Indian food has become my very favorite type of food to eat. Ironically, it was my teenage son who really got me interested in it. I don’t really think of Indian Cuisine as being popular with teenagers, but my son and his friends love to go out to several of the nearby Indian restaurants. They especially love the lunch buffets. They can eat their fill, plus try some new foods.
One of my favorite Indian dishes is the ever popular Chicken Tikka Masala. I love the contrast of sweetness and spice in it and the richness from the cream. I haven’t really done much Indian cooking at home because it seems so foreign to me, but when I saw this slow cooker Chicken Tikka Masala recipe on Pinterest, I thought- That’s something I can make.
And it turned out fabulously well. The sauce is wonderfully thick and rich, with loads of flavor. The chicken pieces are moist and tender and almost just become a part of the sauce. The only change I might make would be to add a little more chicken. If you want it to have a significant amount of chicken, maybe use 3 or 4 pounds instead of two. But let’s face it, people who like Chicken Tikka Masala like it for the sauce, not the chicken.
Of course Tikka Masala must be served with some warm Na’an to mop up the sauce and some rice, preferably Basmati or Jasmine.
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Watch the short video below to see how to make Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless,, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion,, diced
- 6 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons garam masala
- 2-3 inch piece ginger,, peeled and grated
- 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 10- ounce bag frozen peas,, thawed
- rice
- cilantro
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, ground coriander, cumin, and salt. Toss to combine. Stir in yogurt, coating chicken evenly. Marinate for at least 10 minutes.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to slow cooker. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- In same skillet, add 1 more tablespoon olive oil. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes and saute until onions are softened and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt ,garam masala, and ginger and cook 1 more minute. Add tomatoes and sugar, turn heat to high, and bring to a boil. Pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on LOW.
- Whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup heavy cream and add to crockpot along with remaining heavy cream and peas. Stir to combine. Cover and continue to cook 10 minutes on HIGH.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from A Dash of Cinnamon
More Slow cooker recipes
I don’t see the peas or the cilantro explained in the recipe at all. Also tasted very much like a curry chicken and very little like a tikka masala. Still tasty though.
Delicious. It is a regular in our house!
I make this recipe almost weekly and have for years now! It’s delicious and we LOVE it. I use chicken breast and it does NOT dry out. I also cook it 3-4 hours on high and it’s perfect.
Hi! Have you ever made this on the stovetop using this recipe? Got all prepped but didn’t get it into the crockpot due to morning nap revolts… wondering if I can still make it on the stove?
Hi, this is an Indian recipe…In India you rarely use an oven…so yea, look up an Indian recipe and use the on top of stove method…but this is a good recipe…
Hello!
I made this and double checked every step, but the end result is still sour tasting. This is the third tikka masala recipe I’ve tried and it always looks right but then tastes sour. Any advice? Is it the crushed tomatoes?
What is the nutrition info for this?
I made this for a dinner party last night and everyone loved it! I was delighted. I was worried that I had used breast meat and it would be dry but it was perfect and so tasty. I used like 2/3 cream and 1/3 coconut milk and used the rest of the coconut milk in the rice. It was a good amount of spice too. My husband prefers milder curry so I put out some Greek yoghurt with cumin. Thanks so much for the recipe!