When I think back to the best Chicken Tikka Masala recipe I have ever had, my mind always goes back to a dish I had in a small restaurant in the outskirts of London, England. For those who have never been to England, there is a large Indian population; and therefore some great Indian food. I think you will definitely be happy with this recipe. Having a great recipe means starting off with some authentic seasonings.
If you are not familiar with Indian food, you may be unfamiliar with some of the ingredients in this recipe. Ghee is basically clarified butter that has had water and milk solids removed. This means that it has a higher smoke point and can withstand some heat without burning. Garam Masala is a blend of spices such as cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and turmeric. The Garam Masala that I am using comes from the great people at Wolf and Woman out of San Diego. Kaci Goff is the “inspiration” at Wolf and Woman and I first had her food at a pop-up dinner at one of our wineries in the Temecula Valley. So good!
Another ingredient that Kaci mentioned for me to try is Kashmiri chile. It is not a very hot chile but is very flavorful and perfect for a masala.
In this recipe, we are grilling the chicken. If it’s raining out or you don’t have a grill, use a cast iron pan to get a little crust on the chicken.
You might want to make a little extra sauce. It is so good you will want to “sop” it up with a little toasted naan bread!
I hope you enjoy the recipe and as always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!
The Best Chicken Tikka Masala!
4
servings2
hours10
minutes30
minutesIngredients
- Chicken Marinade
3 Large Chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 Cup Yogurt, Plain, whole milk
1 1/2 Tbl Garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbl Ginger, minced
3 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Tumeric powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp Salt
- Masala Sauce
3 Cups Tomato puree, (passata)
2 Tbl Butter or ghee
1 Large Onion, small dice
1 Tbl Ginger, minced
1 Tbl Garlic, minced
1 tsp Tumeric powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Cups Heavy cream
- Garnish
Cilantro for garnish
Toasted naan bread
Bastmanti rice
Directions
- For the Marinade
- Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl including the chicken and let sit for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Grill the Chicken
- Set your grill up to high. I placed my grill pan into the grill to heat up. (My pan is similar to the one below.)
- Cook your chicken in batches. You don’t want your chicken to steam. Add your chicken to the hot pan and get a little crust on the outside. Don’t overcook the chicken. It can quickly overcook and get dry. The chicken will continue to cook when placed into the sauce.
- Set chicken aside as you make the sauce.
- Making the Tikka Masala Sauce
- Dice the onion. Mince the garlic and the ginger. Set aside.
- Add butter or ghee to a large skillet/saute pan. Set heat to medium
- Add onions and cook till translucent. About 10 minutes
- Add garlic and ginger to the pan with the onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add turmeric, coriander, chile, and salt to the pan. Stir well to toast all the spices.
- Add the tomato puree. Stir and cook till the sauce has gained some color. Turn your heat to simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes. Check flavor to see if you need to add any additional salt or chile. If too thick; add a little water.
- Add your heavy cream. Stir and combine well.
- Add your chicken back into the pan until warm.
- Time to Serve
- Ladle some rice onto your plate. Top off with chicken masala. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro. Add warm and toasted naan bread. Enjoy!!
Did you make this recipe?
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It turned out great and my kids loved it. One thing I did though was blend the sauce before adding the cream (mainly because my kids don’t like onions), which made it smoother and what more like what they’re used to. Thanks!
Happy that you liked the recipe!
Great content! Keep up the good work!