Chicken Tikka Masala
Time
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 30 min
- Total: 4 hr 45 min (4 hr inactive)
Servings: 6
Serving: 1 portion of chicken with sauce; rice or naan served separately
Ingredients
Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: 900 g (2 lb) — raw weight; trim large pieces of fat and cut into 1½-inch / 4 cm pieces
- Neutral oil: as needed — a little for greasing the cooking rack
Marinade
- Plain full-fat Greek yogurt: 120 g (½ cup)
- Lemon juice: 15 ml (1 Tbsp)
- Neutral oil: 15 ml (1 Tbsp)
- Garlic: 20 g (about 4-5 large cloves) — finely grated or minced
- Fresh ginger: 15 g — peeled and finely grated
- Garam masala: about 2 g (1 tsp)
- Cumin: about 2 g (1 tsp) — ground
- Ground coriander: about 2 g (1 tsp)
- Kashmiri chili powder: about 2 g (1 tsp) — pure ground chile
- Ground turmeric: ¼ tsp
- Fine salt: 6 g (1 tsp)
Sauce and Finishing
- Tikka masala sauce: 1 batch — prepared; about 4 cups / 960 ml per batch, including the cream, fenugreek, and butter finish
- Water: 30-60 ml (2-4 Tbsp) — as needed to loosen the sauce
- Cilantro: 2-3 Tbsp — chopped; optional
Instructions
Start with prepared Tikka Masala Sauce, including its cream, fenugreek, and butter finish.
1. Cut and marinate the chicken
- Trim 900 g (2 lb) boneless skinless chicken thighs and cut into reasonably uniform 1½-inch / 4 cm pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients:
- 120 g (½ cup) plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 15 ml (1 Tbsp) lemon juice
- 15 ml (1 Tbsp) neutral oil
- 20 g (about 4-5 large cloves) garlic
- 15 g fresh ginger
- about 2 g (1 tsp) garam masala
- about 2 g (1 tsp) ground cumin
- about 2 g (1 tsp) ground coriander
- about 2 g (1 tsp) Kashmiri chili powder
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 6 g (1 tsp) fine salt
- Mix until the yogurt, liquids, aromatics, and spices form a thick, evenly combined paste.
- Add the chicken and toss until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate 4-24 hours, or at least 1 hour if short on time.
2. Prepare the oven and tray
- Heat the oven to 450°F / 230°C.
- Line a broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a broiler-safe metal rack over it. Lightly grease the rack with neutral oil.
- Lift the chicken from the marinade, letting heavy excess drip off while leaving a thin coating. Arrange in a single layer with space between the pieces. Discard the marinade left in the bowl.
3. Roast and broil the chicken
- Roast for 15-20 minutes, turning the pieces once. Warm the prepared sauce in step 4 while the chicken roasts.
- Switch the broiler to high and position the chicken about 6 inches / 15 cm below the element.
- Broil 1-3 minutes, watching closely, until the edges have dark brown spots and a little char.
- Check several of the largest pieces with a thermometer: the chicken should reach 165°F / 74°C before going into the sauce. If it needs more cooking after browning, switch back to bake and continue until it reaches temperature. See safe cooking temperatures.
- Look for a set marinade coating and scattered charred spots without blackening the whole surface.
4. Heat the prepared sauce
- While the chicken cooks, put 1 batch prepared Tikka Masala Sauce in a wide saucepan or deep saute pan.
- Warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.
- If the sauce has thickened during storage, stir in 30-60 ml (2-4 Tbsp) water gradually, only as needed.
- Bring to a gentle simmer. Reheat refrigerated sauce throughout to 165°F / 74°C.
- Aim for sauce thick enough to coat the chicken, with enough movement to spoon easily over rice.
5. Combine and serve
- Add the freshly cooked chicken to the hot sauce. Stir gently and simmer for 2-3 minutes, just long enough to coat it thoroughly.
- Taste before adding more salt; both the chicken and sauce are already seasoned. Adjust with a little water if needed, then remove from the heat.
- Scatter with 2-3 Tbsp cilantro, if using. Serve with basmati rice or naan, prepared separately.
Notes / Make-ahead / Variations
- Timing: Allow 40-45 minutes of prep and cooking, plus 4-24 hours marinating. The estimates above include a 4-hour marinade and assume the sauce is already made. Warm the sauce while the chicken roasts.
- Prepared sauce: Use one full batch of Tikka Masala Sauce for the base recipe. It already contains cream, fenugreek, finishing garam masala, and butter; no second finish is needed.
- Kashmiri chili substitute: Replace the marinade's chili powder with the same spoon measure of sweet paprika, plus a small pinch of cayenne. Chile heat varies by brand.
- Scaling: Keep space between the chicken pieces; use extra trays or cook in batches. Scale the prepared sauce batch quantity along with the chicken.
- Nutrition estimate: Includes the listed marinade and the referenced sauce batch, excluding rice or naan. Some marinade is discarded. Raw chicken nutrition uses a boneless skinless thigh label.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate: Transfer to shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours. Use within 3-4 days. See CDC leftover storage guidance.
- Reheat leftovers: Warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently and adding a little water as needed, until hot throughout at 165°F / 74°C. See reheating temperatures.
Troubleshooting
- Chicken looks pale: Leave space between the pieces, let heavy excess marinade drip off, and finish briefly under the broiler while watching closely.
- Chicken browns before it is cooked: Switch back to bake and continue until the largest pieces reach 165°F / 74°C.
- Sauce is too thick: Stir in small splashes of warm water until it coats the chicken and spoons easily over rice.
Related
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Full Recipe | Per Serving (1 portion of chicken with sauce; rice or naan served separately) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 3066 | 511 |
| Protein | 184.8 g | 30.8 g |
| Fat | 225.6 g | 37.6 g |
| Carbs | 96 g | 16 g |
| Fiber | 19.8 g | 3.3 g |
| Sugars | 44.4 g | 7.4 g |
| Sodium | 5496 mg | 916 mg |