Creamy Chicken Tikka Masala

We mentioned the many variations of tikka masala and we have a few different ways we like to cook the sauce so make sure to check out our tips at the end of the recipe. 

 

• 1/2 cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk 
• Ghee or oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced 
• 2 serrano chilis, seeded and chopped
• One 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes or 8 fresh Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Blender, food processor or immersion blender
• 3tbsp Tikka Masala Spice Mix (However much masala you add depends on how spicy and flavorful you want the dish to be. Start with a little then add more to taste)

 For the Chicken: 

• 1 1/4 cup whole or Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp ginger, grated or minced (for both sauce and chicken marinade)
• 6-8 cloves garlic, grated or minced (for both sauce and chicken marinade)
• 2 large chicken breasts, cubed
• Ghee or oil
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• Salt & pepper
• 1 cup Basmati rice or Naan, for serving 
• 2-3 tbsp Tikka Masala Spice Mix (However much masala you add depends on how spicy and flavorful you want the dish to be. Start with a little then add more to taste)

• In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 tbsp ginger, 4 cloves garlic, tikka masala spice mix, and 1 tsp salt. Then toss the cubed chicken in the marinade until evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Cook the chicken:

• Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 tsp of ghee or oil and cook the chicken in batches, undisturbed, until each piece is browned on the outside. Remove from the pan and set aside. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked and will finish cooking in the sauce.

Make the sauce: 

• In the same pan, add more ghee or oil if needed, and cook the onion, tomato paste, and serrano chilis. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water so it doesn't dry out. Then add garlic (about 2-3 cloves) and 1tbsp ginger and cook, stirring until fragrant and the ginger starts to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

• If using fresh tomatoes, chop finely in a food processor or blender and set aside. To the pan, add a splash of water and 2-3 tbsp Tikka Masala mix, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then add the tomatoes, breaking them up into pieces with a spoon, and bring to a boil.

• Once boiled, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes are very tender, about 10 minutes. (You can let this simmer for longer if you have time- for more flavor)

• Transfer sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.

• Return blended sauce to the pan and turn heat to low and add 1/4 cup heavy cream and stir.

• Add the cubed chicken to the sauce and combine. Cook for another 5-7 minutes on medium-low heat until chicken is fully cooked.

• Top the chicken and sauce with cilantro and serve with rice or naan.