Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Customer favorite. Boneless roasted chicken in a creamed tomato sauce served with rice.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Marinade
Chicken - roasting/grilling
Sauce
Rice (served with)
Garnish & finishing
Method
Marinade
- 1
Prepare and marinate chicken
In a large bowl combine yogurt, lemon juice, ginger paste, garlic paste, garam masala, ground cumin, paprika, turmeric, kosher salt and 1 tbs vegetable oil. Whisk until smooth. Add the 800 g bite-sized chicken pieces and stir to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to 8 hours) — longer gives more flavor. If short on time, marinate 30 minutes.
Chicken - roasting/grilling
- 2
Roast or broil chicken
Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F) or preheat broiler/grill. Thread marinated chicken pieces onto skewers or spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Brush lightly with 1 tbs oil/ghee. Roast on the top rack for 10–15 minutes until edges char slightly and internal temperature reaches 75°C (165°F). If broiling, broil 6–8 minutes per side, watching to avoid burning. Remove from heat and set aside. The chicken should be mostly cooked — it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Sauce
- 3
- 4
Spice and tomato
Add 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp garam masala to the pan. Stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spices. Pour in 400 ml tomato puree, stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
- 5
Simmer and balance
Add 150 ml chicken stock (or water), 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce reduces slightly and darkens.
- 6
Finish sauce
Reduce heat to low. Stir in 0.75 cups heavy cream and 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi; simmer 2–3 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and adjust salt or sugar as needed.
- 7
Combine chicken and sauce
Add the roasted chicken pieces into the sauce and gently stir to coat. Simmer together over low heat for 5–8 minutes to finish cooking the chicken and allow flavors to marry. If sauce is too thick, add up to 2–3 tbs water or stock to reach desired consistency.
Rice (served with)
- 8
Rinse and cook rice
Rinse 1.5 cups basmati rice under cold water until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan combine rinsed rice, 2.25 cups water, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbs butter or oil. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer 12–15 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 5–10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Garnish & finishing
- 9
Garnish and serve
Ladle rice onto plates or a serving platter. Spoon chicken tikka masala over or beside the rice. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the curry, add lemon wedges to the side, and drizzle extra cream if desired. Serve immediately.
