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Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Updated Apr 14, 2020Published Nov 30, 2017 By Julia 33 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links.

Summary:
One of my favorite low carb chicken dinners, this Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is restaurant quality with tender chicken chunks and an incredible sauce. Don't have a slow cooker? Make this on the stovetop (see Stovetop Chicken Tikka Masala) or using a pressure cooker (see Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala).
chicken tikka masala on plate with fork

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

4.8 from 15 votes
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 15 mins
Marinate: 1 hr
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Marinating Chicken:

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (Note 1)
  • 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:

  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala (Note 3)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (Note 4)

Finishings:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (Note 5)
  • optional chopped fresh cilantro

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 (Note 6): Heat wide nonstick pan over high heat, no oil needed. Add 1/3 of chicken chunks (along with any marinade sticking to them; Note 7) and cook until chicken appears a bit blackened and charred, less than 5 minutes, while stirring and flipping chicken to sear all sides. As they finish searing, transfer to slow cooker (don't include pan drippings, if any). Repeat with remaining 2 batches of chicken.
  • Cook & Serve: Add all sauce ingredients to slow cooker, and stir everything together. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Uncover and stir in heavy whipping cream until sauce turns orange. Serve (Note 8), and optionally garnish with chopped cilantro.

NUTRITION

Makes 4 Servings
Amount Per Serving:
Calories 410 (54% from fat)  
Total Fat 24g 37%
   Saturated Fat 15g 73%
Cholesterol 138mg 46%
Sodium 400mg 17%
Net Carb 9g  
Total Carb 13g 4%
   Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
   Sugars 6.5g  
Protein 33g  
Vitamin A 33% · Vitamin C 6% · Calcium 12% · Iron 9%

PHOTOS

chicken tikka masala on plate with fork
stirring yogurt marinade in glass bowl
stirring chicken in marinade in glass bowl
indian spices in slow cooker
chicken tikka masala served over cauliflower rice

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) Cayenne. This amount yields medium spiciness. Adjust as needed to match your preferences.
(5) 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 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.
(6) Searing Chicken. Don’t skip this step by just tossing everything directly into the slow cooker. If you do, the chicken will release its juices into the sauce as it cooks, which will alter the color, taste, and texture of the resulting sauce. I’ve tried skipping that stovetop step, and it’s nowhere near as good.
(7) 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) Serving. Chicken tikka masala is traditionally served with white rice and naan to help sop up the delicious sauce. To make this a low carb meal, serve with cauliflower rice, low carb tortillas (brands like Mission), or side dishes like creamed spinach and roasted vegetables. To prepare cauliflower rice, it’s easiest to buy bags of pre-riced cauliflower in the produce section or freezer aisle of U.S. grocery stores — less work than grating cauliflower florets by hand. Sear the riced cauliflower on a pan with a bit of oil until it’s tender. Plain and simple cauliflower rice is best because the tikka masala sauce will bring all of the flavor you need. This recipe makes a generous amount of sauce, so you’ll have plenty to work with!
(9) Increasing Yield. To increase the number of servings, you can double or triple the ingredients proportionally while keeping the cooking time the same.

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Filed Under: Asian Takeout, Low Carb, Mains: Poultry, Per Serving: 5-10g Net Carbs Tagged With: cayenne, chicken breasts, garam masala, garlic powder, gluten free, heavy cream, lemon, more10ingredients, more60min, paprika, slow cooker, tomato sauce, turmeric, 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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Lizzy

I loved this! I tweaked the recipe and added 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the crock pot about an hour into cooking. Gave it that extra richness I was looking for, and some extra fat for my keto WOE 🙂

Vote Up4Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Bev

I made this the other night and it turned out perfectly! The chunks of chicken did not get tough after being sauteed, everything was moist and delicious! I was surprised it was so good, given how easy it was to put it together. My husband was particularly pleased with the quantities of sauce it made – he loves dunking his naan bread (and crusty bread) in the sauce. Thanks for posting this recipe!

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Julia

Haha I love it when someone tells me they appreciate the extra sauce 🙂 I’m glad you found this easy to make, hope you get a chance to make it again soon!

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Mary Ellen Baum

Could I cook on low in n the slow cooker and for how long?

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Elizabeth

Sooo. goooood! I followed cooking directions to a T and it is fabulous! I tripled the recipe to have this for dinner all week and am serving with a keto flat bread and cauliflower.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Laurel Lamont

I have made this several times. Always perfect. I like to serve it with both naan and basmati rice. Trader Joe’s Mango Chutney is a nice accompaniment. Thanks so much for posting.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Kadie

We make this recipe literally once a week… Either this slow cooker version or your instant pot version depending on how much lead time I give myself. We always have to double, or triple, the recipe because my husband loves it so much He wants leftovers. This is one of the only meals that he request they make enough for leftovers on… Thank you!

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Shelly

Would it work for 4 hours on low instead of 2 on high?

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago
Julia

I don’t see why not 🙂 I haven’t tried it but it should work.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago
Patti

Did you try it Shelly? I’d like to do that too, it’s better time-wise for me…please let me know! Can’t wait to try this!!!

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
ALiMcMeal

This is just like our favorite Indian place makes it! Sometimes you get too much tomato and/or cinnamon with different recipes (admittedly, I’m not aware of the authentic way to make Tikka Masala). We made it just as instructed and it was delicious, however, I think the spice masked the flavor of our garlic naan so we will likely opt to cut the cayenne and/or smoked paprika just a tad. We also found that the recipe really was more suitable for two rather than four.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Iris

This is absolutely the best recipe for chicken tikka masala. Thank you!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Ryan James

I had trouble getting this to print. Only the first page appeared, so I was not able to get any of the notes or nutrition. I finally copied it into Word and made a PDF that way.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Julia

Did you use the gold-colored print button provided above the ingredients list? My guess is that your browser print settings are preventing you from printing more than the first page.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Judy

Thanks for the comments. By reading them I find everyone uses different subs. I have never had this dish before. I was getting hungry just reading. Now I am excited to just try it. Thanks again.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Dicentra A.

This is my absolute favorite recipe right now, delicious and very filling, a super plus that it’s low carb too! I make it every other week and serve it over cauliflower rice. Soooooo good! It’s hard to not overindulge.
I did have a question however, how many grams make one serving? I want to be able to track this correctly in my food diary. Thank you!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Julia

Hi Dicentra! I haven’t weighed each serving before, so I don’t know each serving’s weight in grams. You can calculate a decent estimate by adding up the heaviest ingredients (chicken, yogurt, tomato sauce, heavy whipping cream), converting that total from ounces to grams, and then dividing it by 4 servings.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Claudette Leblanc

Julia, instead of frying the chicken. Can I bake them in the oven?
Thank you.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Julia

Yes, that would work. Baking at high temp or broiling would be best for giving the chicken a charred appearance, but it’ll be delicious either way.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Iris

Perfection! I added a little bit more spice but the taste is great!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Patti

OMG, I have a new favorite food! I had tried Trader Joe’s “butter chicken “ in the frozen food section and liked it, but THIS one is over the top!!!
Family, friends, and neighbors also loved it! Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
It’s a definite hit!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Rosemarie Mullenix

Ty for this recipe, I’m going to try it at a community center I help at. 20-25 servings for a dinner.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Taleene Rose

Omg…. delicious, delicious, delicious. Shockingly good for how easy it is!!!!!! Thanks for sharing.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Sara

I love this recipe. Soooo good. My husband and I recently started counting calories, so I am wondering based on the nutrition facts you have posted….what amount is a serving size?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Julia

Thanks! I haven’t measured the volume of each serving, but it’s basically 1/4th of the entire recipe. So after making this, if you divide it into four equal portions, that should give you the serving size corresponding to the nutrition facts.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Kathleen

I cannot WAIT to try this! I am a slow cooker lazy lady who likes to let the cooker do the work.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Lorraine

I made this today and whilst it looks good it tastes way too sweet to be like a proper restaurant tikka masala, perhaps there is far too much tomatoe sauce / purée for my families licking. Was disappointed

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Julia

I wonder if it’s the type of tomato sauce you used. I usually get a plain version — simply pureed tomatoes and salt, no sugar or herbs added. You can check the ingredients on the label of the can to see what’s in it.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Stacey Gepperth

So simple to make and absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Lauren Packowski

Is there any way to marinate and sauté the chicken the night before and then add the sauce the next day before cooking?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Julia

Yes, you can definitely marinate the chicken overnight. I haven’t sauteed the chicken the night before, but I don’t see why not.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
karen

Excellent! Thanks for guiding me with my “newly” purchased slow cooker – This has always been a favorite meal and so easy to cook at home – the translation from dutch oven to slow cooker – perfect!
My house smells divine!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago
Beth

YUMMY! Thank you for posting the slow cooker version!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago

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