Chicken Tikka Masala
Yogurt-marinated chicken charred hard, then folded into a spiced tomato and cream sauce built on bloomed whole spices.
The two halves of this dish are cooked separately and for good reason. The chicken needs fierce dry heat to char, which is where the tikka flavour actually comes from, and the sauce needs a long gentle simmer to lose its raw tomato edge. Cook them together in one pan and you get neither: pale chicken poached in a thin sauce. The yogurt marinade is not optional either, since its acidity and enzymes are what keep breast or thigh tender through that kind of heat.
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How to make Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
Quantities scale automatically. Cooking times stay the same.
For the chicken tikka
For the masala sauce
Equipment
- Large heavy skillet or wok
- Grill pan or baking tray
- Blender (optional, for a smooth sauce)
Method
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1
Marinate the chicken
Whisk every marinade ingredient together and fold the chicken through until each piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. The yogurt tenderises as much as it seasons, so this is worth the wait.
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2
Char the chicken
Heat a grill pan or the oven grill as hot as it goes. Cook the chicken in a single layer for 4-5 minutes a side, until blackened in patches and just cooked through. Those charred edges are the whole point; a crowded pan steams instead and you lose them. Set aside.
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3
Build the onion base
Melt the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions with a pinch of salt for 12-15 minutes, until deeply golden and sweet. This is the longest step and the one that decides how the sauce tastes.
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4
Bloom the spices
Stir in the garlic and ginger for a minute, then the coriander, cumin, chilli and turmeric. Cook 45 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Ground spices need hot fat to release, but they scorch in seconds.
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5
Simmer the sauce
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and a splash of water. Simmer gently for 15-18 minutes, until the sauce darkens and the oil separates at the edges. For a restaurant-smooth texture, blend it at this point and return it to the pan.
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6
Bring it together
Lower the heat, stir in the cream, then fold in the charred chicken with any resting juices. Warm through for 5 minutes without boiling. Finish with the garam masala, taste for salt, and scatter over coriander.
Cook’s tips
- Thighs, not breast. They survive the char and the simmer without drying, and the extra fat carries the spice.
- Kashmiri chilli powder gives the colour people expect with very little heat. Ordinary chilli powder will make the dish considerably hotter at the same quantity.
- If the sauce tastes flat at the end, it usually wants salt and acid rather than more spice. A squeeze of lemon does more than another spoon of garam masala.
Variations
- Use paneer or roasted cauliflower in place of the chicken, marinated the same way.
- Stir a tablespoon of ground almonds or cashew paste into the sauce for a richer, korma-leaning version.
- Swap the cream for coconut cream to make it dairy-free, using oil rather than ghee and coconut yogurt in the marinade.
Storage and make-ahead
Keeps 3 days in the fridge and improves overnight as the spices settle. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of water; boiling can split the cream. Freezes for 3 months, though it is best frozen before the cream goes in and finished fresh.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 624 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 46 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g |
| Fat | 40 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Sodium | 890 mg |
Nutrition is estimated from ingredient averages and will vary with brands and portioning.
