Why go through the hassle and expense of takeout when you can create a rich, creamy chicken tikka masala right in your own kitchen? This recipe has you soak bite-size pieces of chicken in a spiced yogurt marinade until flavorful and tender. Give it a quick cook in a skillet, then whip up a super simple sauce with all the traditional Indian flavors and spice. You can even adjust the spice level to keep it mild or crank the heat up all the way.
Serve it up with steamed white rice or brown rice and our easy homemade naan.
Why Our Recipe
- A creamy, flavorful chicken tikka masala that’s easy to make at home.
- Skip the delivery or takeout and still get restaurant-quality results.
- Easily adjust the spice level for your personal heat tolerance.
Tikka Masala may not be native to India, but it sure is delicious! It was actually made popular by Indian immigrants living in Europe and quickly became a classic. Indian cuisine is full of wonderful, mouth-watering, full-flavored dishes. There’s just something about a good tikka masala that just warms the soul. It’s total comfort food!
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Cut into 1-inch cubes to keep everything bite-size. You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts for juicier dark meat.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: This is a tenderizer. If you can’t find Greek yogurt, plain (unflavored) regular yogurt can also work.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed has a brighter flavor than bottled juices. 1 large lemon yields about 1/4 cup of lemon juice.
- Cayenne Pepper: Adds heat to the dish. Adjust up or down to suit your spice tolerance, including leaving it out.
- Butter: We use butter for convenience, but Ghee (clarified butter used in Indian cuisine) is the more authentic choice.
- Garlic: Freshly minced is always going to have a better flavor than jarred.
- Jalapeño: Seeds and ribs hold most of the heat so you can remove them to adjust heat level, or leave out the jalapeno altogether.
- Garam Masala: This is a blend of spices that is a cornerstone of this dish. You can find it in the spice aisle of most grocery stores or you can make your own.
- Tomato Sauce: Plain, unsalted pureed tomatoes are what we are talking about here.
- Heavy Cream: Adds the classic creamy element. You could get away with half and half, but the sauce will be slightly more thin.
- Fresh Cilantro: It’s not just about making it pretty, it also adds flavor.
Adjusting the Heat Level
The heat in this dish comes from two ingredients: cayenne pepper and jalapeño. This means it’s really easy to adjust the spice up or down based on your own personal preferences.
For Mild Heat: Reduce or omit the cayenne pepper entirely and remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño. If you’re sensitive to heat, you can also skip the jalapeño altogether.
For Medium Heat: Stick with the recipe as written, including the cayenne pepper and jalapeño.
For High Heat: You can double the cayenne pepper in the marinade and swap out the jalapeño for a spicier pepper, such as a serrano or even a habanero. Just be careful as there aren’t any take backs!
Grilled Variation
For a smoky twist, try grilling the chicken instead of cooking it in a skillet. It adds almost a tandoori element to the dish making it feel extra authentic and worthy of a restaurant.
Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto skewers, making sure to leave a little space between each piece for even cooking. Grill over high heat, rotating the skewers every 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and has a slight char. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the chicken is grilled, add it to the prepared tikka masala sauce to soak up all the rich flavors.
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning.
Serving Suggestions
Tikka masala is traditionally served over rice. You can use white rice, brown rice, black rice, or any type of rice you prefer. This is a complete meal on its own, but you can always add in frozen vegetable mixtures of your choice, or serve vegetables on the side. And if you want an extra special treat, serve this up with Homemade Naan, which is an Indian-style flatbread.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat on the stovetop in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Reheat in the microwave by placing a serving in a microwave-safe dish and cover loosely with a paper towel to prevent splattering. Heat in 30-second intervals on high, stirring between, until heated through.
More flavorful chicken dinners…
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
I made chicken Tikka masala for the first time and I will continue to make it! It was really delicious! My husband and son loved it. I did not use jalapeno since I didn’t have any. I found it a little spicy though, but a good spice. Thank you for introducing us to these lovely flavors. I have made your butter chicken before with excellent results as well! Thank you!
Fantastic recipe! My family of 3 loves this. It makes a lot and fed us for 2 days. I served it over jasmine rice.
Love your recipes! Thank you for sharing.
One of the best dishes I ever cooked.. Even if spicy all of my family loved it.. Included kids
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs? They have soooo much more flavor. I detest chicken tit. That being said, how many thighs or pounds should I use? Chicken breasts like human, highly variable in size and weight. Just sayin.
Like you Martha, I do not like breast of chicken in cooked dishes ( except chicken salad).. My Indian place will substitute much tastier. thighs always. Soooo much tastier!