Chicken Tikka Masala
One of my favorite Indian Dishes is Chicken Tikka Masala. Tender chunks of chicken marinated in spiced yogurt, then pan-fried and coated with an incredibly flavorful spiced creamy tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized chunks
- ½ cup Greek yogurt Plain
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic finely minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon ginger finely grated
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ tsap ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Sauce
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup onion finely diced
- 2 teaspoon garlic finely minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon ginger finely grated
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 8 oz tomato puree
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder -more or less depending on how much heat you like.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup water as needed
- 2 teaspoon fresh cilantro finely chopped for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the marinade except the chicken pieces. Whisk the mixture until well blended.
- Cut the boneless skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the chicken to the marinade, mixing well.
- Refrigerate the mixture and let the chicken marinate for one hour.*Marinate the chicken overnight (up to 12 hours) for the best flavors.
- Drain the chicken pieces in a strainer to remove the excess marinade.
- Add the cooking oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the pan is hot, add the chicken pieces. Cook in two batches if necessary, you don't want to crowd the pan.
- Coon the chicken pieces until nicely browned (2 minutes on each side).
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and place them on a serving dish or baking sheet, loosely covered with foil to keep warm until needed.
- Add the butter to the same skillet and let it melt over medium-high heat.
- When the butter has melted, add the onions to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft and fragrant. *Make sure to use a large spoon to scrape up the browned bits that stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chopped garlic and ginger to the pan and continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring the mixture as it cooks.
- Add the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and coriander to the pan and continue to cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. *Stir the mixture during the cooking, so the spices don't burn and get bitter.
- Add the tomato puree, chili powder, paprika, and salt to the pan, stirring until well combined.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, stirring as needed. As the sauce thickens it will develop a deep reddish-brown color.
- Add the heavy cream and brown sugar to the sauce. Stirring until well blended.
- Add the cooked chicken and any juices that may have been released from the chicken into the pan and with the sauce. Stir to combine.
- Let the Tikka Masala continue to simmer for 8-10 minutes. The sauce will be thick and bubbling.*If the sauce is too thick, add water to thin the sauce to the desired consistency.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with Basmati rice and Naan bread.
Notes
*To make a non-dairy version of this dish, use coconut cream yogurt to marinate the chicken and cashew cream instead of heavy cream for the sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 595kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 37gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 225mgSodium: 975mgPotassium: 939mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1823IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 132mgIron: 4mg
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