Chicken tikka masala
चिकन टिक्का मसाला
Yoghurt-marinated chicken tikka charred under the grill, then simmered in a smooth, spiced tomato and cream sauce. The British curry-house classic.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: चिकन टिक्का मसाला.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- 1 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 10 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Chicken tikka masala is two dishes joined. First, chicken tikka: boneless chicken marinated in yoghurt, ginger, garlic, chilli and garam masala and charred, in a restaurant tandoor or at home under a very hot grill. Then the masala: onion, ginger and garlic cooked down with tomato, Kashmiri chilli, coriander and cumin, blended smooth and finished with cream, butter and dried fenugreek. The tikka goes into the sauce for the last few minutes so it keeps its char. The result is orange-red, mild to medium, slightly sweet and rich. In Britain and India alike it is restaurant food first and home cooking second.
What you'll need
25 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Tikka
- Masala
Ingredients
Tikka
- Chicken, boneless thigh or breast, in 4 cm pieces800 g
- Yoghurt, thick, full-fat150 g
- Ginger garlic paste15 ml
- Chilli powder, Kashmiri7.4 ml
- Garam masala4.9 ml
- Turmeric1.2 ml
- Lemon juice15 ml
- Salt4.9 ml
- Neutral oil, for brushing15 ml
Masala
- Butter30 g
- Neutral oil30 ml
- Onion, finely chopped2 medium
- Ginger garlic paste15 ml
- Fresh chilli, green, chopped1
- Chilli powder, Kashmiri7.4 ml
- Ground coriander9.9 ml
- Cumin, ground4.9 ml
- Passata, or a 400 g tin of tomatoes, blended400 g
- Sugar4.9 ml
- Salt4.9 ml
- Water150 ml
- Cream, double cream150 ml
- Dried fenugreek leaves, kasuri methi, crushed4.9 ml
- Garam masala4.9 ml
- Coriander, leaves, chopped1 handful
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Mix the chicken with the yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, lemon juice and salt. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
5 min
Step 2
Heat the grill to its highest setting. Spread the chicken on a rack over a foil-lined tray, or thread it on skewers, and brush with the oil. Grill 8 cm from the element for 6 to 8 minutes, turn, and grill 5 to 6 minutes more until charred in spots. It finishes cooking in the sauce.
14 min250°C
Step 3
Meanwhile heat the butter and oil in a heavy pot and cook the onion for 10 minutes until golden. Add the ginger-garlic paste and green chilli for 1 minute, then the chilli powder, ground coriander and cumin for 30 seconds. Add the passata, sugar and salt and simmer 15 minutes, stirring, until thick and the fat shows at the edges.
27 min
Step 4
Add the water and blend the sauce smooth with a stick blender, or in a blender and back into the pot.
3 min
Step 5
Stir in the cream and crushed fenugreek, then the grilled chicken and any juices from the tray. Simmer gently for 5 to 8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Finish with the garam masala and coriander and serve with naan or pilau rice.
8 min
Watch: Check the largest piece of chicken is cooked through, 75°C in the centre, before serving.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 748 kcal
- Protein
- 69 g
- Carbs
- 24.3 g
- Fat
- 40.7 g
- Saturated fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3.6 g
- Sugar
- 8.8 g
- Sodium
- 1271 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Double cream → Greek yoghurt
Stir it in off the heat, loosened first with a spoon of the hot sauce, or it will split. Lighter and tangier.
Grilled tikka → Chicken seared in a very hot cast-iron pan
Two minutes a side over the highest heat gives a fair char. Work in batches.
Tips
- Thigh stays juicy under the grill. Breast is the curry-house default but dries out quickly.
- The sauce freezes well before the cream goes in. Add the cream when you reheat it.
History & culture
Chicken tikka masala is a fixture of British curry houses and supermarket ready meals, and was for years called the nation's favourite dish. In 2001 the foreign secretary Robin Cook held it up as a symbol of multicultural Britain. In India it appears on restaurant menus, often for visitors, next to butter chicken, its closest relative.
The best-known claim is Glasgow's. The story goes that in the early 1970s Ali Ahmed Aslam of the Shish Mahal restaurant improvised a sauce from tomato soup, spices and cream for a customer who found his chicken tikka too dry. Other British restaurants claim it too, and it plainly borrows from Delhi's butter chicken. Either way, it is a British-Indian restaurant invention.
Modern adaptation — Restaurants cook the tikka in a tandoor and build the sauce from a big batch of base gravy, an onion and spice purée kept on the stove all service. This home version makes the sauce from scratch and chars the chicken under a domestic grill. Many curry houses add ground almonds or coconut and more sugar; a few still add a spoon of tomato soup in honour of the Glasgow story.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Chicken tikka masala take?
2 hr 10 min all in — 25 min prep, 45 min cook, 1 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Nut-free.
9 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Mixing bowl, Oven, Baking tray, Dutch oven, Blender.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
How much sugar?
1 tsp of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Double cream → Greek yoghurt. Stir it in off the heat, loosened first with a spoon of the hot sauce, or it will split. Lighter and tangier. Grilled tikka → Chicken seared in a very hot cast-iron pan. Two minutes a side over the highest heat gives a fair char. Work in batches.
What should I watch for?
Check the largest piece of chicken is cooked through, 75°C in the centre, before serving.
Any tips from this recipe?
Thigh stays juicy under the grill. Breast is the curry-house default but dries out quickly. The sauce freezes well before the cream goes in. Add the cream when you reheat it.
Can I prepare this ahead?
The sauce freezes well before the cream goes in. Add the cream when you reheat it. Mix the chicken with the yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, lemon juice and salt. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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