Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe a Simple Pantry Easy

Published: Aug 18, 2021 Last Updated: Aug 18, 2021 by

This tasty chicken tikka masala with vegetables is perfect for when you are craving comfort food or need a quick weeknight meal. Tender, golden pieces of marinated chicken and vegetables come together in a luxuriously creamy curry sauce that is mild enough for the whole family to enjoy. And everything comes together in around 30 minutes, or can be prepped ahead for an even faster meal!

Why you'll love this recipe

• An easy dinner recipe made with simple pantry ingredients
• For this recipe, the yoghurt helps to tenderise the chicken and the spices infuse it with loads of flavour.
• Everything you want in a tikka masala; comforting, packed with flavour with a tangy and rich curry sauce. Guaranteed to rival your favourite takeaway!
• Meal prep friendly; all of the elements can be prepared ahead of time, ready to throw together on a busy night.
• Customise to add your favourite veggies, or use whatever you have in the fridge or freezer. Not sure what vegetables go with tikka masala? Choose from the list below!
• Serve it with steaming hot rice, a sprinkle of fresh coriander or even some roti bread to mop up the extra curry sauce.

Ingredients you will need

**This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Chicken thighs. Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The brown meat in chicken has much more flavour and stays moist and tender after it has been cooked. If preferred, chicken breast can be used. But it will be drier than thigh fillets.
• Vegetables. There are so many vegetables that go well with chicken masala. You can use fresh or frozen veggies. Just add 2 cups of your favourites. I use cauliflower florets, diced carrot and frozen peas. Spinach leaves are a great addition too, or even a can of lentils or chickpeas for added protein. For more ideas, I've added a list of suggestions below.
• Spices. This recipe uses simple pantry spices like turmeric, garam masala, ground coriander, cumin and paprika. There's nothing tricky here. All of these spices can be easily found in your local supermarket.
• Greek yoghurt is used with lemon juice to make a tikka masala marinade which tenderises the chicken and adds flavour.
• Canned tomatoes. Plain, unflavoured canned tomatoes are best.
• Ghee is a form of clarified butter that is commonly used in Indian cuisines. It is ideal for frying and cooking at high temperatures due to its high smoke point. It can be found it most supermarkets. Alternatively, vegetable or canola oil can be used instead.
• Thickened cream is used as a base for the sauce, along with the canned tomatoes and spices. You can use low fat cream, if preferred. Coconut milk can also be used instead, although this will alter the final taste.
• Complete the tikka masala by scooping it over some steaming hot basmati rice with some roti bread. I love the roti found in Aldi supermarkets, or you can also try making your own!

Step by step guide

For the marinade;

Coat the chicken pieces in the yoghurt and spices to tenderise. Leaving it covered for 1-2 hours or overnight allows maximum flavour infusion, but use the time that you have.

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Chargrill the chicken in a smoking hot wok, under a grill/broiler or on a barbeque until cooked with the edges slightly smoky and charred. Remove the chicken from the heat to rest.

Heat the veggies along with the spices until fragrant.

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Make the sauce: simmer the vegetables in the canned tomatoes and cream for 8-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and becomes a deeper red flavour. Stir through the chicken and simmer for a further 1-2 minutes.

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Serve over rice with some lemon or lime wedges and your favourite sides.

Full ingredient list and instructions are found in the recipe card below.

Expert tips

1. Marinate the chicken overnight, if possible. The longer the chicken sits in the tikka masala marinade, the more flavour is able to soak in. This dish is perfect for meal prep, because it can sit covered in the fridge for 1-2 days before cooking.
2. While the chicken is cooked at a high heat to get a lovely charred flavour, the sauce should be cooked over medium-low heat. Because the sauce contains cream, it can split if cooked too high too quickly.
3. In a rush? Add some leftover shredded chicken or even a BBQ rotisserie chicken to the curry sauce instead of marinating, if required. While the flavours won't be as full, it still makes a tasty dinner in a hurry!
4. While this recipe uses a wok or frying pan for convenience, grilling or barbequing the chicken will give an even better flavour. It will adds a lovely, smoky char and depth of flavour.
5. Customise with any fresh or frozen vegetables that you have waiting in your fridge.
6. Storage: keep the finished tikka masala in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Re-heat on the stove top or in the microwave until steaming.
7. How to serve; serve tikka masala with vegetables, steamed basmati or white rice, toasted pita or pan-fried naan bread. Top it with chopped coriander and serve with lemon or lime wedges on the side. Garlic naan or roti bread is perfect for mopping up the extra curry sauce!
8. Meal prep: all of the elements can be made ahead of time and stored, ready to add to the pan. Add the chicken to the marinade, cover and store in the fridge overnight. The veggies can be chopped and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The tikka masala powder can be mixed together and stored in a container in your pantry, ready to add to the pan.

Vegetables for tikka masala

Customise to add 2 cups of any of the following veggies;

• Diced sweet potato
• Diced potato
• Sliced onion
• Frozen peas
• Broccoli florets
• Cauliflower florets
• Diced carrot
• Red capsicum
• Spinach leaves
• Diced or shredded zucchini (squeeze out any excess liquid before cooking).
• Diced eggplant (particularly nice when grilled!)

You can also add up to one can of lentils or chickpeas.

FAQs

Can you reheat chicken tikka masala?

Yes! Aside from reheating beautifully, it also tastes even better the next day, because the flavours have had more time to develop. Re-heat in a pan over medium heat until steaming hot. Or, microwave in 30-40 second bursts, stirring in between until heated through.

