Chicken Tikka Masala

This easy stovetop Chicken Tikka Masala tastes just like your favorite Indian take-out and is ready in under an hour. Leftovers are even better the next day!

By
Lisa Lin
Lisa Lin
Lisa Lin
Lisa has been writing and developing recipes for her blog, Healthy Nibbles, for over 6 years. She started writing for Simply Recipes in 2016.
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Updated September 29, 2023
Lisa Lin

My husband is British, and therefore incredibly picky about Indian food. He bemoans the lack of restaurants that serve “proper curries” in our neighborhood.

This is why, on our annual trek back to the United Kingdom to visit his family over the holidays, we've started the tradition of going to an Indian restaurant on New Year's Eve. We skip the champagne, the sparkles, and the countdown in favor of eating our fill of spicy curry.

In an effort to ensure that we’re not deprived of Indian food the rest of the year, I am learning how to cook more Indian dishes at home. I’m starting off with the quintessential British Indian dish: chicken tikka masala.

Best Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Lisa Lin

What Is Chicken Tikka Masala?

This dish is made with chicken that gets marinated in a spicy curry sauce with plain yogurt and cooked with tomatoes, spices, and more plain yogurt. You can use breasts or thighs, and it's great served with rice.

Chicken Tikka Masala vs. Butter Chicken

It's easy to confuse these two Indian dishes: they're both chicken in a creamy, tomato-based, spicy sauce. However, Indian Butter Chicken is creamier and sweeter than Chicken Tikka Masala, which is spicier and more intensely flavored. Butter chicken is also made with butter instead of oil.

Chicken Tikka Masala finished dish in a bowl with spoons and rice
Lisa Lin

How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala

Make this tikka masala in just a few (easy!) steps—the whole dish is ready in under 45 minutes!

  1. Marinate the chicken with yogurt. This tenderizes the chicken and adds flavor.
  2. Cook the chicken.
  3. Make the masala sauce. This involves simmering onions, spices, and tomatoes, with a little yogurt added at the end for creaminess and tangy flavor.
  4. Combine the sauce and the chicken. And you're done!
Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe in a bowl with rice and cilantro sprigs
Lisa Lin

Tips for Making the Best Chicken Tikka Masala

This easy chicken tikka masala recipe calls for a number of spices, but they all add to the characteristic deep flavors. This recipe is worth the raid on your spice cupboard.

Here are few tips for this recipe:

  • Adjust the spice! My husband and I both preferred the chicken tikka masala with a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper. However, if you prefer less spice, you can cut that back to just a quarter teaspoon or just leave it out entirely.
  • Be sure to marinate: For the best flavor, you’ll also want to marinade the chicken for 4 to 6 hours, or even overnight. This gives the meat time to fully absorb the spicy marinade. However, if you’re in a time crunch, you can just marinate the meat for about 30 to 45 minutes.
  • Plain yogurt is best: Avoid using Greek yogurt if possible for this recipe; regular plain yogurt is best. Greek yogurt is usually too low-fat and also too thick for this recipe, and can tend to separate when cooked.
  • If Greek yogurt is all you can find, buy the Greek yogurt with the highest fat content you can find and mix it with a little whole milk to get the consistency of regular yogurt. This will give the sauce some insurance against separating.

What to Serve With Chicken Tikka Masala

Before you start cooking the tikka masala (since the cooking goes so quickly!), get a pot of rice going. Spoon the tikka masala over a scoop of rice and top with a sprinkle of cilantro!

Want something a little more special? Try making Indian-Style Rice or Savory Coconut Rice!

Chicken Tikka Masala in a bowl
Lisa Lin


Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions

Yes! You can make the chicken up to 2 days ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate it. Dishes like this improve when the flavors have a chance to meld.

Chicken Tikka Masala will freeze up to two months. Store in large, zip-top freezer bags and lay them flat in the freezer.

My husband gave this chicken tikka masala recipe his seal of approval. I hope you like it too!

Looking for More Indian Recipes?

Chicken Tikka Masala

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

Leftover chicken tikka masala tastes phenomenal the next day because the spices develop more flavor overnight.

Avoid using Greek yogurt if possible for this recipe. If it's all you can find, buy the Greek yogurt with the highest fat content you can find and mix it with a little whole milk to get the consistency of regular yogurt. This will give the sauce some insurance against separating.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or a mix

  • 6 tablespoons plain whole milk yogurt

  • 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon cumin

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

For the tikka masala sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 5 ounces, or 1 1/2 cups sliced)

  • 2 teaspoons grated ginger

  • 4 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander

  • 2 teaspoons paprika

  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes (regular crushed tomatoes work, too)

  • 6 tablespoons plain whole milk yogurt

  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • Cooked rice, to serve

  • Cilantro, to garnish

Method

  1. Prepare the chicken:

    Trim chicken thighs of any extra fat. Chop into bite-sized pieces about 1/2 to 1-inch wide. Place the chicken thigh pieces to a medium bowl.

    Add the yogurt, ginger, garlic, cumin, paprika and salt. Using your hands, combine the chicken with the spices until the chicken is evenly coated.

    Best Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe raw chicken meat for chicken tikka masala on a cutting board
    Lisa Lin
  2. Marinate the chicken:

    Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 45 minutes or as long as overnight. (Marinating for 4 to 6 hours is perfect.)

    Chicken Tikka Masala marinate the chicken in yogurt
    Lisa Lin
  3. Cook the chicken:

    In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thigh pieces and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes, until they’re cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

    Best Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe simmer the chicken
    Lisa Lin
    How to make chicken tikka masala at home cook until chicken is done in a pot on the stove.
    Lisa Lin
  4. Toast the spices:

    Wipe down the pan you used to cook the chicken. Heat remaining canola oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until softened, stirring often.

    Add the grated ginger, minced garlic, coriander, paprika, garam masala, turmeric, black pepper, salt, and cayenne. Let the spices cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.

    Chicken Tikka Masala Toasting spices for chicken tikka masala with the onions
    Lisa Lin
  5. Make the sauce:

    Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan with the spices and let everything cook for 4 minutes, stirring often. Add the yogurt and stir to combine.

    Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe Add the tomatoes to the masala sauce on stovetop
    Lisa Lin
    Indian Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe Add yogurt to tikka masala sauce
    Lisa Lin
  6. Simmer the sauce:

    Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for another 4 minutes. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and coat with sauce.

    Best Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe Add the chicken to tikka masala sauce
    Lisa Lin
  7. Serve:

    Serve over cooked basmati rice and garnish with cilantro.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
324 Calories
10g Fat
25g Carbs
34g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 324
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 84mg 28%
Sodium 828mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 8mg 41%
Calcium 103mg 8%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 596mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.