Tikka masala is a specialty of India featuring chunks of chicken marinated and cooked with yogurt and spices for a dish that is brimming with flavor. Garam masala is a mixture of toasted ground spices that includes turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and cardamom among others. Serve this dish with steamed basmati rice and warmed naan, an Indian flatbread.
Chicken Tikka Masala
1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) plain whole-milk yogurt
4 tsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. garam masala
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 lb. (750 g) total
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 can (14 1/2 oz./455 g) chopped tomatoes
2 tsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) heavy cream
1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) thawed frozen peas
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, 2 tsp. of the ginger, half of the garlic and 1 tsp. of the garam masala. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat a broiler. Coat a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray. Remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange in a single layer on the prepared pan. (Discard the marinade.) Slip under the broiler about 3 inches (7.5 cm) from the heat source and broil until the chicken is opaque throughout and has blackened spots in several places, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, make the masala sauce: In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tsp. ginger and the remaining garlic and sauté just until soft, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 tsp. garam masala, the chili powder and paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, just long enough to toast the spices, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste and cream and bring to a simmer, stirring to mix well. Add the chicken and peas, nestle them in the sauce and return to a simmer. Cook gently just until the chicken and peas are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
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13 comments
How does this compare to Butter Chicken?
A few differences: chicken tikka masala is made with chicken breast, whereas butter chicken is often cooked with chicken thighs. Butter chicken often has more butter, and chicken tikka masala more spices. That being said, the two have a somewhat similar list of ingredients.
It’s both an Indian and British dish. There is a large population of Indians in the UK and it originated from there. Chicken Tikka is an Indian dish. Chicken Masala is the Indian British twist of the Chicken Tikka. Given how close the two countries have been with each other (previous British rule), it’s not really surprising one has influenced the other. You know how the UK’ers love gravy with their meat and this dish does that.
It appears from the photo that the 3 chicken breasts have been sliced into large chunks. I assume this was done before the chicken was put into the yogurt marinate,
Hi Diane: Good call. We’d suggest cooking and marinating the chicken in whole pieces, like the recipe suggests, if only because cutting up the chicken first will affect the cooking time slightly. Hope this helps!
I have never tried chicken Tikka Masala…I am willing to see how this will turn out
Chicken Tikka Masala is a British dish, not a specialty of India
I just returned from a 9 day trip to India and Chicken Tikka Masala was on every menu and served at every buffet. It may have started as a British dish but the Indian people have embraced it and I’m sure have perfected the dish. This recipe sounds close to the flavors I experienced and I’ll be giving it a try soon.
I hate to seem jaded but if, while touring India, Chicken Tikka Masala “was on every menu and served at every buffet”, it is unlikely you were dining at “typical” Indian dining spots. More likely tourist oriented hotel dining rooms etc.
How can it be a British dish? Does “Tikka” or “Masala” mean anything in English, it sure means a whole lot in the Indian languages!! If it were british it would be “chicken and chips”.
It did originate in Britan than was taken to colonial India and given a Punjabi name.
The origin is still disputed; only the British insist that it originated in England. But one thing is certain: Regardless of where it originated, it was created by Indians, not Anglo-Saxons. No Brit on the planet could even conceive using such ingredients in original cooking.
Amen, bro!
Everyone who’s been around for a while knows that “British cuisine” was an oxymoron until dishes and cooking techniques were imported from its colonies.
IIRC I could get chicken tikka marsala anywhere in northern India,40 years ago back in the days when I was traveling by rail around the country.
Just for starters, when did British cooks get fresh ginger, garam marsala and cilantro? What British foods incorporated those ingredients back then?
Did steak and kidneys, or Shepherd’s pie, contain them? Bangers and mash?