled oven, ordinary oven, air fryer, or instant pot at 350°F/ 180°C. It takes approximately 12-15 minutes to grill the chicken, or it is cooked through and lightly browned.
For the Masala
- Heat the oil on a lidded pan at medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the onion slices until golden brown.
- Add the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for about a minute until they release aroma.
- Add coriander, turmeric, chili, and paprika powder. Stir fry for about 15 seconds before adding one tablespoon of plain yogurt.
- Keep frying until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process of adding one tablespoon of yogurt until all yogurt is finished.
- Chop two medium tomatoes and put them into the spices mixture. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy. Try mashing them with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Then, add the chicken stock and salt to the mixture. Continue cooking at low heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce is thick.
- Lastly, stir in the garam masala and check the flavors. Add more salt if needed.
Notes
- Single cream can be used to replace heavy cream.
- Kashmiri red chili powder gives a more vibrant color to the dish and has more flavor in its spiciness. You can substitute it with cayenne pepper powder if you don't have it.
- If you like, you can omit the chicken stock and just use water to replace it. You may want to increase the salt if your chicken stock is unsalted. Do a taste check to ensure the saltiness is according to your liking.
Nutrition
Calories: 336kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 15gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 1104mgPotassium: 412mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 861IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 1mg
*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you're using with each recipe.
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