This Authentic Chicken Tikka Masala recipe is made with a smooth and creamy tomato-based sauce, along with juicy chunks of chicken. The spices used for this dish are inspired by traditional Indian cuisine, providing a flavorful and authentic taste. This comforting dish pairs perfectly with hot, steamed basmati rice or your favorite grain.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- Not only is this dish delicious, but it's also incredibly easy to make.
- You can quickly throw together all of the ingredients and let them simmer on the stovetop until everything is cooked through.
- With minimal prep time and effort, you'll have a delicious meal better than what you get at your local Indian restaurants.
Plus, since it's made with wholesome ingredients, it's a healthier option than ordering takeout. You'll be able to enjoy the authentic flavors without the added cost of going to a restaurant.
📝 Ingredients
Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
- Chicken marinade: Yogurt, lime juice, cumin, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, garam masala, ginger.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- For the sauce: olive oil, butter, garlic, onion, jalapeno pepper, spice mix ( paprika, cumin,garam masala, salt), tomato sauce, tomato paste, coconut milk, and cilantro.
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Stir in the chicken, seal, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Thread chicken pieces onto wooden skewers, discard marinade, and grill for about 5 minutes on each side. Alternatively, you can bake in a preheated 425-degree oven on a lightly oiled rack for 10-15 minutes, turning once until golden brown.
- Make the tikka masala sauce: Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, garlic, and jalapeño for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the spices, tomato sauce, tomato paste and coconut milk, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes until thickened.
- Add the chicken and continue simmering for another 15 minutes. Serve with naan bread or basmati rice, garnished with cilantro.
💡 Amira's Tips
- Use unsweetened canned coconut milk and not the one that comes in a cartoon box. Alternatively, you can use heavy cream.
- I like using regular plain yogurt but Greek yogurt or sour cream work as well.
- Use thighs if possible but you can use skinless chicken breasts if this is all what you have.
- You can marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours; however, for best results, allow at least 2 hours.
- If you are grilling the chicken skewers, don't forget to preheat the grill so that it's nice and hot.
🧺 Storage
Refrigerate- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
Freeze - This authentic chicken tikka masala recipe is freezer-friendly. Place in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat- if frozen, allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. reheat on the stovetop on medium and use a touch of water if needed to loosen the sauce.
⌛ Make Ahead
If you want to save a little time in the kitchen for a busy night, you can start the chicken marinating before you head out for the day, and store it in the fridge in the marinade until you are ready to cook.
🍽️ Serve With
- I love to serve this creamy dish with some garlic naan bread, jasmine rice or Instant Pot Basmati Rice.
- If you don't have naan bread on hand and you want to avoid a trip to the grocery store you could also make this Air Fryer Garlic Bread.
- Or bake some Lebanese Pita Bread to scoopu up all the sauce.
👩🍳 Variations
- Adjust the recipe to your spice level, feel free to add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to increase the heat in this dish.
- Add a couple of teaspoons of ground coriander for extra flavor.
- You can also add some vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, or even spinach to make this a complete meal.
- If you prefer a vegan option, replace the chicken with your favorite plant-based protein such as tofu, tempeh, or seitan.
💬 FAQs
Chicken Marsala is an Italian dish and typically consists of chicken cutlets that are pan-fried with mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and a sweet Marsala wine sauce. Chicken Tikka Masala is an Indian dish made with marinated chunks of chicken that are cooked in a creamy tomato-based sauce.
The best way to reheat this dish is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F, place the food in an oven-safe dish, and cover with aluminum foil. Heat for 15 minutes or until completely heated through. Alternatively, you can also reheat it in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat.
Yes, this dish can be frozen. To freeze, transfer cooled leftovers into an airtight and freezer-safe container. Place in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to eat thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
📣 Related Recipes
- Are you in the mood to make your favorite Indian dishes at home? If so, you can't go wrong with this Sambusa recipe. It's crispy on the outside and filled with a savory filling. It's perfect for a snack or as an appetizer!
- For another delicious Indian-inspired recipe, give this Poori fry bread recipe a try!
More Chicken Recipes
- This Chicken Potato Bake has all your favorite foods combined into one easy casserole. Chicken and potatoes seasoned with garlic, rosemary and topped with cheese. Your family is going to love this.
- If you love easy chicken recipes like this one, then you may also enjoy this Tahini Chicken recipe. The slow cooker does all the work so you don't have to worry about spending all day in the kitchen to get an awesome meal.
