Recipes

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is most often found at Indian restaurants where I have eaten, but you will be amazed at how easy this meal is to prepare at home! By creating a rich seasoning mixture featuring vibrant ground turmeric, marinating tender chicken breasts in plain yogurt inside a medium mixing bowl, and letting the savory tomato and heavy cream sauce simmer in your fry pan before smoothing it out with an immersion blender, you get a restaurant-quality meal. It is absolutely perfect when served with fresh garlic naan.

Tom the Chef Tom the Chef Founder
Published:
July 30, 2026

Before You Start

Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…

Welcome to My Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

I am so excited to share my favorite Chicken Tikka Masala recipe with you. Chicken Tikka Masala is most often found at Indian restaurants where I have eaten, but you will be amazed at how easy this meal is to prepare in your own kitchen! The magic begins when we create a heavily spiced seasoning mixture using fragrant ground turmeric, coriander, cumin, and fresh garlic in a medium mixing bowl. We use a portion of this mix to marinate our chicken breasts along with white plain yogurt, which tenderizes the meat beautifully. After searing the meat, we build a luscious sauce in a large fry pan, enriching crushed tomatoes with heavy cream. We let the sauce simmer gently, process it with an immersion blender to achieve that silky smooth texture, and then finish cooking the meat inside the sauce. Serving this warm, comforting dish with a side of garlic naan and Indian rice makes for an unforgettable dinner. You can top the final plate with some toasted almond slices, but please note that is a modification that is not part of the recipe. I know you will love how this turns out!

Creating the Perfect Seasoning Mixture

The foundation of this incredible Chicken Tikka Masala relies heavily on the authentic seasoning mixture we put together first. I start by placing my spices into a medium mixing bowl. You will need 5 teaspoons of ground turmeric, 4 teaspoons of ground ginger, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin, 1 tablespoon of ground coriander, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, a quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a pinch of ground cloves, half a teaspoon of salt, and 5 cloves of peeled and grated garlic. I stir all of these together with a french whisk until they are fully mixed, which takes about 30 seconds. This step is crucial because it distributes the ground turmeric and other spices evenly. Once mixed, I take about two thirds of this seasoning mixture and put it into a small food container, placing it in the refrigerator for later when we build the sauce in our fry pan. The remaining one third stays right in the medium mixing bowl for the next step, where it will meet the plain yogurt and chicken breasts.

Prepping and Marinating the Chicken Breasts

Correct preparation of meat should be a regular step for any cook, and it is vital for our Chicken Tikka Masala. I take 1 and a half pounds of chicken breasts, which is about 3 to 4 pieces, and ensure they are properly rinsed under cold water with all unwanted parts removed. Using my chef’s knife on a cutting board, I cut the chicken breasts into large pieces, getting about 6 pieces from each breast. I then add the cut chicken breasts directly into the medium mixing bowl that still holds the reserved one third of our seasoning mixture. To this, I add 1 cup of white plain yogurt. I thoroughly fold all of it together with a silicone spatula so every piece is coated in the plain yogurt and ground turmeric spice blend. I cover the medium mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes on the countertop, though letting it sit overnight in the refrigerator is highly preferred. This step ensures the meat will be incredibly flavorful before we sear it in the fry pan and let it simmer in the heavy cream sauce.

Searing the Marinated Meat in the Fry Pan

Once the chicken breasts have finished marinating in the plain yogurt and seasoning mixture, it is time to cook them for our Chicken Tikka Masala. You have two options here: you can grill them on skewers over medium heat, or you can sauté them. For the sauté method, I preheat a large stir fry pan or sauté pan on medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of frying oil. I add the marinated chicken breasts from the medium mixing bowl and sear them with occasional stirring. You want to reach a nice sear, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes, but it is very important that the protein is not fully cooked yet. The inside should still be raw because the chicken breasts will finish cooking later when they simmer in the sauce alongside the heavy cream. Once I achieve that beautiful sear from the ground turmeric and plain yogurt marinade, I put the protein aside on a plate while I prepare to make the sauce in the same fry pan.

Building and Simmering the Heavy Cream Sauce

The rich, creamy sauce is what makes Chicken Tikka Masala so iconic. In my large stir fry pan, I preheat another 2 tablespoons of frying oil on medium-high heat and add 1 finely chopped medium onion, sautéing it with occasional stirring for about 2 to 3 minutes until glossy. Next, I add 4 cups of crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon of crushed dried pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon of dried cilantro, half a teaspoon of salt, 1 and three quarter cups of heavy cream, and the reserved seasoning mixture from the small food container in the refrigerator. I thoroughly stir them together until the heavy cream and ground turmeric blend beautifully. I bring the mixture to a simmer at about 195 degrees Fahrenheit with occasional stirring. Then, I lower the heat to medium and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much during this cooking phase in the fry pan, I consider adding water a quarter cup at a time, followed by vigorous stirring until fully combined.

Using the Immersion Blender and Finalizing the Dish

After the sauce has had time to simmer and the flavors of the heavy cream and seasoning mixture have married, it is time to achieve that perfect restaurant texture for our Chicken Tikka Masala. While the sauce is still cooking in the fry pan, I take my immersion blender and briefly process the sauce for about 30 to 60 seconds until it is completely smooth. You can use a food processor or a regular blender, but an immersion blender is by far the easiest tool. Once the sauce is silky, I add the seared chicken breasts back into the fry pan and briefly stir everything together. I let it simmer on medium heat with occasional stirring for about 10 to 15 minutes, ensuring all ingredients are nicely blended and the chicken breasts are fully cooked. I always check with a food thermometer to make sure the poultry has reached the minimum recommended safe serving temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I taste the sauce, add salt and pepper if needed, and then serve this glorious meal over Indian rice alongside fresh garlic naan for the ultimate dining experience!

Recipe

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