Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
By Swasthi on July 30, 2023, Comments, Jump to Recipe
This Chicken Tikka Masala is spicy, creamy, flavorful and crazy delicious! You won’t want to stop with one serving! Make this better than restaurant Chicken tikka masala at home with my easy time-tested recipe. I also share plenty of options to grill the chicken – in Oven, air fryer, on a griddle or skillet. Cooking this flavor-packed curry is easier than you think. Serve it over fluffy Basmati Rice, Cumin Rice or with Butter Naan, Roti, Chapati, Paratha or any flatbread of choice.
About Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala is a classic curried dish with soft tender chunks of char-grilled chicken, simmered briefly in a delicious & super aromatic tikka masala sauce/gravy. The dish comprises of 2 components – one is chicken tikka and the other is the masala, which is the gravy or sauce in which the tikkas are simmered.
The word “Tikka” literally means “a piece or chunk” and here chicken tikka are grilled chunks of chicken that are first marinated in spiced & herbed yogurt and then char-grilled to perfection. These smoky and aromatic tender chunks are simmered in a creamy, delicious and flavoursome onion tomato masala, known as Tikka Masala.
The finished dish has a super addictive smoky flavour, tastes creamy and supremely delicious!!!
This world popular dish has its origin from Northern India, where chicken tikka kebabs were cooked in a tandoor consisting of live charcoal or wood fire. These are served as an appetizer with coriander/ Cilantro Chutney and Mint Chutney. However tikka masala sauce/gravy is said to be a British curry, popularized by the Indian Chefs, working in Britain.
As you research, you will find many stories on the origin of chicken tikka masala and a few dozens of variations to cook this dish.
Chicken Tikka Masala Vs Butter Chicken
A lot of people think Chicken tikka masala and Butter Chicken and Chicken Jalfrezi are same but in fact they are not. Chicken tikka masala is on the spicier side, is made with boneless chicken and has a chunky sauce due to the usage of chopped onions. It is also cooked in oil and sometimes a small amount of butter is used.
But authentic Indian Butter chicken has no onions and can be made with bone-in chicken and is essentially cooked in butter. The main characteristic of an authentic Butter chicken is its smooth silky sauce and is low on the spice levels, with sweet notes but not prominently sweet tasting.
My Recipe
My recipe is easy enough for beginners and gives you the best chicken tikka masala that actually tastes better than in any restaurant. You can easily tweak the spice levels by following my notes and tips below.
Here are the key differences between the Indian Chicken Tikka Masala and the British Chicken Tikka Masala: My recipe works well for both the versions
The Indian version of tikka masala has whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms. 2 interesting ingredients you always find is the bell pepper & onions in the tikka skewers. However I have not added them here just to keep the recipe simple. You won’t find any of these in the British curry.
The Indian style Tikka Masala uses cashews to give that creamy and naturally sweet flavour. Very little quantity of cream is used at the end mostly for garnish and to adjust the flavours. The British tikka masala has a lot of cream and no cashews are used.
Indian masala makes use of fresh tomatoes (chopped or pureed) so your dish has more fresh flavours. The British chicken tikka masala is essentially made with passata/ bottled or canned tomato puree which imparts umami flavors. Some recipes even use canned tomato soup & tomato paste.
Indian Vs British Tikka Masala
To summarise, Indian chicken tikka masala has fresh flavors due to the use of fresh tomatoes. It’s creamy, rich and delicious and won’t make you feel bloated as there is a very small amount of cream used. Cashews impart a magical creamy texture and flavour without making you feel heavy.
The British tikka masala has more deep flavors due to the use of passata and you will love this if you love the delicious umami flavour. But this requires plenty of cream to balance the taste of passata else you will only taste tomatoes in the curry.
Over the years I have tested this recipe with fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes – fire roasted, bottled tomato puree/passata from different brands. So I have updated the recipe for both the versions and note that all brands of tomato puree or canned tomatoes won’t work here.
Avoid using canned tomatoes with citric acid added to it. This results in a metallic taste in the dish. I use passata from Mutti brand. It is sweet (no added sweetener) and won’t make your dish overly sour/tangy.
More similar recipes
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Rogan Josh
Chicken Bhuna
Chicken Korma
How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala (Stepwise photos)
Chicken Marinade
1. Dice chicken to 1 to 1½ inch pieces and add to a large mixing bowl. Pat dry with a few kitchen tissues to make sure there is no excess moisture. For this recipe, you will need about 22 to 23 oz (635 to 650 grams) boneless chicken thighs or breasts. A little more or less is just okay.
