Indian · Dinner

Chicken tikka masala

Name: Chicken tikka masala
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 5 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces; 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 6 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided; 2 tablespoons finely grated ginger, divided; 2 teaspoons garam masala, divided; 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided; 2 teaspoons ground coriander, divided; 2 teaspoons sweet paprika; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne; 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 2 tablespoons neutral oil; 2 tablespoons ghee or butter; 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces; 1 cup chicken stock; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1/2 cup chopped cilantro; 6 cups steamed basmati rice

Smoky charred chicken tikka in a robust British–South Asian onion-tomato masala with toasted cumin, coriander, garam masala, and a measured cream finish.

About 5 hr 10 minTotal

About 1 hr 10 minActive

$$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 6 servings

Equipment

Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Best value covered pot
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched capacity, lid fit, oven rating, heat retention, maneuverability, care, stable model identity, and usefulness outside bread baking. Kwilt has not baked with this pot.
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43: The six-quart capacity, heavy cast-iron body, and fitted lid create the enclosed high-heat environment used by these bread methods while remaining useful beyond baking. Trade-off: At more than thirteen pounds it is demanding to move when hot, and the enamel needs gentler utensils and hand washing.
Another workable path: Bake on a preheated heavy sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl, keeping face and hands clear when removing the hot cover.
Sources
Lodge six-quart Essential Enamel specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 6 servings

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
2 tablespoons finely grated ginger, divided
2 teaspoons garam masala, divided
2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
2 teaspoons ground coriander, divided
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons neutral oil
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
6 cups steamed basmati rice

Instructions

Mix chicken with yogurt, lemon, half the garlic and ginger, half the garam masala, cumin, and coriander, paprika, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate 4 to 24 hours.
Broil chicken on a rack-lined sheet 6 inches from high heat, turning once, until deeply charred at edges and 165°F, 10 to 14 minutes. Do not crowd; work in two batches if needed.
Heat oil and ghee in a . Cook onion with remaining salt over medium until deeply golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add remaining garlic, ginger, cumin, and coriander for 1 minute, then tomato paste for 2 minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes and stock, scrape up fond, and simmer uncovered 20 minutes until the masala is thick and the oil begins to bead at the edges.
Stir in cream, remaining garam masala, and charred chicken and simmer gently 5 minutes. Fold in cilantro and serve with basmati rice.

IndiaIndian restaurant and household cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Chicken tikka masala is a British South Asian restaurant dish with disputed origin stories, often associated with postwar curry-house cooking in Britain. Its identity joins charred chicken tikka with a spiced tomato gravy rather than representing one timeless Indian regional dish.

Chicken tikka masala is a British–South Asian restaurant curry with disputed origin stories and no single standard formula. Its stable identity is separately roasted yogurt-marinated chicken tikka served in a tomato masala. This version intentionally uses a visible browned-onion spice base and chunkier sauce, distinguishing it from Delhi butter chicken's strained buttery gravy. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Use the strongest reviewed rating structure but label the dish's British–South Asian uncertainty plainly and preserve a technical, sensory boundary from adjacent butter chicken.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe

Keep recipes, plan meals, and build the grocery list in Kwilt.

Use the recipe here. Get Kwilt when you want the rest of dinner to stay together.

Get Kwilt for iPhone

See every recipe

Indian · Dinner

Chana masala

Tender chickpeas simmered in a deeply cooked onion-tomato masala with cumin, coriander, garam masala, fenugreek, and bright dried mango.

About 9 hr 50 min6 servings

Indian · Dinner

Dal tadka

Creamy toor and masoor dal cooked with onion and tomato, then awakened at the table by a sizzling ghee tempering of cumin, garlic, dried chile, asafoetida, and paprika.

About 1 hr6 servings

Indian · Dinner

Malai kofta

Feather-light paneer-potato kofta with raisin-cashew centers, fried crisp and served at the last moment in a silken tomato-cashew-cream gravy.

About 3 hr 35 min6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Keep recipes, plan meals, and build the grocery list in Kwilt.

Cook something else

Chana masala

Dal tadka

Malai kofta