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Indian · British

Chicken tikka masala

Non-vegetarian

Yoghurt-marinated chicken tikka, charred under a hot grill, then simmered in a creamy, gently spiced tomato sauce. One of the world's best-known curry-house dishes.

Chicken tikka masala is an Indian curry, ready in about 1 hour and made with chicken breast, tomato passata and heavy cream. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Chicken tikka masala: chicken pieces in creamy orange tomato sauce with coriander
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-2.0
Prep
20 min
Cook
40 min
Total
1 h
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
467

Plus at least 1 hour marinating.

Ingredients

4 servings

Tikka marinade

Masala sauce

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the chicken with all the marinade ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

    • 5 min

    Food safety: Keep marinating chicken refrigerated; wash hands and boards after handling.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Thread the chicken onto skewers (opens in a new tab) or spread on a lined tray and grill under a very hot grill, turning once, until charred at the edges.

    Food safety: The chicken finishes cooking in the sauce; it must reach 74 °C.

    Food cooking over a grill
    How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile melt the butter (opens in a new tab) and soften the onion (opens in a new tab). Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and green chilli (opens in a new tab), then the coriander, chilli and turmeric (opens in a new tab), and stir for 30 seconds.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Add the passata, sugar (opens in a new tab) and salt and simmer until thick and the oil separates. Blend smooth if you like a restaurant-style sauce.

    • 10 min
    • medium-low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the cream and garam masala (opens in a new tab), add the grilled chicken and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through. Scatter with coriander.

    • 6 min
    • low heat

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedClaimed by restaurants in Britain (often Glasgow) and widely regarded as a curry-house creation, but closely related to Indian butter chicken, so its origin is contested between the UK and India.Also popular in United Kingdom, India, United States
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Marinated / cured, Broiled / grilled under heat, Simmered
Taste
creamy, smoky, tangy, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Child-friendly · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Chicken breast · Tomato passata · Heavy cream · Yogurt · Lemon juice · Garlic
Techniques
Broiling · Simmering · Bhunao · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom yogurt, butter, heavy cream

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

467 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 401 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 38%
  • Carbohydrate 18%
  • Fat 44%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy467 kcal116 kcal
Protein44.6 g11.1 g
Carbohydrate20.8 g5.2 g
Net carbohydrate16.6 g4.1 g
Sugars10.2 g2.5 g
Added sugars1 g0.3 g
Fibre4.2 g1 g
Fat23.3 g5.8 g
Saturated fat12.5 g3.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol182 mg45 mg
Sodium1203 mg300 mg
Salt equivalent3 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1278 mg
Calcium
133 mg
Iron
3.9 mg
Magnesium
97 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
258 µg
Vitamin C
21 mg
Vitamin D
0.5 µg
Vitamin B12
0.6 µg
Folate (DFE)
39 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: dried fenugreek leaves, coriander leaves.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) gives the classic curry-house aroma — don't skip it if you can find it.

Common mistakes

  • Fully cooking the tikka under the grill and then simmering it again — it dries out. Char it, then finish in the sauce.

Serve with

  • Serve with pilau rice, naan and a cucumber raita.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated; freezes for 2 months.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if thick.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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