Add the following:
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
2. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon oil. Try to avoid lime juice here. For authentic Indian tikka flavors, use mustard oil.
3. Add 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste and 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves).
4. Add ½ cup Greek yogurt / strained yogurt or Hung curd. You won’t use the runny yogurt with whey here because that will let out a lot of moisture and ruin your tikkas. If you do not have it, you can make your own from my post here – Strained yogurt or Hung Curd. But note that you have to make this 12 hours in advance because this takes time.
5. Mix up everything well. Cover with a cling wrap and let it rest for a minimum of 8 hours & up to 48 hours in the refrigerator. If you are in a rush you may cook them after 3 hours but longer the better as they really become juicy and soak up all the flavors well.
Make The Tikka Masala
6. Pour 3 tablespoons oil or ghee or a mix of both to a pot or pan. When it turns hot, add 1 ½ cups onions (1 large or 2 medium) and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt. Saute on a medium heat until they turn deep golden. We don’t want the onions to be half cooked here.
7. Add 1 chopped green chilli (optional) and 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste. If you don’t have it, you can make your own by following this Ginger garlic paste recipe. Saute for about 40 to 60 seconds until you begin to smell the ginger garlic.
8. Turn the heat to low, add
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin powder
9. Stir well quickly. We don’t want to burn the spices.
10. Immediately pour the tomato puree. If using fresh tomatoes, you will puree 500 grams (1.1 pounds) ripe red tomatoes in a blender to a smooth puree. Or use 1 ¼ cup (10 oz) bottled tomato puree/ passata.
11. Cook this on a medium high heat stirring often until the masala thickens as shown in the picture. This step takes some time so be patient and cook down the tomatoes as the curry develops a flavor at this stage. You may check the video in the recipe card for consistency. While you cook the tomatoes here, bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in another pot.
12. When the tikka masala turns thick, pour the hot water and give a good mix.
13. Cover and simmer on a low heat until the sauce becomes fragrant and thick.
Grill the Chicken Tikka
14. While the tikka masala cooks, grill your chicken tikka. Thread the chicken on to the skewers and place them on a prepared tray. Place the tray in the middle rack, in a preheated oven at 240 C or 460 F for 9 to 10 mins.
15. Later turn them with the help of a tong and bake for another 9 to 10 mins. If they look dry in between you can baste the tikkas with the marinade. To char your chicken, broil for 2 mins or until slightly charred.
To Air fry, place the tikkas in your tray or basket. Air fry for 6 mins at 200 C or 400 F. Turn them to the other side and air fry for another 6 mins.
To Cook them on the skillet/ pan, Pour 1 tablespoon oil to a heavy bottom skillet or cast iron pan. When the pan is hot, you will place the tikkas in the pan one by one, spacing them apart. Cook for 3 to 4 mins on a medium high heat and turn them to the other side. Cook on the other side until your chicken is almost cooked and charred. I have a picture of this at the end of this step by step photo section.
Make Chicken Tikka Masala
16. When the tikka sauce has cooked well and thickened, pour half cup heavy cream or thickened cream. Or make your own cashew cream. For this, make a fine powder of 30 whole cashews in a grinder, then pour 1/3 cup water and grind to smooth puree. You will get ½ cup thick cream similar to thickened cream. Pour 2 to 3 tbsps water to the grinder and swirl gently and pour that to the tikka masala. If you do not have a powerful grinder, read my tips below.
17. Add sugar and give a good mix.
18. Let it simmer until thick and aromatic.
19. Add all of the grilled chicken tikka and 1 tablespoon kasuri methi. Make sure your curry has reached a thick and almost serving consistency before you add chicken. Taste test and add more salt or sugar if required to balance the flavors.
20. Mix and cook covered, until the chicken is soft and tender. This takes only 2 to 3 mins.
30. Garnish with 2 to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or thickened cream and 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves.
Serve chicken tikka masala with Butter Naan, paratha, roti or over Jeera rice or plain Basmati Rice.
Pro Tips
Yogurt: Use Greek yogurt or strained yogurt also known as Hung curd in Indian cuisine. Using runny yogurt makes your marinade runny and will drain all of the spicy marinade to the pan when you grill them. The chicken won’t have any flavors. So make sure your marinade is thick.
Yogurt is the key ingredient here. It tenderizes, prevents the chicken from drying out while grilling at high temperatures and adds a unique flavor.
Red Chilli Powder: Use Kashmiri red chilli powder as it is low on heat levels. You will use Indian Chilli powder which is simply pure 100% ground dried red chilies. You can substitute this with paprika. Again you have many kinds here, use smoked paprika. Adjust the quantity to suit your taste.
Chicken Thigh Vs Breasts: You can use chicken thighs or breasts. But note that breasts need long marinade time, a minimum of 8 hours is recommended. Without this they are most likely to dry out and turn chewy. If you are in a rush, use chicken breasts and marinate for a minimum of 3 hours.
Cooking tikka on Skillet or Pan: If you want to cook the tikkas in a skillet or pan, ensure your marinade is thick and not runny else your tikkas will ooze out plenty of moisture and all the masala will come over to the pan and not stay on the tikkas.
Here is a picture of the tikkas grilled in a pan. For the authentic Indian restaurant version, use bell peppers and onions in your marinade. But grill the chicken and bell peppers separately not in the same batch.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 630 grams (22 oz) chicken boneless (Preferably thighs, or breasts)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (hung curd)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (use less for low heat)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon oil (mustard oil if you have)
For the tikka masala
- 3 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
- 1½ cups (150 grams) onions (fine chopped, 1x – 1 large or 2 medium)
- 1 green chilli (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (use less for low heat)
- 2 teaspoons garam masala (adjust to taste)
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1½ teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar (adjust to taste)
- 500 grams fresh tomatoes (pureed or 1x – 10 oz., 1¼ cup tomato puree/ passata)
- 2 cups hot water (more if required)
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- ½ cup heavy cream/whipping cream (or 1x – ⅓ cup whole cashews, 30, refer notes)
For Garnish
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream (or any cream)
- 3 tablespoons coriander leaves (fine chopped)
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- Cube chicken to 1 to 1½ inch pieces. Add them to a mixing bowl. Make sure there is no excess moisture in your chicken. If you want you may pat dry with a few kitchen tissues.
- Add red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, salt, lemon juice, oil, ginger garlic paste, yogurt and kasuri methi. Skip the lemon juice if your yogurt is sour.
- Mix well. Cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate for minimum of 8 hours and up to 48 hours. If you are in a rush, you may cut down to 3 hours.
Make Tikka Sauce
- Heat oil or ghee in a pot or pan. Add onions and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt. Saute until deep golden.
- Add ginger garlic paste and green chilli. Saute until aromatic, for 40 to 60 seconds.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and cumin powder. Stir well quickly.
- Pour tomato puree and cook on a medium high heat until the onion tomato masala becomes really thick and begins to leave the sides of the pan. It also turns fragrant. (Check video for consistency)
- Pour 2 cups of hot water and cover. Simmer until thick, yet of pouring consistency. (Check video for consistency)
How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala
- Grill in Oven : While the gravy simmers, thread the chicken to the metal skewers or soaked bamboo skewers and place them in a prepared tray. Bake them in a preheated oven at 460 F or 240 C for 9 to 10 mins. Turn them to the other side with a tong and grill then for another 9 to 10 mins. To char the chicken, broil for 2 to 3 mins or until slightly charred.
- Or In a Skillet: Pour 1 tbsp oil to a skillet and heat it well. Place the chicken tikka one by one, spacing them apart. Cook on a medium high heat for 3 mins, turn them to the other side with a tong and cook for another 3 mins, until charred and not essentially fully cooked. Remove to a plate and Cook in batches.
- Or In the Air fryer: Thread on skewers and place them in the basket or in the tray. Air fry for 6 mins, at 400 F or 200 C. Turn them with tongs and air fry for another 6 mins. If they dry out, you may baste with marinade and continue for another 2 mins, until slightly charred.
- When the tikka masala turns thick, add sugar and the cream (or cashew cream, check notes to make your own). Stir well and cook for a few minutes until thick, creamy and aromatic. (Check video for consistency)
- Add the grilled chicken tikka and crushed kasuri methi. (Make sure your gravy has reached a thick gravy consistency/serving consistency, before adding chicken). Stir and cook for 2 to 3 mins until chicken tikka is soft and tender. Taste test and add more salt and sugar if needed.
- Turn off and garnish with cream and coriander leaves. Serve chicken tikka masala with Butter Naan, roti, paratha, Basmati rice or Jeera rice.
Notes
- Avoid using Canned tomatoes with citric acid added to it.
