Chicken Tikka Masala
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes, plus marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1tablespoon garam masala
- 2teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2teaspoons ground cumin
- 2teaspoons hot paprika or 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 1½cups whole-milk yogurt
- 2tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
- 6large cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2-inch piece of ginger, finely grated
- 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, left whole, or breasts, cut in half lengthwise or in thirds if extra large
- 2tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
- 1large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3tablespoons tomato paste
- 1(28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
- ¾cup heavy cream
- 1½cups coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
639 calories; 37 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 53 grams protein; 1312 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Combine garam masala, turmeric, cumin, paprika, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl.
- Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup yogurt, lemon juice, 3 cloves of garlic, half the ginger and half the spice mixture together. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 4 hours, up to 8 hours.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned in spots, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add tomato paste, remaining garlic, ginger and spice mixture and cook, stirring frequently until spices are fragrant and tomato paste has started caramelizing on the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes.
- Step 4
Crush tomatoes with your hands, leaving some larger bits and add them and any liquid left in the can to the pot along with the heavy cream and 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper and stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally until flavors meld and the sauce is thickened slightly, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cover until chicken is ready (or after cooling, refrigerate if marinating chicken for more than 4 hours).
- Step 5
Once chicken is ready, turn on the broiler and place oven rack about 6 inches away from heat source.
- Step 6
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminium foil and place a wire rack inside the pan. Remove chicken from the marinade, scraping off any excess, and place the pieces on the rack. Broil just until lightly charred in spots, 5 to 7 minutes on the first side, before flipping pieces and broiling an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 7
Bring tomato sauce to a simmer if it’s not already. Remove chicken from the oven and transfer to spiced tomato sauce along with remaining ½ cup yogurt. Continue to simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thickened nicely, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Step 8
Divide chicken among four bowls and top with cilantro. Serve with rice or naan for dipping.
Private Notes
Comments
I don't understand why this and butter chicken recipes never have vegetables in them. I was first served butter chicken with peas, onions and red peppers, along with cashews and golden raisins and plenty of fresh, minced ginger. Often with a side of cauliflower. Have these recipes been stripped down for Americans, or doesn't anyone include veggies?
I wouldn't worry about authenticity or lack thereof: there is nothing authentic about Chicken Tikka Masala, unless you're talking about it being authentically British.
My wife came home from three weeks in India craving the cuisine. This one more than scratched that itch and made me a hero! I have no idea how authentic it is or isn't, but it sure is tasty! I love the NYT Cooking pages and as always try to make the recipes exactly as written on the first try. I did that for this one as well and highly recommend that approach. It's hard for me to make changes if I don't first know what I'm trying to change.
delicious! a bit time consuming but easy and tasted restaurant quality. we had this over rice with a side of TJs frozen palak paneer and garlic naan!
Oh. My. Goodness! This was amazing. Next time, I'll use my grill outside because my broiler in my oven is subpar. Otherwise, this was amazing! When I tasted the sauce before adding the chicken and yogurt, something was "missing" so I added some hot honey, which brought it together. This will go into the regular rotation when the kids visit.
A tasty and easy to make dish. The only thing I will do differently next time is to go a little easier on the lime because this was a tad too tart for my tastebuds.