Restaurant-Style Chicken Tikka Masala
Make this creamy restaurant-style Chicken Tikka Masala recipe with rich Indian flavors using simple ingredients, all in one pan at home. This Tikka Masala is a rich and flavorful dish made with yogurt marinated, grilled chicken chunks simmered in a creamy, spiced tomato sauce. Here's how to make it with step by step photos and a video.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 560kcal
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pan
Ingredients
For chicken tikka marinade
- 600 g boneless and skinless chicken breasts/thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (Skip if curd is sour)
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon spicy red chili powder (for heat)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (for color)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 teaspoon oil
- ¼ cup hung curd/yogurt (how to make hung curd, in notes below)
- 1 teaspoon roasted & crushed Kasuri Methi
To make tikka masala sauce
- 3 tablespoon oil (any neutral flavor oil)
- 2 tablespoon butter optional (you can reduce the quantity but do not skip adding it)
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste or use minced garlic and grated ginger
- 1 finely chopped green chili optional
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 400 g fresh tomato puree or tomato passata
- ½ teaspoon sugar optional
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon Kasuri methi roasted and crushed
- Coriander leaves
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken with ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, garam masala, oil, kasuri methi, and yogurt. Cover and keep marinated chicken tikka aside for 30 minutes.
- Chop onion and green chili. Keep it aside.
Making Chicken Tikka
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the marinated chicken pieces. Avoid overcrowding the pan, fry in two batches if necessary.
- Cook the marinated chicken on medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until char marks appear. Flip the pieces and cook the other side until charred as well. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point. Remove the chicken tikka to a plate. Charring is important for that restaurant style flavor.
Making Tikka Masala Sauce
- In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Heat the butter until melted.
- Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until golden brown.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and green chili, and sauté for one minute.
- Next, add the Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder. Sauté for one minute, being careful not to burn the spices.
- Pour in the tomato purée (passata). Stir to combine and cook the tikka sauce until it boils.
- Add ½ cup of water and sugar. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the oil separates from the tikka masala. Stir occasionally as needed.
- Add the heavy cream and the previously cooked chicken tikka back to the pan. Cook over low-medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Taste the tikka masala sauce and add salt as needed.
- Finally, add the Kasuri methi and coriander leaves. Cook for one minute. Remove from heat. Serve with steamed rice and naan. Simple and tasty tikka masala is ready to serve. Serve with Naan bread.
Video
Notes
- To make hung curd: Place regular curd (yogurt) in a muslin cloth or cheesecloth, tie it up, and hang it over a bowl to drain excess whey for 3-4 hours. Once the whey is drained, you’re left with thick, creamy hung curd, perfect for tikka marinade.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to 2 hours. If marinating for longer than 30 minutes then cover and keep it in the refrigerator. It makes the chicken juicy and tender.
- Cook chicken tikka on high heat. Never cook tikka on low heat. The griddle/pan should be hot enough, when you put the chicken on the pan, you hear the sizzling sound. This will make the exterior of the chicken crispy while keeping the chicken tender & juicy.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan. There should be some space between the chicken pieces while frying them. I fried the chicken pieces in two batches.
- You can adjust the spiciness in this tikka masala recipe by increasing or decreasing the amount of red chili powder. Skip green chilies, if you prefer less spicy.
- If the curd or yogurt you are using is sour then skip the addition of lemon juice in chicken tikka marinade.
- For the authentic orange-red color tikka masala sauce, the combination of turmeric powder and Kashmiri red chili powder gives bright orange color to the tikka sauce (masala). If you substitute Kashmiri red chili powder with other red chili powder, you will miss the color.
- For restaurant-style smoky flavor: The key to achieving that restaurant-style smoky flavor:
1) Marinating the chicken: I always marinate my chicken for at least 2 hours to ensure it’s tender and flavorful. Do not marinate it for more than 4 hours. If you need to marinate it overnight, store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator to prevent the chicken from breaking down too much.
2) Cooking at high heat: Whether using a grill, oven, or stovetop, high heat is essential to get those slightly charred edges.
3) Using a Tandoor or grill pan: If you have a tandoor or an outdoor grill, nothing beats the authentic smoky flavor. However, even a simple pan/cast-iron pan works just as well.
4) The Dhungar method (smoke infusion): After grilling the chicken, you can place a piece of hot charcoal in a small bowl inside the dish, add a few drops of ghee, and cover it for 15 minutes. This imparts a deep, restaurant-style smokiness to the tikka masala. I used the same method in my Dum Ka Chicken. However, when cooking tikka masala, I often skip this step and don't notice much difference. This is just my personal opinion. - Storage Suggestions:
-
- If you are planning to store this tikka masala, store it within 2 hours of cooking.
- To Refrigerate - Let the leftovers come to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Stays good for 2 days. Reheat and serve.
- To Freeze - Allow it to cool down to room temperature. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Stays good for a month. Thaw the dish overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat & serve.
- To reheat on the stovetop - Pour in ¼ cup of water to thin out the sauce. Heat it on low heat until piping hot and serve.
- To reheat in the microwave - Sprinkle some water over it; cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid to prevent the sauce from splattering. Reheat until piping hot and serve.
-
Nutrition
Calories: 560kcal