Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe - Skint Chef (2024)

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This is such an easy Chicken Tikka Masala recipe, and it's just like the ones you get from an Indian restaurant or takeaway!

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe - Skint Chef (1)

This is such an easy Chicken Tikka Masala recipe, and it's just like the ones you get from an Indian restaurant or takeaway!

Undoubtedly, Chicken Tikka Masala is THE most popular Indian dish in the UK. Some 23 million portions of the nation's favourite dish are sold each year in Indian restaurants, and M&S sell around 15 tons a week!

But...it may not be a true Indian food, having likely been created in England!

Where it really came from doesn't matter too much as it's a firm favourite, with a mix of spice, but not too much, and a delicious sauce.

What spices go inTikka Masala?

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe - Skint Chef (2)

Chicken Tikka Masala is all about the combination of spices.

Together, they create a wonderful aroma and make the curry so tasty.

The spices you need to make Tikka Masala are:

  • turmeric
  • cumin
  • mild chilli powder
  • garam masala
  • garlic granules
  • ginger
  • salt

If you prefer your curries spicier, then use hotter chilli powder instead. Don't just add in more of the mild as it will throw off the mix of the other spices.

If you keep the same proportions of Tikka Masala spices, you can always bulk make your powder. This way, you can have it ready-made in your store cupboard and will save yourself time in the future.

Why is Chicken Tikka Masala red?

Some people think that Indian restaurants and takeouts add some kind of food colouring to a Tikka Masala to give it a reddish-orange colour.

However, you don't need to do this (and they may not either).

The rich colour is all down to the variety of spices you use.

The main spices in the masala are turmeric, which has a golden yellow colour as well as the powered chilli and tomato which have a bright red colour.

How do you marinate chicken for Tikka Masala?

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe - Skint Chef (3)

Once you've got all your Tikka Masala spices together, you need to start marinating your chicken. The longer you can marinate the chicken for the greater the flavour.

Using a yoghurt will allow the spices to cling to the chicken better.

You can leave the chicken marinating for as little as an hour in the fridge, but 24 hours will mean you get a lot more taste.

Do be sure to cover the dish you're marinating the chicken tikka masala in, as it has a powerful flavour and will make your fridge smell 🙂

What is the difference between Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tikka Masala?

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe - Skint Chef (4)

Tikka and Tikka Masala start pretty much the same.

For both dishes, you need to put together the spices and marinate the chicken chunks.

However, it's what happens after this time that changes the two dishes.

For a Chicken Tikka, the chicken is then cooked (traditionally) in a Tandoor oven, but under the grill will work too.

For a Chicken Tikka Masala, the chicken is cooked in creamy (and delicious) masala sauce.

We used balti disheslike these ones from Amazon to serve our masala, which keeps the sauce separate from the rice.

As we have Indian food all the time, they are a perfect way to serve curry.

How do you make easy chicken tikka masala?

Step 1

Chicken Tikka Masala is an easy recipe, but you do need to give yourself a bit of time. It's not about doing much, but just allowing all the spices to marinate and let the flavours to sink in.

You need to allow at least one hour, but it's best if you can prepare the chicken 24 hours in advance to get the most out of the spices.

After you've combined all the spices, mix them with the yoghurt and chicken, so everything is coated well.

Step 2

When it's ready, you can cook the chicken and begin to prepare your sauce base.

Step 3

After frying your onions, the spices get added, and the colour of the sauce starts coming together to make the classic Tikka Masala red-orange.

Step 4

You then need to add the final ingredients and let the Tikka Masala simmer to cook the chicken through.

I love naan bread! So it's a staple side dish. Rice is perfect on the side, as is saag aloo and poppadums.

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe - Skint Chef (5)

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe - Skint Chef (6)

Chicken Tikka Masala

This is such an easy Chicken Tikka Masala recipe and it's just like the ones you get from an Indian restaurant or takeaway!

5 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Plus marinating time +: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 416kcal

Author: Skint Chef

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 800 g chicken diced
  • 1 cup plain yoghurt
  • 2 tablespoon garlic granules
  • 1 tablespoon ginger
  • teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala

Sauce

  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 3 medium onions sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 tablespoon garam masala
  • tablespoon ginger
  • tablespoon chilli powder
  • teaspoon coriander
  • 500 g tomato passata
  • 200 ml water optional
  • 200 ml double cream
  • teaspoon brown sugar
  • handful of fresh coriander

Instructions

Marinade

  • Mix all the seasoning together and then add the chicken, put cling film over the top, leave in the fridge for 24 hours if possible, however 1 hour is fine.

Sauce

  • Heat the oil in a large pan and then brown the chicken. Remove and set aside.

  • Add butter to the pan and cook the onions and the garlic for around 5 minutes, add all the other spices and the tomato puree (the sauce should now be a nice deep red colour). You may need to add the water here depending on how dry the sauce is. Add the brown sugar, most of the cream (you need to keep a bit back for decoration at the end) add the chicken, and simmer gently for 15 - 20 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked through.

