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Chicken Tikka Masala

Updated Jan 5, 2021Published Sep 12, 2016 By Julia 302 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links.

Summary:
This chicken tikka masala recipe is restaurant quality, made from scratch, and easy to make. The chicken is tender and flavorful, simmered in a generous tikka masala sauce that's creamy, thick, and decadent. It's also low carb, keto, and gluten free.
close up view of chicken tikka masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

4.9 from 112 votes
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Marinate: 1 hr
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Marinating Chicken:

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (Note 1)
  • 7-ounce container plain greek yogurt (Note 2)
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala (Note 3)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Sauce:

  • 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream (Note 4)
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 teaspoons garam masala (Note 3)
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (Note 5)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Marinate Chicken: Stir together all marinade ingredients except chicken in large bowl until well-mixed; set aside. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, and cut into bite-sized chunks, 1/2 to 1 inch in size. Stir chicken chunks into marinade until well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • Sear Chicken: Heat nonstick pan (Note 6) over high heat, no oil needed. Add 1/2 of chicken chunks (along with any marinade sticking to them; Note 7) to pan and spread them out. Cook until golden brown and a bit charred, a few minutes, while stirring and flipping chicken to sear all sides. As they finish searing, transfer to large plate. Repeat with remaining chicken (Note 8).
  • Simmer Sauce: Reduce to medium heat. Add all sauce ingredients to now-empty pan, stirring for a minute until mixed. Add seared chicken chunks (without drippings) to pan and submerge in sauce; no need to stir. Bring sauce to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and decreasing heat as needed to maintain light simmer. Chicken should be cooked through and sauce should be slightly thickened and orange. Turn off heat. Serve (Note 9).

NUTRITION

Makes 4 Servings
Amount Per Serving:
Calories 510 (62% from fat)  
Total Fat 35g 54%
   Saturated Fat 21g 107%
Cholesterol 172mg 57%
Sodium 410mg 17%
Net Carb 10g  
Total Carb 14.5g 5%
   Dietary Fiber 4.5g 17%
   Sugars 7.5g  
Protein 34g  
Vitamin A 43% · Vitamin C 7% · Calcium 14% · Iron 9%

PHOTOS

close up view of chicken tikka masala
chicken chunks coated in yogurt marinade
stirring chicken tikka masala in pan
overhead view of chicken tikka masala

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Chicken. I use fresh chicken; if yours is frozen, defrost in the refrigerator until thawed before using in this recipe. I use chicken breasts and they come out tender and moist, and don’t get tough. I haven’t tested with other cuts, but chicken thighs should also work well.
(2) Greek Yogurt. Greek yogurt is used because of its thick consistency; don’t use American yogurts, which would result in a watery marinade. Select one with at least 2% fat, plain flavor, and unsweetened. I use the Fage brand. This can’t be substituted with sour cream.
(3) Garam Masala. This is one of those spices that can’t be easily substituted because it gives a characteristic taste to Indian dishes like chicken tikka masala. It’s a blend of ground Indian spices including pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cumin. You can easily buy garam masala online, or you can find it at many U.S. supermarkets.
(4) Heavy Whipping Cream. I haven’t used anything other than dairy-based cream, but readers have told me that they have successfully substituted some or all of the cream with half and half or coconut milk. I think the taste of coconut milk would go wonderfully with the flavors in chicken tikka masala, especially if you use full-fat coconut milk. For a thicker, luxurious sauce, a better substitution might be coconut cream.
(5) Cayenne. This amount yields medium spiciness; adjust as needed to match your preferences. Cayenne can be substituted with 1 diced jalapeño with seeds removed.
(6) Nonstick Pan. I use a nonstick sauté pan, 10 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall. Pans without high sides, like frying pans or skillets, may not be large enough to comfortably hold the sauce.
(7) Leftover Marinade. The chicken is cooked along with any marinade sticking to it, and any leftover marinade in the bowl is not used again. If desired, you can save the leftover marinade and stir it into the sauce in the next step.
(8) Working In Batches. Searing the chicken in 2 batches prevents the pan from cooling too much, resulting in a better sear.
(9) Serving. As an optional garnish, top with chopped fresh cilantro. Like many Indian dishes, chicken tikka masala is often served with basmati rice and naan. You can replace them with lower carb options like fried cauliflower rice, low carb tortillas, or roasted vegetables. I suggest pairing with some kind of side dish because this recipe makes a generous amount of tikka masala sauce — you’ll want something to help sop it up!
(10) Similar Dishes. This recipe can also be made in a Crockpot (see Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala) or Instant Pot (see Pressure Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala), or converted to a vegetarian dish (see Cauliflower Curry). It’s also very similar in flavor to Butter Chicken, which has a less spiced and more buttery curry sauce.

