Tikka Masala is always a winner. With it’s assortment of spices, thick sauce, and tender chicken, it’s one of those foods everyone loves and everyone looks forward to. I think it requires bread or naan on the side so that every drop of sauce can be scooped up. We always serve it over brown rice, but any kind of rice works really well. This particular recipe calls for using a crock pot, and I really do recommend that it be made that way. It gives the chicken a chance to really absorb all of the flavors of the sauce, and the chicken ends up so tender and just melts in your mouth. If you want to cook it on the stove stop, I would prepare the sauce in the same way, and simmer the chicken and sauce in a covered Dutch oven over medium heat for approximately 1 hour or until the chicken falls apart easily. Alternatively, bake the chicken and sauce in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour. Add the cream (or milk) at the end.

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Tikka Masala

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (breasts work too, but won’t be quite as tender)

  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt

  • 1 large onion, diced

  • 1 (15-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained

  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 2 teaspoons garam masala*

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream or milk

  • Suggested sides: Rice, naan, or bread

  1. Stir all ingredients (other than the cream/milk) in a large slow cooker and stir to combine.

  2. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. 30 minutes before serving, shred/cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces. Stir in the cream or milk. For a thicker sauce, leave the slow cooker uncovered and continue to cook on HIGH for 30 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate. Serve with rice, naan, or bread.

    * Garam Masala is a traditional mix of Indian spices used in dishes like Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken. If you cannot find this in your local store, it is easy to make a substitute that will work. These will not taste exactly like garam masala, but the spice blends work just as well:

    Substitution option #1 - use curry powder in place of garam masala.

    Substitution option #2 - mix 2 tsp of cumin with 1/4 tsp allspice.