  • Serve with a drizzle of cream and fresh coriander on top for decoration.

Notes

Enjoy yourChicken Tikka Masala with your favourite rice, naans andpoppadums.

If you want to make the curry cheaper, exchange the chicken breast for chicken thighs - they cook just as well.

Nutrition data provided is provided as an estimate only. It is the reader's responsibility to calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you use in your recipe if you need to follow a particular diet or for medical purposes.

Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 581mg | Potassium: 807mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1879IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 5mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @skintchef or tag #skintchef!

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Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe - Skint Chef (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between chicken tikka masala and chicken tikka curry? ›

The only major difference that can be seen is that tikka masala contains more masala or spices in it. Tikka and tikka masala are of Indian origin. In tikka preparation, boneless chicken pieces are baked along with skewers in an oven made of clay called a tandoor.

Is chicken tikka masala just butter chicken? ›

Butter chicken is not chicken tikka masala. They are two completely different dishes altogether. While both are creamy curries with chicken as their main ingredient, butter chicken typically has more cream added to it than its spicy cuisine.

Why does chicken tikka masala taste so good? ›

Everyone loves this dish worldwide. It is a delicious combination of marinated chicken with a creamy tomato-based sauce. So, it's not hard to understand why it's become so popular Indian dish. The aromatic herbs and unique mix of flavors make this dish genuinely one-of-a-kind.

How to add more flavor to tikka masala? ›

Use Fenugreek Leaves: Add a touch of fenugreek leaves to your dish. These aromatic leaves bring a unique flavor profile and complement the other spices beautifully, making your Chicken Tikka Masala stand out. Serve with Fresh Naan: A good accompaniment can make a dish even more enjoyable.

Can I use yogurt instead of cream in chicken tikka masala? ›

Depends on what taste you're trying to achieve with yogurt. If it is a sour taste you want, you can use tomatoes instead of yogurt. If you are looking to make the curry mildly spicy and creamy, you may use milk/cream instead. If you like to just make the curry mild, you may use coconut milk.

What does tikka masala mean in English? ›

/ˌtɪkə məˈsɑːlə/ [uncountable, countable] ​(in British cooking) a mild Indian-style dish made with pieces of meat, usually chicken, cooked in a sauce with cream and spices.

Which is healthier, butter chicken or tikka masala? ›

Regarding nutrition, Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala are high in calories, fat, and sodium. Butter Chicken has more fat and calories than Tikka Masala due to the use of cream and butter in the sauce. However, Tikka Masala has more sodium than Butter Chicken due to the use of canned tomato puree.

Is tikka masala healthy? ›

It's one of the most-ordered entrees at Indian joints. But like many Indian dishes that were originally low fat, the modern recipe for chicken tikka masala is anything but. An average portion has whopping 1,249 calories and 90.8 grams of fat. A lot of that comes from the ghee and heavy cream.

Why is my chicken tikka masala bitter? ›

Your curry can taste bitter if the spices and garlic are burnt or if you've added too much fenugreek to the dish.

Do British people eat chicken tikka masala? ›

Chicken tikka masala is now a true British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences. Chicken tikka is an Indian dish.

What can I add to a jar of tikka masala? ›

Add more spices: Store-bought curry sauces often lack the depth of flavour that homemade sauces have. To remedy this, you can add more spices like cumin, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Use fresh ginger and garlic: Fresh ginger and garlic add a lot of flavour to curries.

Can I use red onion in tikka masala? ›

Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and add the red onions or shallots. After 2 minutes add the chicken and allow to seal for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and the Patak's Tikka Masala Cooking Sauce. Cover and leave to cook through for 15 minutes.

What color onion for tikka masala? ›

Onion: We used a yellow onion. Ginger: Just a nob of fresh ginger adds tons of flavor to the curry. Garlic: Let's just be honest, no savory recipe can ever be without garlic! Garam Masala: Garam Masala is basically a mix of spices.

Is chicken masala and curry the same? ›

Ultimately both curry powder and masala are blended spice mixes that can be added to food to pack a spicy and aromatic kick. In the end, the difference boils down to the different mix of spices, masala being more of a warming aromatic blend and curry powder being more of an earthy blend.

What is the difference between masala and curry? ›

Curry doesn't necessarily contain any ground spices but relies on chilli peppers, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves and peppercorns for flavour. The word Masala, on the other hand, means spice mix. It refers to a spice mix of ground seeds like coriander and cumin.

Is chicken tikka masala a hot curry? ›

Boneless chicken traditionally baked in a tandoor oven then coated in a creamy tomato sauce, the tikka masala combines the creaminess of milder curries with a hint of spice from hotter variants to form the perfect medium dish.

What curry is similar to chicken tikka masala? ›

Butter Chicken

Originating from North India, it's very similar to a chicken tikka masala except the gravy uses fewer spices. Initially, this curry was made by chance, by mixing in leftover tandoori chicken with a tomato sauce, rich in butter, during the 50s.

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