Chicken Tikka Masala

A favorite found on so many Indian restaurant menus in cities across America, I like to think of Chicken Tikka Masala almost as the General Tso’s Chicken of Indian cuisine. It probably didn’t actually originate in the country it’s purported to be from, but almost everyone’s tried it, and everyone who’s tried it loves it. Chicken tikka masala is a warm blanket of creamy, spicy, flavorful goodness, and the sauce soaked into a pile of basmati rice is my happy place. I’d mostly left this dish to the professionals, until I discovered this recipe on Food.com. It seemed relatively simple, and it was a good way to use up a bunch of spices that don’t really get to see that light of day that often in our kitchen—garam masala, annatto, and ground coriander to name a few. The results of this chicken tikka masala recipe were spectacular, and it was surprisingly quick to pull together. After a couple hours of marinating time, the entire dish was done within 20 minutes or so––faster than our local Indian takeout guys take to deliver to our apartment. Win!

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe Instructions

Thoroughly combine the chicken with all the marinade ingredients and allow to marinate for 2-3 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Sear the chicken on all sides. Meanwhile, in another large skillet, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter over medium heat, and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add the garam masala, ground coriander, turmeric powder, cumin, paprika, and salt. Cook for another minute. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Bring the heat down, and when the sauce is no longer bubbling, stir in the cream. Cook over medium low heat, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly. When the chicken is browned, add it to the sauce. Allow everything to simmer for 5-8 minutes. Stir in the cilantro (if using).  You have just made your chicken tikka masala in less than 30 minutes after the chicken was done marinating!  Be sure to serve your chicken tikka masala with lots of basmati rice!