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Filed Under: Low Carb, Mains: Poultry, One Pan Meals, Per Serving: 5-10g Net Carbs Tagged With: cayenne, chicken breasts, cilantro, featured, garam masala, garlic, ginger, gluten free, heavy cream, jalapeno, lemon, more10ingredients, more60min, paprika, stovetop, tomato sauce, yogurt

About Julia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth. Since 2015, she has been sharing simple recipes for tasty dishes, mostly low carb and gluten free. Learn more.

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A.T.

It irritates me so much when people make adjustments to the recipe and then have the nerve to leave a low rating. This recipe is so delicious. My brother brought some home from an indian restaurant but it was ridiculously expensive. This was better than the restaurant’s tikka masala! I enjoy the fact that there is extra sauce to dip bread in or cover my rice or use on top of veggies. So good! Thank you for this recipe!

Vote Up25Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Angie

I consider myself an Indian food connoisseur, and this recipe is completely on point…WHEN you follow the directions and use the ingredients listed. Outstanding work here, Julia! I served this over brown rice, with cucumber raita and garlic butter naan. I doubled the cayenne as suggested for more spice, and it was perfect. Absolutely wonderful, thank you for sharing with us!

Vote Up10Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Leigh Anna

I have made this recipe 15 or so times at this point and we love it so much. I do substitute chicken breast with tenderloin instead because it’s not as tough and I prefer the texture. Also easier to cut since they’re basically the perfect thickness/width. I also try my hardest to wait for the marinating but half the time I’m cooking it within 15 minutes or so and it’s still delicious…just a note for those as anxious and unorganized as me lol.

Vote Up6Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Julie Camm

Maybe just once you can wait overnight for it to marinate to see the difference in the depth of flavor the chicken takes on.

Love it.

Vote Up6Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Jackie S.

This base recipe is THE BOMB! Thank you so much! Tomato sauce is what I was doing wrong. I kept using crushed tomatoes, which are still too bright.

Vote Up5Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Jaedyn

I love this recipe! As someone who is particular and well versed in Indian food, this is the best tikka masala recipe I’ve found. I use 5% Fage cause I love the texture it produces, and a generous serving of cayenne. I’ll make this 2-4 times a month, and it’s good for meal prep, too!

Vote Up4Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Jaedyn

(oh and other recipes waste a lot of the marinade, this one uses it all)

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Kim

I made this exactly like the recipe with the exception of the heavy whipping cream. I used coconut cream instead. Ah mazing!!!

Vote Up4Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Lora Digs

EXCELLENT….N I USED SOURCREAM 😬

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Aimee

This came out tasting great. But no matter what, mine is always pink. Tomato sauce is red and the heavy cream makes it pink. My garam masala is a brown color. And I don’t see turmeric or curry in the recipe so nothing to really make it orange.

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Sarah

That’s strange. Are you missing the paprika by any chance? I haven’t had mine turn pink at all and I make this a few times a month.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
heather

Mine was pink too so I added turmeric.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Jess

I know this is an old post, but I just wanted to say that mine has always been pink too (and always tasted amazing!) tonight I accidentally let it get a little too hot and boil for a bit before I turned it down to simmer, and surprise… ORANGE! haha. no idea why, but just wanted to pass that along.

Vote Up3Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Chelsey

Substitutes: plain whole milk yogurt was substituted in place of Greek, and whole VitD milk was substituted in place or heavy whipping cream. Still turned out and tasted great. Thanks for the great recipe 👍

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Jane Hunt

I just love this recipe so much. Over time Ive added my own stuff. I add tumeric, a dash of cinnamon, a dash of sugar, a dash of ground ginger, a of onion powder and garlic powder. this has taken it to the next level. THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE! A small town girl with no indian restaurant in site this makes my husband and I so happy to have this.
also, sometimes i marinate the chicken the night before AND make the sauce the night before in a bowl with lid and stick it in the fridge. this makes it insanely easy the next day to prep…. well there is no prep, just cook it while you have naan in the oven and walla!

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Christine B

Let me tell you what! This is such a really good recipe! I only marinated for 4 hours because I was craving this for dinner!! Followed the recipe, it was so easy!! I was worried that it wasn’t going to taste right because I only had just a little less Garam Masala than what the recipe called for. I used 5% Fage yogurt and cut the cayenne in half (just in case the Grand was eating here). Served with Afghan rice, Garlic Naan and extra chopped cilantro for garnish. My Husband said this was a 6 out of 5! Will be making this again, soon!

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Jen

I’ve been using this recipe for a year or so now. We love it! I noticed you changed the recipe and now say to “sear the chicken”. I have so much liquid from the marinade that I don’t know how to get a great sear. Thoughts?

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Julia

Some thoughts:
– Make sure your chicken chunks are dry. Pat them with paper towels.
– The marinade should not be liquid-y. It should be thick. Verify that you’re using Greek yogurt. Cut down on the lemon juice, if needed.
– The pan should be very hot before searing. Don’t add the marinated chicken until it’s fully heated.
– Add only one-quarter of the marinated chicken to the hot pan at a time, sear, then repeat.

