Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Updated: May 9, 2024, By Swasthi
This Chicken Tikka Masala is spicy, creamy, flavorful and crazy delicious! You won’t want to stop with one serving! My perfected & time-tested recipe helps you make it better than the restaurants. 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.
What is 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 sauce/gravy. The dish comprises of 2 components – first is 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 the tikkas 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 flavorsome onion tomato masala, known as Tikka Masala. The finished dish has a super addictive smoky flavor, tastes creamy and supremely delicious!!!
This world popular dish has its origin from Northern India, where 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 fusion Indian-British curry, popularized by the Indian Chefs, working in Britain.
As you research, you will find many stories on the origin of this dish 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. While 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 and the British Chicken Tikka Masala: My recipe works well for both the versions
The Indian version 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 dish uses cashews to give that creamy and naturally sweet flavor. Very little quantity of cream is used at the end mostly to garnish and to adjust the flavors. The British version 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
Chicken Madras
Lamb Curry
Rogan Josh
Chicken Bhuna
Chicken Korma
Photo Guide
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 1½ lbs. (700 grams) boneless chicken thighs or breasts. A little more or less is just okay. Add the following:
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri 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 (or grated) 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 Sauce
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 (or grated). 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 Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
9. Stir well quickly. We don’t want to burn the spices.
10. Immediately add the tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, you will chop or puree 500 grams (1.1 pounds) ripe red tomatoes in a blender to a smooth puree. Or use 1¼ cup (10 oz) bottled tomato puree/ passata.
Tip: If you want a smooth gravy, you may use chopped tomatoes here and puree it later in the next steps.
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.
12. Bring 1 to 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in another pot. Pour 1 cup hot water (if using heavy cream) or 2 cups if using cashew cream. Give a good mix.
13. Cover and simmer on a low heat until the sauce becomes fragrant and thick. Optionally to cut down the acidic taste from canned tomatoes, cool down and blend it to a smooth puree and return the gravy to the pot.
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. Pour ½ to ¾ 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 1 to 2 teaspoons of 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, garam masala 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.
Serving Suggestions
Serve chicken tikka masala with Tandoori Roti, Butter Naan, paratha, roti or over Jeera rice or plain Basmati Rice. This meal goes well with kachumber salad, onion salad and Sweet and salt lassi or Mango Lassi. Vegetarian dishes like Aloo Gobi, Cabbage stir fry and Bombay potatoes go well.
Expert Tips
Blend vs no blend: If using canned tomatoes I highly recommend blending the sauce as it really tones down the acidic flavor of the canned tomatoes. But if using fresh tomatoes, you may simply blend the tomatoes and use. This way your gravy turns out slightly chunky.
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 )
- 1½ lbs. (700 grams) chicken boneless (Preferably thighs, or breasts)
- ½ cup (120 ml) 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
- 1 to 1½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1.1 lbs. (500 grams) fresh tomatoes (pureed/chopped or 10 oz., 1¼ cup tomato puree/ passata, read notes)
- 1 cup hot water (double if using cashews)
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- ½ cup heavy cream/whipping cream (or 1x – ⅓ cup whole raw 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.
- Add the tomatoes and cook on a medium high heat until the onion tomato masala becomes really thick. (If using fresh tomatoes, it takes about 7 to 8 mins and tomato puree/passata takes only 2 minutes)
- Pour hot water and mix well. Bring to a rolling boil and cover. Simmer until thick, for about 12 to 14 mins.
- Optional – Cool down and blend to a smooth puree. Return it to the pot and heat up. This step cuts down the acidity from canned tomatoes.
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.
- After 12 to 14 mins of simmering the tikka masala sauce, 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, garam masala 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
- You can start with chopped tomatoes if you intend to puree the sauce/gravy.
- 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 if using cashews, (or 1 cup water if using only heavy cream). As you cook, add half cup more at a time only if required (for 2x & 3x). Taste test the gravy after cooking, 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.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
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
Wow was this delicious! I made a double batch of the chicken and cooked it on skewers on my grill. I made your butter chicken with the first batch and the chicken tika masala tonight. Both were amazing! I served this with jeera rice and the butter chicken with garlic naan and roasted delicata squash. These recipes really gave me the confidence to try more curries, thank you!
Beautiful dish, great recipe.
Fantastic recipe. Start of the show is the sauce
Hi, I usually make your butter chicken recipe but I have been requested to make tikka masala. Maybe I’m missing something but the recipe looks just like the butter chicken recipe. Can you please advise?
Hi Linda,
I have a separate section in the post that tells the differences. Butter chicken is made without onions and uses cashews & butter. It has a silky smooth sauce but chicken tikka masala has a chunky sauce and is made with onions and oil. To know the difference between the both
1. You should make butter chicken without onions and balance the acidic taste only with cashews or almonds. I have provided the onion option in butter chicken recipe only to those people who start with very sour tomatoes or canned tomatoes. But onions are not a part of the authentic recipe.
