More Chicken Dishes
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A classic Indian takeout dish, chicken tikka masala is not as difficult to make at home as you may think. Packed with flavor, the creamy, spiced sauce covers tender pieces of chicken, just waiting to be served with homemade naan and perfect basmati rice. Tangy and deeply spiced, tikka masala is a tomato and cream sauce that traditionally includes garam masala, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and chiles. It also features all the delicious flavors from a batch of the same spices included in the tikka marinade. Here are my best tips on how to make this amazing dish.
What People Are Saying:
"We loved it. We are west Indian and eating our food all the time is getting tiring. Making this was a great add to our menu especially because the kids loved it!" - BlueBee"
"As good (or better) thank most takeout. Much much better than jarred simmer sauce." - dhemp
First thing is to make your spicy paste. It's essential to get all of those flavors into otherwise bland chicken breasts. Simply mix the garlic, ginger, garam masala, coriander, turmeric, tomato paste, and salt until a beautiful paste forms.
Take out half of spice paste, then add some yogurt and salt. Make some shallow cuts in each breast, so the spice paste can get deep into each breast. Cover with the spice mixture in the bowl and let marinate—up to 6 hours is ideal.
Ready to cook? Time for the aromatics. Cook some onion and red chiles until softened, then pour in a whole bunch of tomato paste. Throw in the rest of the spicy paste and cook until everything is coasted and fragrant.
Stir in tomato puree, water, and cream and make sure that sauce thickens up nicely.
Time not to be afraid of the broiler; this step is quite easy. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a wire rack, then broil until the marinade looks thickened and spots have darkened; just be sure to watch closely, as broilers can vary wildly. This should take 10 to 12 minutes, and the chicken won't be cooked all the way through.
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, then add to the pot, along with some cilantro. Now's the time to use the thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked through—if you don't have one, take out a piece and cut through to make sure it's no longer pink.
Beautiful, no? After everything is warmed through, it's ready to go! Be sure to serve with some rice or naan alongside.
cloves garlic, grated
(1") piece ginger, peeled, grated (about 1 Tbsp.)
garam masala
ground coriander
ground turmeric
ground cumin
plus 1 Tbsp. tomato paste, divided
Kosher salt
whole-milk yogurt
skinless, boneless chicken breasts
vegetable oil or ghee
yellow onion, finely chopped
to 3 fresh red chiles, seeded, finely chopped, or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
tomato puree
heavy cream
fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped, plus more for serving
Steamed basmati rice and naan, for serving
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