- Here's the best Cornish hen recipe, the whole family will love. This is a special occasion dish, but makes for a good hearty meal that can be served on a weeknight as well.
- This is a juicy yet flavorful recipe for Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs in Oven. With endless flavor possibilities, you will never get bored with this delicious recipe, which will suit every taste and occasion.
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Thank you.
Authentic Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 2 pounds boneless skinlesschicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
For the sauce
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt , or to taste
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 can tomato sauce 15 oz
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste , or tomato puree
- 1 can coconut milk 13.5 oz
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Combine the first seven ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Stir in the chicken, seal, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Thread chicken onto skewers, discard marinade and grill about 5 minutes each side.
- Or you can bake in 425F preheated oven on a lightly oiled rack for 10-15 minutes, turning once.
- Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion,garlic and jalapeño for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the spices, tomato sauce, tomato paste and the coconut milk, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until thickened.
- Add the chicken and continue simmering for another 15 minutes.
- Serve with naan bread or basmati rice, garnished with cilantro.
Notes
- Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Nutrition
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First published January 10, 2017 . Last updated June 21, 2023 with important tips, clear step by step instructions and readability.
👩🏫 My Personal Experience
I've an Egyptian friend who is married to a nice Pakistani guy. He has his mom's cooking notebook which contains all the secrets and traditional recipes of Indian/Pakistani cuisines. I wish I can get my hands on this notebook. Anyways, she warned me to reduce the hot spices to at least a quarter. I told her I love spicy food 🔥 🔥, but she inststed that this is not even near what I was thinking of. Boy was she right!!
To tell you the truth I was a coward so followed her advice. I did not want to my family to suffer. I ended up with chicken chunks swimming in the most delicious, creamy and perfectly spiced sauce.
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Cecile
I loved how you said your toes curled!! We have a fabulous local Indian restaurant and I've said - more than once - that when I eat their Chicken Tikka Masala my eyes roll back in my head. ; o )
I posted a recipe a while ago for Chicken Tikka Masala but my recipe calls for allowing the chicken to marinate overnight - and I don't always want to wait that long. So - I'm PINNING this recipe. And it's nice to know it's an authentic recipe.
On another note, my husband was an international banker and we were lucky enough to travel to both Pakistan and India - and to stay with friends in Pakistan. Now THAT'S authentic eating!! ; o )
Amira
Wow, I love travelling and one of my hopes is to visit every country in this world :). I hope I will fulfill this dream soon. Due to some commitments I ended up marinating this chicken more than required, but it turned up great. I will check your recipe though, some recipes really worth waiting for heheheheh.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
Your chicken masala looks good…I'll be interested to see other dishes you make now that you have some Indian spices.
Evelyne CulturEatz
Welcome to real indiain cooking lol. It is fun to play with all the spices, just got to get a bit confidant about it. Your chicken tikka masala looks amazing!
John/Kitchen Riffs
Love every Indian or Pakistani dish I've ever had. In general, the ones from Pakistan seem to be a bit spicier than the Indian ones (although Southern Indian dishes can be pretty fiery!). This looks great -- loads of flavor, and the spice amount will be right for most people. Thanks!
Marie Kléber
Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe Amira. I love Indian food (Not too spicy of course). I will enjoy trying this recipe. I remember the day one friend told me all about Indian curry (it's a shame I lost my recipe book when moving home - I had all the secrets in there to make it a special way - you should try!)
In the meantime keep cooking with love and stay well.
Cecilia
Once again a great recipe! 5 stars from me! Thanks for sharing.
Sharifah
I love love love Indian/Pakistani food and this looks delish! Thanks for sharing. I will definitely be trying this. Some recipes can get so complicated. I like the simplicity of this. And like your friend, we have Egyptian and Pakistani (with a couple other things thrown in as well) in our family. So in addition to the many Arabic/Middle Eastern dishes we love, we eat and love Asian food as well. I would definitely suggest trying Saag (green leaves - I've always used spinach, some use mustard greens or other greens). I prefer Saag with lamb but it can be made with paneer (cheese), chicken or beef. I'm sure it can be eaten alone as a vegetarian meal but I've never tried it that way. Also, Mekhani Chicken (butter chicken) which I love to eat but have yet to make myself. I could go on and on about the scrumptious Asian foods I'd love to make.
Amira
Wow Sharifa dear, you are my new gold mine :). This is a lot of information that I need to digest but definitely will start with the saag. I've googled it and seen people also suggest using kale!! Maybe this will be my new way of liking kale. Thanks Sharifa for your comment, will need your opinion soon on.