India • Regional Dish • Main Course

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken tikka masala brings together charred marinated chicken and a rich tomato-onion sauce with gentle creaminess and deeper spice than butter chicken.

Servings4

Prep Time25 min

Cook Time35 min

DifficultyModerate

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Ingredients

US Metric

For the chicken marinade

1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp finely grated ginger

1 tbsp finely grated garlic

1 tbsp garam masala

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp paprika or Kashmiri chili powder

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp fine salt

For the sauce

2 tbsp neutral oil or ghee

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely grated garlic

1 tbsp finely grated ginger

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp garam masala

1 1/2 tsp paprika or Kashmiri chili powder

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 1/4 cups tomato passata or smooth tomato purée

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed

1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste

1 tsp sugar

To finish

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tsp lemon juice

For the chicken marinade

700 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

120 g plain full-fat yogurt

20 ml lemon juice

15 g ginger, finely grated

15 g garlic, finely grated

8 g garam masala

5 g ground cumin

5 g paprika or Kashmiri chili powder

3 g ground turmeric

6 g fine salt

For the sauce

30 ml neutral oil or ghee

1 medium onion, finely chopped

15 g garlic, finely grated

15 g ginger, finely grated

5 g ground cumin

5 g ground coriander

4 g garam masala

3 g paprika or Kashmiri chili powder

2 g ground turmeric

300 g tomato passata or smooth tomato purée

20 g tomato paste

120 ml water

80 ml whipping cream

5 g dried fenugreek leaves, crushed

6 g fine salt, plus more to taste

5 g sugar

To finish

15 g unsalted butter

15 g chopped cilantro

10 ml lemon juice

Instructions

In a bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, paprika, turmeric, and salt. Add the chicken and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
Heat the oven to 240 C. Lightly oil a tray or line it with parchment. Spread the chicken out in one layer. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes until nearly cooked through and lightly charred at the edges. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes if needed for extra color. Set aside.
While the chicken cooks, heat the oil or ghee in a large deep pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden.
Add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the cumin, coriander, garam masala, paprika, and turmeric. Cook for 15 to 20 seconds, just until fragrant.
Add the passata, tomato paste, and water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the onion softens completely.
Stir in the cream, fenugreek leaves, salt, and sugar. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the roasted chicken and any resting juices. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, and the sauce is rich and glossy.
Stir in the butter, cilantro, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve hot.

Cultural Context

Chicken tikka masala sits in a strange and famous place between South Asian cooking and British curry-house culture. Britannica notes that its origins are debated, with one popular story linking it to 1970s Glasgow, where a tomato-cream sauce was added to chicken tikka for a customer who wanted more gravy. Britannica also notes that it may have derived from butter chicken, which helps explain why people keep mixing the two up. They are close cousins, not twins. Chicken tikka masala usually leans more on onion, spice, and a restaurant-style masala sauce, while butter chicken tends to be smoother, richer, and gentler.

Fun Fact

Chicken tikka masala is so tied to Britain that former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook famously called it a “true British national dish,” even though its flavor DNA clearly runs through South Asian cooking. That is one heck of a culinary identity crisis.

Cook’s Tip

Chicken breast works, but thighs stay juicier and more forgiving. Kashmiri chili powder gives color and gentle heat; paprika plus a pinch of cayenne works in a pinch. Chicken tikka masala usually has a more assertive, onion-led sauce than butter chicken, so this version keeps the tomato and spice profile a little sharper and less sweet. For deeper flavor, marinate overnight.

Trivia

One of the best-known origin stories places chicken tikka masala in Glasgow, not Delhi, after a chef supposedly improvised a sauce for a customer who wanted more gravy.

About This Recipe

Chicken tikka masala starts with chicken tikka, which means marinated pieces of chicken cooked with high heat until lightly charred. That smoky edge matters. It’s what gives the finished curry some backbone, rather than turning it into plain creamy tomato sauce. This home version keeps that structure but simplifies it for a regular kitchen. Roast the chicken hard, build an onion-tomato masala in one pan, then finish with cream, butter, and fenugreek for a sauce that feels familiar yet still lively.

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Instructions

Cultural Context

Fun Fact

Cook’s Tip

Trivia

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