Chicken Masala Recipe

Chicken Masala is an Indian dish of flavorsome chicken coated with a delicious, spicy and thick masala (sauce). This classic and comforting dish comes together under 45 mins and makes for a satisfying meal. Serve it with steamed rice, flavored rice like Jeera rice or Turmeric rice. It also goes well with Chapati, roti and Naan. If you want to extend your menu, include Raita or Lassi.

About Chicken Masala

In the generic Indian lingo, Chicken Masala simply translates to chicken cooked with spices, where the word “masala” means spices. However in reference to this particular dish, Chicken Masala is a North Indian dish where chicken is cooked in a spicy onion tomato masala.

A basic masala is prepared by sautéing onions, tomatoes, spices and herbs. Marinated chicken is sautéed and cooked in this masala. The resulting dish is delicious & aromatic with a thick masala/sauce coated over succulent chicken.

Chicken Masala is a simple version that requires much basic ingredients and does not use any cashews, yogurt, coconut or cream like a Butter Chicken. The masala (thick sauce) in this dish is unique in its own way. It is delicious, super flavorful & has a texture.

This North Indian Murgh Masala is one of those dishes often featured on the restaurant menus like Chicken Bhuna Masala, Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Butter Masala. While the other dishes take time to cook, this one is extremely simple and can be made even by beginners with little effort.

If you order this dish often in regular Indian restaurants & Dhabas, you are likely to see oil floating over the chicken and it tastes super hot/spicy. However the premium places customize the spice level for you along with the consistency of the masala – dry, semi-dry or gravy (saucy).

My Recipe

The authentic version of chicken masala uses whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms & cloves. They infuse deeper flavors slowly as the chicken cooks. However feel free to skip them if you do not prefer.

In this post I show how to make a semi-dry version that has a thick masala. If you prefer a drier version, simply cook down the dish a little longer to evaporate some of the moisture. To make it more saucy (with gravy), you may add some hot water while cooking or follow my pro tips section for more ideas.

My recipe makes for a less oily version because that’s how we prefer. You are free to use more for a layer of spiced oil floating over the final dish. You may use 4 tablespoons of oil for that.

If you prefer to make the dish creamy, you may add some heavy cream (whipping cream) or homemade nut milk or coconut cream at the finishing stage. But note that this dilutes some of the flavors, so I suggest increasing red chili powder and garam masala by ½ tsp each.

Alternately you may add some cashew or almond paste for more thicker saucy consistency. I share more ideas & tips on making a saucy dish in the pro tips section below, after the stepwise photos.

Do remember 2 crucial steps to make a yummy chicken masala – 1. Cook the dish on a low heat so the chicken gets time to soaks up all the flavors. 2. Use hot water if required to bring the dish to a consistency.

How to make Chicken Masala (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. To a mixing bowl add the following ingredients to marinate the chicken. This step infuses flavors and tenderizes the chicken.

• 1.1 lbs. (½ Kg) chicken (use bone-in for flavor or boneless)
• ¾ teaspoon ginger & garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon garam masala or chicken masala
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (or less spicy chili powder or paprika)

If you want you may also add 2 tablespoons yogurt. I have not used it here.

2. Mix well to marinate and set aside for about 45 mins to 1 hour. You can also refrigerate overnight.

Make Onion Tomato Masala

3. Heat a pot with 2 tablespoons oil and add the whole spices. 1 small bay leaf, 2 green cardamoms, 2 cloves and 1 inch piece of cinnamon. If you don’t like or have toddler for meal, leave them.

4. Add 1 to 2 chopped green chilies (optional, leave out for kids) and 1 cup fine chopped onions.

5. Saute onions on a medium flame for 5 to 6 mins. Reduce the heat slightly and continue to saute until they turn completely golden. Add ¾ teaspoon garlic ginger paste and saute for a minute, until aromatic & the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.

6. Pour ½ cup tomato puree or chopped tomatoes (deseeded). Then add ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala and ½ tsp salt.

7. Saute till the mixture turns thick, aromatic and oil begins to separate from the masala.

8. Add the marinated chicken & saute for 3 to 5 mins on a medium to high flame. (If you want you can also sear the chicken in a separate pan or grill or air fry for 5 mins first & add to the prepared onion tomato masala. I haven’t done it here because this is meant to be a simple dish).

9. Cover and cook for about 5 mins on the lowest possible flame. This is when the chicken soaks up the flavors.

10. You will see moisture from chicken begins to ooze out. Stir in a handful of coriander leaves (chopped) & handful of mint leaves (chopped).

11. Cover and cook again until chicken is soft and tender. If you want a gravy or more sauce, pour some hot water or coconut milk (not authentic) & simmer until chicken is tender. Taste test and add more salt and garam masala if required. For more heat add crushed black pepper. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves & 2 to 3 tbsps cream if you want.

Serve chicken masala with rice, roti, naan or paratha along with lemon wedges and onion slices.

Pro Tips

• Marinate to infuse and tenderize the chicken. You may skip this step if you are making the dish ahead & let the chicken masala rest for a day or 2 in the refrigerator. If you skip the marinade, use up all the spices meant for marinade while cooking the dish.
• Skinless bone-in chicken is best for this recipe as the dish turns more flavorsome but feel free to use bone-less chicken. If you use boneless chicken breasts, splash some hot water while cooking. This prevents the breasts from drying out.
• Canned tomato puree: If using canned tomatoes, make sure there is no citric acid added to it ex: Mutti pasata.
• Feel free to use almond, cashew, fresh coconut, white sesame or poppy seeds paste. These are not used to make a chicken masala however I mention them as an option and we do add them for other chicken curries. These will help you make more saucy dish as you can cook the dish with more water.
• I prefer to use regular cooking oil for this dish. You may use mustard oil for a pungent dish. Alternately you can add some ghee along with oil at the beginning. this imparts different flavors.

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