2. You should brown the onions, leave the sauce chunky in tikka masala and finish off with heavy cream.
In India fresh sweet tomatoes are used for butter chicken so that makes a huge difference in the taste. If you are using canned tomatoes, onions and cashews in both the dishes and if you puree it smooth, your sauce is likely going to taste the same.
Hope this helps
Thank you for your detailed response!
This is the first Indian dish I have ever made and wow! This was a fantastic introduction and I look forward to trying more. I even made naan bread and my husband is now a fan! Yay!!
Thank you Gabby. Glad you both like it
Thank you so much. I have been trying for years to come up with a recipe and method that I felt came be the same flavours as I might expect at my favourite Indian restaurant. Your recipe, method and explanation above has got me there and one what numerous other videos, recipes and articles have not… thank you!
I think using a little mustard oil and cashews has made all the difference, but I also learnt a lot from your explanation.
I am so grateful, thank you.
You are welcome Alistair. So happy to read this!
When adding the cinnamon stick, cardamom seeds, cloves, and bay leaves, when do you take them out?
Making this for the first time tonight – the chicken has been marinating since last night. I used fresh tomatoes and am letting the curry cool down so I can blend the gravy as recommended. Can’t wait to taste the end result!
Hi Becca,
Remove them before blending. You should use whole cardamom pods so they are easy to remove. Hope you enjoy the dish
Have ever added sultanas to the recipe?
I have not tried in this but we use in shahi curries. Sultanas add body to the sauce because they are pulpy. Yo may add 1/4 cup in this recipe. Either cut down the amount of tomatoes slightly or add more cream to balance the acidic taste.
Swasthi, I made your recipe modified with sultanas and also reduced the sugar by half to allow for the sweetness of the sultanas. It was very nice. I would recommend it. Thanks for an excellent recipe!
You are welcome Koos. So glad you like it.
Could the chicken skewers be grilled on a Weber charcoal barbecue?
Yes you can
This was amazing. I marinaded the chicken thighs overnight and glad I waited until I could buy the fenugreek which added a really nice flavor. It could use a little more heat so will use green chilis next time. What kind are used? I couldn’t find a description on your spice page.
Thanks Bill. I use Thai/Indian green chilies. You may use serrano peppers if they are available.
I made this at the weekend and literally cried when I tasted it, it was so good! I had to make a couple of small changes, like I couldn’t get my hands on the fenugreek leaves but the guy in my local shop said he’d get some for next time I make this (Which will be soon, and often!), and he suggested using celery leaves as a replacement, so I did that. I marinated the chicken for 24 hours and they needed ever so slightly longer to air fry to get that nice char on them. I also didn’t have the Kashmiri chilli powder so used a mix of Cayenne and paprika, and I measured the cream with my heart, because it was the weekend haha 😂 It was incredible, even my very fussy child tried it! Will definitely be trying the other recipes!
So happy to read this Emma. Thank you for sharing back how you made it.
This is honestly the best chicken tikka masala that I have ever made.
Recipe is simple and well explained, step by step which is pretty amazing!
I love it and I cannot wait to try more recipes from you.
Well done for creating such an amazing recipe 🧡 thank you
cooking it tomorrow for 15 people should i adjust the amount of cashew cream i make ?
yes. If using cream you will use 1 1/4 cup or a little over 2/3 cup cashews
Can this be made substituting paneer for chicken? If so, could I marinate the paneer the same way or would it not absorb the flavors?
Hi Ashley,
I have a separate post for paneer tikka masala here. The spice levels in this recipe would be too strong for paneer. Hope you enjoy the dish!
Hi, I apologize but was this the British version or the Indian version?
And I thought I had read initially that you were going to provide both recipes? Maybe I missed it and I’m a little slow? Thank you so much 🙏🏼❤️
Hi Tammy,
If you substitute garam masala with curry powder and omit kasuri methi, it is British style. Hope you get to try the recipe!
I made this for my friends a week ago and it was AMAZING! I marinated the chicken for 48 and it was worth the wait. Your recipes are always so delicious, thank you Swasthi.
It was delicious!
Made this tonight for the first time absolutely amazing. I loved it and I will be doing it again so much flavour better than the jars and takeaways. Thank you so much.
Can you do this with coconut milk ?
Yes you can but don’t use a lot. Else the flavors will be diluted.
This recipe is truly fantastic. It takes a bit of time, but the end result is so worth it. I am definitely making this again, next time for friends! Also, this recipe really makes me appreciate the moms and dads who cook Indian food almost every day! It really is a labor of love.
Thank you for sharing your recipes — so happy I found your website! 🙂
Best chicken Tikka found in the net til today! The prep work pays really off!!!