Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka masala is the arguably the most popular dish in Indian cuisine in the Western world for good reason – it’s unbelievably delicious. We have eaten it all over the world – in England where it was invented, New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. – but the best version anywhere is from the Bombay House restaurant in good old Provo, Utah! So thanks, Provo and more specifically Bombay House, for introducing and converting this mostly mid-west girl to the bold, rich and exotic flavors of the largest country in South Asia. If you love making restaurant copycat dishes at home, be sure to try our Chicken Madeira, Creamy Chicken Marsala, or Honey Walnut Shrimp next!
Why You’ll Love this Tikka Masala Recipe!
It is rich with a creamy sauce, and you can adjust the spiciness to your personal preference and tastes! It’s just as good as the original, which is great since we don’t live in Utah anymore and have a tendency to crave Bombay House chicken tikka masala. The leftovers taste even better the next day. You might even want to make a double batch so you have enough leftovers for a delicious Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza!
Chicken Tikka Masala Ingredients
This is a quick overview of some of the important ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
Chicken: We like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this easy chicken tikka masala recipe, but boneless, skinless chicken thighs could be used as well instead. Plain yogurt: Any plain yogurt will work, but we like a thick Greek yogurt best for the thick marinade. Sour cream could also work in a pinch. Spices: Don’t be intimidated by the list of spices! Most, like the ground cumin, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and ginger and already familiar and in your spice cabinet. The two spices that might be less familiar to some home cooks are garam masala and methi powder. Garam masala is a spice blend that you can find at any regular grocery store. Fenugreek (aka ground fenugreek or fenugreek powder, or sometimes called methi powder) is available in the spice section of my local grocery store, but it can also be found online or at an Indian market. But if you have trouble locating it, know that I have made this recipe for years without it and it’s still excellent. But if you can get your hands on it, it adds a distinct flavor to this recipe that makes it even closer to the version served at our favorite Indian restaurant. Tomato sauce & tomato paste: These two ingredients add depth to the sauce and help thicken it slightly. Tomato puree will also work in place of the tomato sauce, but you might want to decrease the tomato paste by half.
How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala
Best Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe Tips
Be sure to cut bite-size pieces of chicken. This ensures that each piece of chicken gets thoroughly flavored in the marinated and maximizes surface area for caramelization during the grilling or broiling stage. Don’t skip toasting the spices. It’s tempting to add the spices and tomato sauce all at once, but the extra 30-60 seconds of heat for the spices really brings out their flavor for a more robust sauce. Be sure to simmer. Allowing the sauce to simmer gives time for all of the ingredients to combine and really work together for this delicious sauce. Dairy-free version: If you need to make this dairy free, use olive oil in place of the butter and full-fat coconut milk makes a good substitute for the heavy cream. For the marinade, I would use either a dairy-free yogurt or coconut cream, which is thicker than coconut milk. Vegetarian version: If you want to do a meatless version of this, you could replace the chunks of chicken with cauliflower florets.
How to Store Tikka Masala
If you have leftover chicken tikka masala (lucky you!) let it cool to room temperature than store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. I highly recommend using glass storage containers because the strong flavors of the sauce are likely to be absorbed by plastic storage containers.
How to Freeze Tikka Masala
You can also freeze leftovers for 2-3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stovetop. You may want to add a little additional cream, milk, or even a splash of chicken broth to help thin out the sauce as needed.
Chicken Tikka Spiciness Adjustments
Mild version: If you are worried about the chicken tikka masala being too spicy, you can make a completely mild version by simply leaving out the cayenne pepper and jalapeno and using a full 2 cups of heavy cream to make the sauce. Medium version: If you like some heat, use the full amount of cayenne pepper and jalapeno along with 1 ½ to 2 cups of heavy cream. Hot version: If you really love the spice, use the minimum amount of cream and double the amount of garam masala in both the marinade and sauce. You might also consider looking for some kashmiri red chili powder to add to the sauce along with the other spices. Even just 1 teaspoon of kashmiri red chili powder brings a whole other level of heat to this dish!
More like this Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Grilled Thai Pork Tenderloin with Coconut Lime Peanut Sauce Cambodian Chicken Red Curry [Somlar Kari Saek Mouan] Slow Cooker Korean Beef Short Ribs (Kalbi) Butter Chicken
Originally adapted from a site called Mattawa Mum that doesn’t seem to exist any more. Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see. This post was originally published in August, 2016. The photos and content were updated in January, 2022.
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