Usually a poor sear is the result of the pan cooling too much, which can happen when you add too much marinated chicken at a time. Hope that helps!

Vote Up3Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Justin

I was skeptical about this recipe at first. I’ve tried many different chicken tikka masala recipes and this is hands down the best batch I’ve ever made. This recipe is a winner! I did adjust some spices like adding turmeric, cinnamon, ground coriander, and fenugreek but everything else was the same. Thank you for the awesome recipe!!

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
W G

How much did you add? (Measurements)

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Justin

About a 1/4 tsp. Turmeric, 1/4 tsp Cinnamon, 3/4 tsp. Ground Coriander, and about a tablespoon of crushed fenugreek leaves.

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Sarah

By tomato sauce, are you referring to a jar of pasta sauce like Rao’s, Ragu and Prego?

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Julia

No, I’m not referring to pasta sauce. I’m referring to tomato sauce that comes in canned form. It’s in the supermarket aisle with canned vegetables. Look for canned diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, etc. and canned tomato sauce should be there.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Lesley

All I have is smoked paprika. Will that change the flavor too much?

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Julia

Smoked paprika works great for this recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Lyn

For anyone wondering, I made this dairy free with cashew yogurt and coconut milk. As it turns out, I don’t particularly love the flavors of either and so I added a whole bunch more of the dry seasonings (including the addition of garlic powder, cause I was so done with cutting garlic).

Anyway, as someone that’s only had this from Trader Joe’s (but that may have been Butter Chicken) I was happy! Indian food is not something I’m well-versed in, nor making things dairy free, but for some reason I made this and it was a delicious dinner!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
20 days ago
KathiOH1

I’ve made many variations of tikka masala in search of a taste I enjoyed in Bangalor. This recipe is a good one and I think using tomato sauce is the secret (not fresh tomatoes). I made a couple minor changes to meet my taste… I fried a tejpata (Indian bay leaf) in the pan with oil until it got dark before adding the sauce, added a little fresh shredded ginger, and cut back on the cream by a third. Delicious!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 month ago
DiDi

Can you freeze the leftovers? It was amazing and I would love to take to my daughters when we visit

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 month ago
Veronica

My husband is Indian and he only ever orders this dish at Indian restaurants, he LOVED this recipe. So so good!! But his mom is vegetarian so I’m wondering, do you have any vegetarian suggestions instead of chicken??

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 months ago
Julia

Yes, I think cauliflower, potato, or chickpeas would work well. Here’s a similar version I made using roasted cauliflower: https://www.savorytooth.com/cauliflower-curry/

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 months ago
Eden

As with all of Savory Tooth’s recipes, this was delicious. I added turmeric (the IP recipe has turmeric but this one doesn’t?) and a little onion powder at the end after tasting the sauce. I also ended up taking out the chicken and reducing the sauce a bit more because I like it really thick. Didn’t want to over cook the chicken. There is so much sauce and I LOOOOVE THAT!
I left out the cayenne and I’m glad I did because my garam masala had a serious kick to it. I used smoked paprika instead of reg because it’s so good.
Served it over roasted cauli rice. Would be TO DIE FOR over basmati!!! Thanks again for all of your gorgeous recipes. Your directions are always really clear.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
5 months ago
Whitney Jarrett

Oh how we love this recipe. We’ve been making it for a few years now in my household. Every time I ask what to make for dinner for the week, my son, husband, or step daughters request it. This recipe cant be matched (I have tried others.) This one is just perfect.. every time.

Now if you’ll excuse me… it is dinner time!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
6 months ago
Krystalynn Williams

Followed the directions and my tikka masala is brown and bland. Very sad and disappointed.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Tricia

My husband loved this dish. It was my first time making Tikka Masala from scratch and it is worth the effort. The marinated chicken elevates the dish. I served it with cauliflower rice and it was the perfect accompaniment. We will definitely make it again!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Erin Duke

This was delicious! I made it with chicken thighs and served with keto Naan. Wonderful low-carb supper!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Sarah

I’ve made this recipe several times now and we love it. Here are the changes I make:
I use a package of chicken thighs- usually a bit over a pound. I also basically double all the dried spices. Not for the marinade, but for the sauce for sure. I also use two jalepeños with all the seeds I can save. And lastly, I’ve recently been adding in a bit fenugreek to get it to taste closer to a restaurant style. My dudes. Fenugreek is amazing. We made a broccoli & spinach scramble this morning using only fenugreek, some cayennes and salt & pepper and it was so so good. Anyway, thanks for this recipe! It’s a once a week staple for us now!!

Vote Up-1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Julia

Yum! Thanks for sharing, Sarah.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Tee

How much fenigreek you used. thank you

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago

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