- Avoid using sour yogurt. If it is even slightly sour, avoid using lemon juice.
- To make the cashew cream, powder cashews finely in a grinder jar and pour ⅓ cup water to it. Grind to a smooth thick creamy paste. You will get half cup cashew cream. Later pour 3 tbsps water and swirl the jar and pour that as well to the gravy. If you do not have a powerful grinder, you may soak the cashews in ⅓ cup hot water for 15 mins, grind them with the same water to a smooth puree. I have tried and both work equally well.
- If cooking tikkas on the pan, they don’t need to be fully cooked but must be almost there. If you try to fully cook, they may dry out, turn hard and chewy.
- To make this authentic Indian, add 1 bay leaf, 3 to 4 cardamoms, cloves, 2 inch cinnamon to the hot oil before sautéing the onions. Also add bell peppers and onions to the marinade before grilling them. Use mustard oil for the tikkas.
- Make this ahead by splitting the recipe. Marinate chicken the previous night. Also make the gravy till the tikka sauce the previous day. The next day grill the tikkas and heat the gravy, add the cream and simmer. Later add the tikkas.
- To mimic the smoky flavor of the Tandoor, you may smoke your chicken tikka masala. For that, Place a small piece of foil or a tall steel cup on the finished chicken tikka masala. Hold 1 to 2 inch piece of natural wood charcoal with a tong and burn it on direct fire until red hot. Later place it on the foil kept over the curry or in the steel cup. Quickly pour ¼ tsp ghee on the hot coal. Immediately cover the pot and smoke for 4 to 5 mins. For stronger flavor, add another ¼ tsp ghee on the coal and repeat the smoking. If you overdo this, it will have very strong smoky flavors, so be cautious. You may check my Dal Makhani video to see how I actually do it.
- To make more servings, start with 2 cups of water to cook the gravy. As you cook, add half cup more at a time only if required (for 2x & 3x). Taste test the gravy after cooking with 2 cups of water, onions should be tender and soft but not crunchy or partially cooked. If they are undercooked, pour more hot water and simmer until well cooked.
- For 2x and 3x, double and triple the quantity of cashews and water for cashew cream. Cashews have a thickening property, if you reduce the quantity of water your curry won’t turn thick.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
Watch Tikka Masala Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe first published in September 2012. Update and republished in June 2022.
Chicken Tikka Masala Old Recipe
Marination
400 to 500 grams chicken cubes (boneless chicken)
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
Lemon juice from ½ lemon (refer notes)
½ cup Greek yogurt or hung curd or 1 cup curd (refer instructions and notes)
⅛ tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. oil for frying
Ingredients for gravy
3 tbsps. oil
½ tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
1 to 2 black cardamom
3 green cardamoms
3 cloves (can use up to 5)
1 inch cinnamon stick (can use 2 inch stick)
3 medium onions finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes (pureed)
2 tsps ginger garlic paste
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp red chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric
4 tbsp cashewnut and melon paste (you can just use cashew paste)
½ tsp Kasuri methi
¼ cup cream (optional, can even use smooth almond or cashew milk or cream)
½ tsp. Garam masala
Coriander leaves chopped
½ tsp. sugar (optional)
Vegetables (chop large cubes)
1 large onion (separate the layers of onion cubes)
½ small green capsicum
½ small red capsicum (optional)
1 tomato (remove the pulp) (optional)
How to make the recipe
Make Hung yogurt or curd
Add yogurt or curd to a thin cheese cloth or muslin cloth and knot it. Hang it inside the refrigerator for 5 to 6 hours for the whey to drip off completely.
Make the chicken tikka
Pat dry chicken with kitchen tissues.
Add the marination ingredients to a bowl and marinate the chicken. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 2 hrs, overnight yields the best.
You can grill these in a preheated oven at 240 C for 20 minutes. Adjust the timing slightly.
If you do not have a oven, you can pan roast the chicken tikka. Add one tbsp. oil to a non-stick pan and heat it. Swipe off the excess marinade from the chicken and fry them on a high flame till they are almost cooked. The masala burns quickly at this stage, so take care. Do not cook on a low flame, the tikka gets spoilt with all moisture oozing out. Do not overcook the tikka, they turn hard.
While the tikka is getting cooked, marinate the veggies in the left over marinate that was swiped off the chicken. Repeat swiping off the excess marinade from the veggies and fry these for 2 minutes or more till the marinade dries up. Transfer this to a wide tray. The chicken should look moist, tender and veggies crunchy, with the marinade almost dried up.