What vegetables go with tikka masala?

Add your favourites! I use cauliflower, carrots and peas to the sauce for added flavour and texture, as well as a handful of spinach leaves. But you can add any fresh or frozen veggies you have on hand.

Can you freeze chicken tikka masala?

Yes, you can! Although I recommend leaving the cream out until you are ready to re-heat and eat. While it is perfectly fine to freeze the sauce with the cream added, the cream can become grainy in the freezer and separate once defrosted and re-heated. If you plan on freezing it for later use, cook the recipe as per the instructions below, but omit the cream. When re-heating, add the thawed tikka masala to the pan, add the cream and simmer for a few minutes until thickened and heated through.

• Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry (Thai Green Curry)

• Chilli Sin Carne (Vegetarian Chilli)

• Garlic Chilli Chicken with Turmeric

• Thai Basil Fried Rice

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For the marinated chicken

• ▢ 600 grams chicken thigh fillets cut into small pieces
• ▢ ½ cup Greek yoghurt unsweetened
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic crushed
• ▢ 1 tsp fresh ginger finely grated
• ▢ 1 tsp ground coriander
• ▢ 1 tsp garam masala
• ▢ 1 tsp turmeric ground
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ black pepper
• ▢ 2 tbsp lemon juice

For the tikka masala sauce

• ▢ 3-4 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 cups vegetables of choice cauliflower, frozen peas and carrot (or add your favourites from the list above)
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves crushed
• ▢ 6 tsp ground cumin
• ▢ 6 tsp ground paprika
• ▢ ½-1 tsp salt or to taste
• ▢ pepper
• ▢ 3 cups canned tomatoes diced (around 600 grams)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups thickened cream 375ml. You can use low fat cream if preferred.
• ▢ chilli powder (optional) to taste

To serve

• ▢ steamed basmati or white rice
• ▢ roti or naan bread
• ▢ lemon or lime wedges

For the chicken

• Place the yoghurt and other marinade ingredients into a small bowl and stir. Add the chicken pieces and cover. Place in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. (Overnight or 1-2 hours is ideal, where possible).

• Heat a barbeque grill or large pan/wok until smoking hot. Add 2 tbs of the ghee or oil (if using a pan, omit for BBQ) and grill the chicken on all sides until slightly charred and cooked through. You may have to do this in batches to prevent the marinade from stewing the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate to rest.

For the tikka masala sauce

• In the same wok or frying pan, heat the remaining ghee or oil over medium heat. Add the vegetables, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper (and chilli powder if desired) and stir for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

• Stir in the tomatoes and cream. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat. Cook over medium-low heat for ten minutes, stirring until the sauce has reduced and thickened. **Don't cook on high heat or the sauce may split.

• Add the cooked chicken through the thickened sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for a further 1-2 minutes.

• Serve immediately over steamed rice with naan or roti bread and lemon or lime wedges. Enjoy!

1. Marinate the chicken overnight, if possible. The longer the chicken sits in the tikka masala marinade, the more flavour is able to soak in. This dish is perfect for meal prep, because it can sit covered in the fridge for 1-2 days before cooking.
2. For a deeper colour and tomato flavour, you can also add 1 heaped tablespoon of tomato paste (optional).
3. Vegetables for tikka masala: customise to add 2 cups of any of the following veggies; diced sweet potato, diced potato, sliced onion, frozen peas, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, diced carrot, red capsicum, spinach leaves, diced or shredded zucchini (squeeze out any excess liquid before cooking), diced eggplant (particularly nice when grilled!).
4. While the chicken is cooked at a high heat to get a lovely charred flavour, the tikka masala sauce should be cooked over medium-low heat. Because the sauce contains cream, the sauce can split if cooked too high too quickly.
5. In a rush? Add some leftover shredded chicken or even a bbq rotisserie chicken to the curry sauce instead of marinating, if required. While the flavours won't be as full, it still makes a tasty dinner in a hurry!
6. While this recipe uses a wok or frying pan for convenience, grilling or barbequing the chicken will give an even better flavour. It will adds a lovely, smoky char and depth of flavour.
7. Use any fresh or frozen vegetables that you have waiting in your fridge.
8. Storage: keep the finished tikka masala in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Re-heat on the stove top or in the microwave until steaming.
9. How to serve; serve tikka masala with vegetables, steamed basmati or white rice, toasted pita or pan-fried naan bread. Top it with chopped coriander and serve with lemon or lime wedges on the side. Garlic naan or roti bread is perfect for mopping up the extra curry sauce!
10. Meal prep: all of the elements can be made ahead of time and stored, ready to add to the pan. Add the chicken to the marinade, cover and store in the fridge overnight. The veggies can be chopped and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The tikka masala powder can be mixed together and stored in a container in your pantry, ready to add to the pan.
11. Please note that thenutrition informationis based on the tikka masala being divided into six bowls, with each bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any rice, roti or other sides served with the tikka masala.
12. This recipe is made usingAustralian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Calories: 498 kcal | Carbohydrates: 25 g | Protein: 24 g | Fat: 35 g | Saturated Fat: 15 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 152 mg | Sodium: 685 mg | Potassium: 868 mg | Fiber: 7 g | Sugar: 7 g | Vitamin A: 5669 IU | Vitamin C: 23 mg | Calcium: 144 mg | Iron: 5 mg

Update Notes:This recipe was originally published in April 2019, but was re-published with new information and photos in August 2021.

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Source: https://www.thecookingcollective.com.au/easy-chicken-tikka-masala-recipe/

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