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? ›

Chicken tikka masala has more protein and less fat (7 grams) than chicken curry (4 grams) because chicken curry contains ghee or oil, whereas chicken-tikka masala does not. And that probably explains why people like it so much!

Is Chicken Tikka Masala just butter chicken? ›

Butter chicken is a traditional Indian dish that is rich and creamy with a subtle smoky flavor. At the same time, tikka masala is a British Indian dish with a more complex flavor profile with tangy and spicy notes. Butter chicken is generally sweeter and milder in spiciness, while tikka masala is tangy and spicy.

How to make premade tikka masala sauce better? ›

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.

Why does Chicken Tikka Masala taste so good? ›

Chicken Tikka Masala boasts a harmonious blend of flavors, combining the smoky char of grilled chicken with the creamy richness of the tomato-based sauce. The sauce is mildly spicy, with hints of sweetness from the tomatoes and cream, balanced by the earthiness of the spices.

Which is healthier, butter chicken or tikka masala? ›

Butter chicken is a healthier option than tikka masala. Tikka masala has a shocking 400–500 calories per serving on average, but a serving of butter chicken may have 438 calories. If you're concerned with the amount of fat it has, you can always switch to low-fat substitutes for butter and heavy cream.

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.

Is chicken tikka masala healthy? ›

Skip: Chicken Tikka Masala

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.

What does tikka tikka mean? ›

During the Mughal dynasty, the Mughals called"boneless pieces of cooked meat" Tikka to India. There are different varieties of the dish, both meat inclusive and vegetarian. Generally, the dish is defined as "an Indian dish of small pieces of meat or vegetables marinated in a spice mixture".

What to add to a jar of tikka masala? ›

Add Patak's Tikka Masala Spice Paste, 100ml of water, and the ginger & garlic (if using). Stir occasionally, until your sauce is reduced and thickened. Add the chicken, cook until sealed. Add 100ml water and the tomatoes.

What to do with a jar of tikka masala? ›

Baked Potatoes with Tikka Masala Chickpea Chaat

cans rinsed chickpeas and one 12-oz. jar sauce, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Spoon over 4 baked potatoes and garnish with Greek yogurt, diced red onion and more cilantro.

Does garam masala go with tikka masala? ›

The ingredients in Tikka masala vary regionally, and garam masala is added to tikka masala during the preparation of tikkas.

Do Indians eat chicken tikka masala? ›

Even though tikka masala is popular in the West, in India, it's actually quite rarely eaten. In fact, many Indians consider chicken tikka masala to be a Western invention!

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.

Is chicken masala and curry the same? ›

Chicken masala and chicken curry are almost similar in preparation, the only difference being that in chicken masala, the curry sauce has been reduced so that it is very thick and coats the chicken pieces thickly.

What is the difference between curry and masala chicken? ›

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's the difference between curry and masala chicken? ›

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.

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