Chicken Tikka Masala - tender chunks of marinated chargrilled chicken in a creamy mild sauce with garlic, ginger and spices. Kids and adults alike love this dish.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
marinating time2 hourshrs
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: British, Indian
Keyword: better than takeout, chicken curry, Fakeaway
Place the chicken breast pieces into a bowl or freezer bag with the yogurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, coriander, turmeric, cumin, paprika, chilli powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together so that everything is combined, then cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours.
3 chicken breasts, 120 ml (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp minced ginger, juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp mild chilli powder, 1 pinch of cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
About 35-40 minutes before you’re ready to eat, start on the sauce.
Add the oil and butter to a large frying pan (skillet) and heat on a medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Add the onion, and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.
Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, ground coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and tomato puree. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the spices to release their fragrance.
Add in the chopped red bell pepper, tinned tomatoes and water. Stir and bring to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until thickened (now is a good time to put your rice onto boil).
1 red bell pepper, 400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes, 120 ml (1/2 cup) water
Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and spread out onto a baking sheet.
Brush the chicken with the oil, then grill for 8-10 minutes until a little charred on the outside. If your pieces aren't too big, you shouldn't need to turn them, but if they're not cooking through underneath, then give them a turn with some tongs. Make sure the chicken is cooked by slicing it into a larger piece and ensuring it's no longer pink in the middle.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
When the sauce is nearly ready, stir in the cream, ground almonds and sugar, followed by the cooked chicken tikka. Cook for a further 5 minutes to heat through.
180 ml (3/4 cup) double/heavy cream, 3 tbsp ground almonds, 1 tbsp brown sugar
Serve with boiled rice and top with fresh coriander. Add a few chillies too if you like.
I like to cook my chicken on a baking sheet under the grill. If you prefer to griddle or barbecue the chicken, you can thread the chicken pieces onto four long metal skewers (you can use wooden skewers if you prefer, but soak them in water for at least an hour beforehand to prevent them from burning).Cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until no longer pink in the middle.
Chicken breasts or chicken thighs?
I use chicken breasts for this recipe, as I find them a lot less fiddly to chop up and prepare. Chicken thighs tend to retain their juiciness a little more than chicken breast, but we're marinading the chicken breast, which will help to tenderize it and retain it's juiciness when it's being grilled.
Can I make Chicken Tikka Masala ahead?
The chicken is at it's smokiest and juiciest when eaten straight away, but yes, you can cook this dish ahead and reheat later if you like.
You've got a couple of options:
Make marinate the chicken ahead (it will be fine in the marinade for a day), and fully make the sauce ahead. Then cool, cover and refrigerate the sauce up to a day ahead. When you're ready to eat, grill the chicken, and heat up the sauce in a pan until piping hot and mix together.
Or you can make the whole dish ahead and stir the chicken into the sauce, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Reheat, in a pan, stirring regularly until piping hot throughout.
Can I freeze Chicken Tikka Masala?
Yes, make the whole dish ahead and stir the chicken into the sauce, then cool, cover and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat, in a pan, stirring regularly until piping hot throughout.
Nutritional Information is per serving - not including rice.