Make the gravy
Grind tomatoes to a smooth puree in a blender. Set this aside. You can also use chopped tomatoes.
Pour oil for the gravy to the same pan. Add whole spices, allow them to sizzle.
Add chopped onions, fry evenly till they turn golden.
Stir in garlic ginger paste, fry till the raw smell disappears.
Pour in the tomato puree, red chili, coriander powder, salt. Mix and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in cashew & melon paste, fry till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan
Add sugar, tikka pieces and veggies, stir well and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add water just enough to make a gravy. Bring it to a good boil & cook until the gravy turns thick.
Add kasuri methi cook for 2 to 3 mins.
Pour in the cream, add garam masala and add coriander leaves, off the flame. Keep covered for at least 15 minutes
Serve with paratha, roti, naan
Notes
Lemon juice- you can skip using lemon juice if using sour yogurt
making hung curd- one cup yogurt usually yields ½ cup hung curd. But that depends on the kind of yogurt
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
I think I understand better after re-reading the recipe. You’re saying, as you add the water (and I will be using cashews), add as needed vs. just doubling, but if you use cashews, you will need to “x” the water as you did the cashew cream.
Bethanie,
I’m back after a short break. Sorry I couldn’t respond earlier. I have given all the details to make 2x and 3x recipe in the recipe card notes. You just need to be careful while adding water (to make the gravy). It is best to add it in batches as you cook. I hope you all enjoy palak paneer and tikka masala.
I’m making this today for my book club on Thursday – we read the Covenant of Water by the way and I HIGHLY recommend the book. I am going to double the recipe. I’m not completely understanding your suggestion on doubling it. If I don’t hear back, I’m tempted to just make it twice to be sure it comes out properly. Otherwise, I’ll check to see if you respond before I start it tonight. I’m also making your Palak Paneer. Looking forward to it! Two of my guests are Indian, so fingers crossed I’ll meet their standards!
I made this last weekend, a batch big enough to have some leftovers for a next day lunch. That’s sooo delicious! Going to cook it again. Thank you for such a great and easy recipe!
Thanks Monika. Glad it turned out delicious
This was an amazing recipe! I added ground almonds instead if cashews and used sour cream instead of double cream, as that’s what I had. Also substituted some veg for half the chicken. So delicious!
That’s lovely! Glad it turned out delicious. Thank you Aruna
great recipe and awesome instruction.
Thanks
This is absolutely delicious! I used the whole spices (cloves, cardamom, bay leaf) from the original recipe and cashew cream. I am vegan so I used chickpeas the first time and cauliflower the second time I made it. I think I could eat this every day! Can’t wait to make it for my grandchildren! Thank you for sharing your talents!
Hi Ellen,
Thank you! Love the way you made it with chickpeas and cauliflower. Hope your grandchildren will enjoy it as well!
This tikka masala is delicious guys!!!!!!!!!! Everyone should try this. Don’t fret if you don’t have a grinder. Use 2 heaped spoons of cashew butter to sub cashews. Turns out amazing!!!!!!!!!!!
Glad you made it and liked it Ahaan. Thanks for sharing back
Wow, I knew my tikka masala was gonna be really good but I couldn’t imagine this indulgent taste. I was a little skeptical about the cashews but they fit really well in the sauce. Will definitely makes this again 🙂
Thanks for sharing back Willow. Glad you like it!
I cooked this meal with vegetarian soy based chicken meat (because I’m vegetarian) and it was super delicious, maybe a bit too spicy, next time I will try just a half teaspoon of red chilli powder. Thank you for this detailed and easy description, without it I could never cook with such amazing quality. This is the greatest food blog. Thank you so much, Swasthi !
Hi Henrik,
Thank you so much! Glad you like this. I have edited the recipe to include the lower amount of chili powder. You may check out this vegetarian tikka masala with lower spice levels. You may replace the paneer with soya chicken and include some veggies as well. Thanks again!
Hi Swasthi.
I tried your vegetarian recipe with paneer instead of chicken before and it was also very nice (maybe even better). Just wanted to figure how it would be different with some chicken-like taste. Maybe it was too spicy, because I used less soy meat than the specific amount of chicken from your recipe. Sure, I will also try with some vegetables. Thank you.
For a long time I have been trying to figure out the special ingredient while making tikka masala sauce in Indian restaurants (in India). I have made your recipe a few times now and this tastes delicious but it is missing that pungent flavor. Do you know what that is? I’m a home-cook catering to a small group of friendly people in my apartment. I’m trying to recreate the exact pungent flavors. Will you be able to help me with that?
