Chicken Tikka Masala
Not too spicy, this family-friendly chicken tikka masala is filled with rich Indian-inspired flavors. It's easy to make at home using accessible ingredients.
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon garam masala see note
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Tikka Masala:
- 1 tablespoon butter (or oil)
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¾ cup diced onion from 1 small onion
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or ginger paste
- 3 large cloves garlic minced, about 1 tablespoon
- ½ tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper use more if you want it spicy
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 14.5-ounce can coconut milk see note
- ¾ cup frozen peas no need to thaw
- ½ cup heavy cream see note for dairy free variation
- salt & pepper to taste
- cooked white or brown rice for serving
- choped cilantro for serving, to taste, optional
Instructions
Chicken Marinade:
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Trim fat from meat and cut into ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, garam masala, salt, water, olive oil, and vinegar. Place cut up meat in bowl and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate meat for at least 10 minutes to tenderize.
Tikka Masala:
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In a Dutch oven or large, sturdy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and diced onion and saute for about 4 minutes until onion begins to soften.
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Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more until aromatic. Add ½ tablespoon garam masala, the chili powder, cumin, tumeric, and cayenne. Sauté for about 3 minutes more until the onion is completely soft and spices are fragrant.
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Add the tomato sauce and coconut milk. Then heat to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes (see note).
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Add marinated meat plus all of the juices and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until meat is cooked through and no longer pink in the center.
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Sitr in frozen peas, heavy cream, and additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve over steamed rice garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.
Recipe Notes
1. You can buy garam masala on Amazon (aff. link) or maybe able to find it in some grocery stores. I bought mine at a local Asian market.
2. I have also use coconut cream in place of coconut milk and it is very good, maybe even slightly thicker and more creamy.
3. I think this recipe would adapt very well to be dairy free. If I were making it df, I would use coconut cream in place of heavy cream and substitute oil for the butter.
4. I like to simmer the sauce alone for 10 minutes before adding the chicken. I think it helps develop the flavors, but if you are in a hurry you could skip that step.