Get the Recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala
Deeply flavorful and savory this Chicken Tikka Masala recipe is Indian comfort food in a bowl.
Ingredients
First Half of the Chicken Marinade
- 1-1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderlion
- 4 cloves fresh grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
Second Half of the Chicken Marinade
- ¼ cup plain, whole milk greek yogurt or labneh
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Tikka Masala Sauce
- 2-3 medium tomatoes, (275-300g)
- 1 medium sweet onion, (200-215g)
- ½ tablespoon fresh ginger
- 3 cloves fresh grated garlic, (1tbsp or 9.4g)
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder or cayenne , (or to taste)
- 3 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt , (plus more to taste)
- 2 oz chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
- 1, cinnamon stick, (4in or 10cm piece)
- ¼ cup heavy (double) cream
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon amchur (dried mango) powder , (optional)
- ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
Equipment
- 1 large bag of container for marinating
- 1 chef knife
- 1 cutting board
- Measuring spoons
- measuring Cups
- 1 medium bowl
- kitchen scale
- 2 small bowls
- 1 dutch oven or stock pot
- 1 flat-tipped, wooden spoon
- 1 blender (immersion or stand)
- 1 sauteé pan
- 1 set of tongs
- 1 Food thermometer
Print Recipe
Instructions
- First, cut the chicken into 1.5-2in (3.8-5cm) chunks. Put the cubed pieces into a large plastic bag or storage container and place it in the refrigerator. Next prep the aromatic ingredients in the first marinade. Peel and finely grate the ginger. Then, mince or mash the garlic into a paste. Add the aromatics to the bag. Squeeze and pour the lime juice into the bag as well, followed by the salt and the neutral oil. Seal and shake the bag around to make sure all of the ingredients are well mixed and coat the chicken evenly. Place the chicken into the refrigerator to quick brine for 30 minutes.
- While the chicken brines in the first half of the marinade, measure out the ingredients in the second half. Add all of them to a medium bowl and stir until well combined. When the chicken is ready, pour the mixture into the bag and shake until uniform again. This time, marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour (up to 6 hours) in the refrigerator.
- Now that the chicken is marinating, it’s time to make the Tikka Masala sauce. This sauce comes together quickly once you begin, so it’s important to have all of the ingredients measured out and set aside for when they are needed.
- First, cut the tomatoes into wedges. If they are smaller, quarters are fine. Larger tomatoes will need to be in 6ths or 8ths. Set the prepped tomatoes aside. Next, cut the top and bottom off of the onion and place it cut-side down (either side). Half the onion and then cut each half into large wedges. The wedges should be about the same size as the tomatoes. (These are going to get blended down later, so there’s no need to finely dice or be exact.) Set the onions aside.
- Next, prep the rest of the aromatics by peeling and grating the ginger and mincing the garlic cloves. They can be set aside together. Also together, measure out the whole cumin seeds, whole coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, sweet paprika, and kashmiri chili powder or cayenne into a small bowl and set them aside. The salt should be measured and kept separate.
- Now, that you’ve prepped, heat a dutch oven to medium heat on your stovetop. Add ghee (or oil) and let it melt and come to temperature. You’ll know it's ready when it moves around the bottom of the pot, like water, when you tilt it. Add in the spices and stir them in the oil for 15-30 seconds to toast them. Keep stirring while you add in the aromatics (ginger, garlic, and onion). Sprinkle in the salt and toss to make sure that the onions get well coated. After a few minutes, the onions will begin to sweat and deglaze the bottom of the pot. If there is excessive sticking or browning, turn the heat down. Once the spices are toasted, there’s no need for higher heat.
- After several minutes the onions will start to turn translucent and yellowish. Add in the tomato wedges and continue cooking everything down until the tomatoes begin to soften and liquify. Cook for another 7-10 minutes and then pour everything into a blender. Blend until you have a very smooth sauce and pour the contents back into the dutch oven.
- At this point, drop in the cinnamon stick and butter. Then squeeze and pour in the lime juice and measure and pour in the cream, sugar, amchur powder, and the chicken stock. Finally, grate in the nutmeg. Stir until well combined and turn the heat to medium-low. Let the masala sauce simmer while you cook the chicken.
- Take the marinading tikka chicken out of the refrigerator and set the bag into your sink. Get a large plate or bowl and a bunch of paper towels and set them to the side. Open the bag. Take each piece of chicken out one at a time and wipe off as much of the marinade as possible. Then, pat them dry with the paper towel before placing them on your plate/bowl. Once you have prepped all of the chicken, set them by the stove top and get a large stainless steal pan ready to cook. (See FAQs for grilling traditional Chicken Tikka on kebabs)
- Turn the burner to medium high heat and wait until it is fully heated. Then add in a bit of oil and let it come back to temperature. Place some of the pieces of chicken into the pan and let them begin to sear. Work in batches. Do not over crowd the pan. The chicken will stick to the pan until a crust builds up enough for the pieces to release. Once they release, turn the heat down to medium and let the pieces cook until they turn opaque at least half-way up.
- At this point, you can flip the chicken pieces over and let them begin to cook on the other side. They will stick again, be patient and wait for them to release. Depending on the size of your chicken pieces, the second side may be between 3-5 more minutes. Use a thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the chicken has hit 165°F (73.9°C). Once ready, remove the cooked chicken and start the process all over again with the next batch. Repeat until all of the chicken has cooked.
- Take the cinnamon stick out of the masala sauce and the masala sauce and tikka chicken are now ready to serve. I prefer to portion out sauce and chicken and give them a simple toss to coat before eating with rice and naan, though most recipes will say to add the chicken to the simmering sauce for a bit. Simmering in the masala sauce mellows the chicken tikka’s tang and gives the whole dish a cohesiveness. But I enjoy the distinction in taste. Please finish however you enjoy this dish most. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you are sensitive to onion fumes, wipe your board and the knife with a wet towel and then place it over the chopped onions to help with tears.
- For easy peeling, use side of a spoon to scrape the skin off the ginger.
- If your tomatoes are under-ripe or out of season, add ½ tablespoon (15ml) of tomato paste to the masala sauce at the same time as the ginger and garlic.
- I don’t use garam masala in this recipe because it’s impossible to account for a person’s personal blend let alone blends from different stores. If you have some at home you would like to add to this masala, you can around ½ teaspoon (1.2g) or to your tastes.
- For traditional chicken tikka, skewer the chicken pieces onto metal kebab sticks and cook them on your grill. Make sure the chicken isn't squished against each other or they will cook unevenly. If you use wood skewers, soak them for at least 30 minutes first. (See FAQs for instructions)
- It’s best to store chicken tikka masala in the refrgerator for 2-3 days or portioned out and in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheat the chicken tikka masala gently on the stovetop. Reheating the chicken in the sauce will keep it from drying out.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 953mg | Potassium: 956mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1534IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg