Chicken Tikka Masala

Tender chunks of chicken bathed in a rich, creamy, spiced tomato sauce.

By Cressio Rinaldi

Chicken tikka masala is one of the most popular curries in the world, with an origin story that people still argue about. What nobody argues about is that it is delicious: tender, charred pieces of chicken in a velvety, orange-red sauce that is rich but not heavy, warm but not fiery.

The dish has two parts. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices, which tenderizes it and builds flavor from the inside out. The sauce is made in the same pan, starting with onion cooked until deeply golden, then garlic and ginger, a handful of ground spices toasted for a moment, and crushed tomatoes simmered until thick. The cream goes in at the end.

It serves four, with about an hour of marinating time. The cooking is under 40 minutes, and the flavor is far better than anything from a jar.

Read this first

1. Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour. Overnight is better.
2. Cook the onion until deeply golden. It is the base of the sauce.
3. Add the cream over low heat so it doesn’t split.

Prep time: 20 mins · Cook time: 30 mins · Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs Chicken thigh, cubed
• 1/2 cup Plain yogurt (for marinade)
• 2 tbsp Olive oil or ghee
• 1 large Onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, grated
• 1.5 tbsp Garam masala
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1.5 cups Crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup Heavy cream or coconut cream

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the chicken with the yogurt, half the garam masala, half the cumin, and a pinch of salt. Marinate for at least 1 hour (or overnight in the fridge). Look for: Chicken evenly coated in a thick, orange-tinted yogurt marinade.
2. Heat oil or ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the marinated chicken in batches until lightly browned on the outside. Remove and set aside. Look for: Browned edges on the chicken and a pan with brown bits.
3. In the same skillet, sauté the onion until deeply golden, about 7-8 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, cooking for 1 more minute. Look for: A deeply golden onion that smells sweet, with fragrant garlic and ginger.
4. Stir in the remaining garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and paprika. Toast the spices for 30 seconds until fragrant. Look for: Spices that smell warm and toasty, and a paste that looks glossy.
5. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, stir well, and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Look for: A thick, brick-red sauce, with a little orange oil at the edges.
6. Return the browned chicken to the skillet. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer on low for another 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce is rich. Look for: A creamy, orange sauce coating tender chicken that cuts easily.
7. Serve over basmati rice or with warm naan bread, garnished with fresh cilantro. Look for: A glossy, rich curry with green cilantro on top.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 370
• Fat: 26g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Carbohydrates: 19g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 8g
• Protein: 17g
• Sodium: 260mg
• Cholesterol: 90mg

Notes

• Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days — the flavor deepens overnight.
• Freezing: Freezes well for up to 3 months.
• Marinate Overnight If You Can: An overnight yogurt marinade tenderizes the chicken further and gives more developed flavor than the 1-hour minimum.

Cook It With Me

Marinate the chicken

In a bowl, combine the 1 1/2 lbs of cubed chicken thighs with the 1/2 cup of plain yogurt, half of the garam masala, half of the cumin and a pinch of salt. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Brown the chicken

Heat the oil or ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the marinated chicken in batches, for a few minutes per side, until lightly browned. It doesn’t need to cook through. Remove and set aside.

Cook the onion, garlic and ginger

In the same skillet, cook the finely diced onion for 7 to 8 minutes, until it is deeply golden. Scrape up the browned bits as it cooks. Add the 4 minced garlic cloves and the grated ginger and cook for 1 more minute.

Toast the spices

Stir in the remaining garam masala and cumin, the turmeric and the paprika. Toast them for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Simmer the tomatoes

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir well. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and the oil begins to separate at the edges.

Finish with chicken and cream

Return the browned chicken to the skillet and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is rich.

Serve

Serve over basmati rice or with warm naan, garnished with fresh cilantro.

The Ingredients, One by One

Chicken thighs

1 1/2 lbs, cubed. Thighs stay tender and juicy in a long simmer. Breast works, but dries out more easily.

Plain yogurt

It tenderizes the chicken and carries the spices. Use full-fat, plain yogurt.

Garam masala, cumin, turmeric and paprika

Garam masala is the warm spice blend that gives the dish its signature flavor. Cumin is earthy, turmeric gives color and paprika adds sweetness. Splitting the garam masala and cumin between marinade and sauce builds flavor in layers.

Onion, garlic and ginger

The aromatics. The onion, cooked until deeply golden, adds sweetness.

Crushed tomatoes

Give the sauce its body and tang.

Heavy cream or coconut cream

Mellows the tomato and makes the sauce silky.

Olive oil or ghee

Ghee adds a nutty flavor.

The Technique Behind It

Why marinate in yogurt

Yogurt contains mild acid and enzymes that tenderize the surface of the meat, and it helps the spices cling.

Why brown the chicken first

Browning builds flavor and leaves the browned bits behind. The sauce picks them up.

Why the cream goes in last

Heat and acid can make cream split. Adding it at the end, on low heat, keeps the sauce smooth.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Short marinating The chicken is less tender and flavorful.
• Pale onions The sauce lacks sweetness.
• Burning the spices They taste bitter.
• Boiling the cream The sauce can split.
• Overcooking the chicken It gets dry.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Sauce is too sour	Acidic tomatoes	Add a pinch of sugar or a little more cream.
Sauce is thin	Not simmered enough	Simmer a few more minutes.
Sauce is bland	Needs salt	Add salt, and a pinch of garam masala.
Sauce split	Heat too high	Take it off the heat and whisk in a splash of cream.
Sauce is bitter	Spices burned	Add cream and a pinch of sugar.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
Chicken thighs	Juicy protein	Chicken breast, paneer or chickpeas work.
Plain yogurt	Marinade	Dairy-free yogurt works.
Heavy cream	Richness	Coconut cream gives a dairy-free sauce.
Garam masala	Warm spices	Tikka masala blend works.
Crushed tomatoes	Base	Tomato puree works.
Ghee	Fat	Olive oil works.

Plan Ahead

• Make ahead: Better the next day.
• Fridge: Up to 4 days.
• Reheat: Gently on the stove.
• Freezer: Freezes well for up to 3 months.

What to Serve With It

Serve over basmati rice or with warm garlic naan. A cooling cucumber raita and a squeeze of lime on the side balance the richness.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.