The best homemade Chicken Tikka Masala recipe like you get at your favorite Indian restaurant! With tender, juicy pieces of charred chicken, swimming in an unbelievable luscious, flavor-packed creamy tomato sauce.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade
- 1 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (not cayenne pepper)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast , cut into small bite-sized pieces
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large sweet onion , finely diced
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce (unseasoned)
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup 1/4 cup water , only if needed
For Serving
- chopped cilantro , for garnish
- naan bread
- cooked basmati rice
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade; add the chicken and toss to coat. Let marinate for 15 minutes to 1 hour (ideally overnight in the fridge, if time permits.)
- Warm oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add chicken pieces in batches, if necessary, making sure not to crowd the pan. Let them fry, untouched, for 1 minute to develop a crust, then saute until browned for about 5 more minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
- Melt the butter in the same pan. Saute the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Add ginger and garlic; sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add in the brown sugar, coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, and salt. Stir occasionally for about 15 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the tomato sauce; let simmer gently for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes deeper in color.
- Stir in the cream until incorporated.
- Add the partially cooked chicken along with its juices back to the pan; cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Pour in the water to thin out the sauce, only if necessary.
- Serve over cooked basmati rice, with Naan bread, and garnish with chopped cilantro.