Hi Ila,
In India, a lot of small restaurants use bell peppers, not only while grilling the tikkas but also in the sauce which is actually pureed with the tomatoes. It is done to cut down the cost and impart those pungent flavors. It is not done in high-end or up-scale restaurants. Also try using black cardamoms while making the sauce or in your garam masala. Hope this helps.
This tikka masala recipe is another total winner! I could’ve eaten the entire pot but I saw my hungry family waiting to fill their hungry tummies. Haha! Everyone loved it with your basmati rice. The only change was to use a can of fire roasted tomatoes. This is my best tikka masala!
Thank you so much Olivia. Glad you like it.
I had tried many tikka masala recipes online and every recipe turned out to be a failure. Either the sauce would split or the tikka would end up in a pool of runny liquid from the yogurt. This recipe turned out to be incredible and my dish turned out amazing with complex flavors but not too spicy. Thank you for sharing authentic Indian recipes. We paired it with your turmeric rice, kachumber and chaas. Everything so good!!
That’s a lovely spread! Thank you so much Isabella. So glad you like this chicken tikka masala.
This Chicken tikka masala is so easy to make and so fragrant and delicious! I used black cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon and cardamoms since I didn’t have a good garam masala. My friends said it tastes amazing and authentic. Thank you.
Glad to know Sameer. Yes you can use whole spices, I have the details in the notes. Thank you!
I made this chicken tikka masala twice back in June and the second time decided to double the recipe because I knew it was worth the time and effort. I froze the second half of the batch and sort of forgot about it until last night. I’m glad I did it because it tastes even more flavorsome. I use cashews & guess that’s the reason for the sauce to remain so good.
Thank you so much Joan for sharing back how it turned out for you. That makes me very happy. Yes I too feel the same about cashew cream.
I LOVE THIS!!! When I order this dish from the restaurants near me, I find that it tastes a bit watered down, which lead me to making it at home. This exceeded my expectations!! The recipe was so easy to follow, and the step by step pictures answered every question that came to mind. I loved the cashew cream, and I will now use that in other recipes that call for heavy cream. I can’t wait to try your other recipes!!!
That makes me happy Katherine. Thank you so much!
I used your recipe to marinade the chicken and it was amazing. Really good recipe. I also cooked my chicken stovetop and the 3 min flip 3 min was perfect.
Glad it turned out perfect Ginger. Thanks for sharing back.
I cannot say how great this recipe is.
I have made it a few times for friends and they all love it.
Thank you so much!
Patty, that’s nice to know! Glad you all love the tikka masala. Thank you.
Hi Swasthi! Made this today, but it smelled better than it tasted. Really want to try it again because everyone that commented said it was really good and I love curries. So if someone could answer that would be awesome🙏
1. I couldn’t use onions because I’m allergic to onions, used shredded carrots, minced bell peppers and chopped celery. I feel like this is the main problem. Is there a good alternative for onions?
2. I added fresh tomatoes before adding the oven baked chicken. Is that the right time to add fresh tomatoes?
Thank you so much!!!
Hi Athena,
Yes tikka masala won’t taste the same without onions. Onions are the key ingredient in a tikka masala. I have another recipe made without onions. You can check out that here – butter chicken. You can make the sauce only with tomatoes and bell peppers too – I have another recipe here – paneer do pyaza. This recipe has onions but can you can leave them out. The sauce still tastes good without onions. Hope this helps.
I had made a large quantity of oven-grilled chicken shawarma earlier in the week (which used a marinade not that very far different from the tikka marinade recipe above) and I had a lot left over after salads and wraps, so I made a batch of this masala sauce to use it up with.
It really is a wonderfully fragrant and tasty recipe, using ingredients that I always have in my storecupboard, and it worked surprisingly well with my leftover grilled chicken. I will definitely be saving this recipe to use again – I’m sure it will become a staple in my kitchen!
Thanks for sharing back Nigel. I love how you used the chicken shawarma to make this tikka masala.
This Chicken Tikki Masala recipe is delicious, and taste better than what you can order at many restaurants.
Thank you so much Darlene. Happy you like it!
Wow. I love how simply you say things, makes it easy to understand. Really beautiful dish! I’ve only ever made it with heavy cream, but maybe I’ll give cashews a try! Delish! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much Lauren. Yes you must give a try with cashews.
🙂