Chicken Tikka Masala
Use jarred sauce? No—this is the real thing, just streamlined for tonight.
Make this when you want something warm, saucy, and comforting but you do not have the energy for a long project. It is a real chicken tikka masala: browned chicken, a tomato-cream sauce, and familiar warm spices. The shortcut is that it skips the marinade and long simmer without turning into a different dish. You still get a cozy, satisfying dinner that feels like takeout, just faster and with fewer moving parts. Serve it with rice or naan if you have them, or spoon it over toast in a pinch. Expect bold flavor, a creamy sauce, and a stovetop dinner that calms down a tired evening.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs — Cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 unit yellow onion — Finely chopped
- 4 unit garlic cloves — Minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger — Grated
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup plain yogurt — Stirred in off the heat
- 0.5 cup water — Or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1.5 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 0.5 tsp paprika
- 0.25 tsp cayenne — Optional
- 1 tsp salt — Plus more to taste
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp cilantro — Chopped, for serving
Method
- 1 Season the chicken with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, and half the garam masala. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then brown the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes; it does not need to cook through. Transfer it to a plate.
- 2 Lower the heat to medium and add the butter and onion. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.
- 3 Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and water, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce looks slightly thicker.
- 4 Return the chicken and any juices to the skillet. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is bubbling gently.
- 5 Turn off the heat. Stir in the yogurt and remaining garam masala until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with rice or naan and top with cilantro.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Swap the chicken for 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, and simmer them in the sauce for 5 minutes.
- Faster swap — Use thin chicken breast cutlets or bite-size chicken tenders; they cook in less time and still work well in the sauce.
- Substitutions — No yogurt? Use sour cream. No cilantro? Use parsley. Want it richer? Add an extra 2 tbsp butter at the end.
Notes
If you want a deeper color, let the onion cook a minute longer before adding the garlic. Add the yogurt only off the heat so it stays smooth. For the easiest dinner, keep the chicken cut small and the sauce gently simmering, not boiling.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet — A wide pan gives the chicken room to brown instead of steaming.
- Wooden spoon — It helps scrape up the browned bits that build the sauce's flavor.
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