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Chicken Tikka Masala – Grilled Chicken in Spiced Sauce

For chicken tikka masala, you first grill marinated pieces of chicken, the tikka. Then they go into a masala of onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and toasted spices. Greek yogurt in the marinade keeps the meat juicy and clings well.

By Laura Chen · October 27, 2026
Chicken Tikka Masala (KI-generiertes Bild)
1 Std 55 Mintotal
4servings
385kcal
IndianCuisine ›
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The dish differs from butter chicken in the sauce: tikka masala gets more onions, more cumin and coriander, and less cream and butter. That makes the sauce more savory and robust. If you like it hotter, leave the seeds in the green chili.

Serve the curry with pan-cooked naan or basmati rice. For a feast, cook a chicken biryani alongside, and a mango lassi tastes good served cold.

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Chicken Tikka Masala – Grilled Chicken in Spiced Sauce

Laura Chen
Servings

4

Prep time

80 minutes

Cook time

35 minutes

Calories

385

Cuisine

Indian

Category

Main course

Chicken tikka masala is a curry of grilled chicken marinated in yogurt, in a spiced tomato and onion sauce. Compared with butter chicken, it uses more onions and spices and less cream. Including marinating time, plan on 80 minutes of preparation.
Chicken Tikka Masala (AI-generated image)

Ingredients

    For the tikka:

    • 600 g chicken breast fillet, in 4 cm cubes
    • 150 g Greek yogurt (10% fat)
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
    • 1 piece ginger (2 cm), finely grated
    • 2 tsp garam masala (Indian spice blend)
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (mild red chili powder)
    • 1 tsp ground cumin
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

    For the masala:

    • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 2 onions (200 g), finely diced
    • 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
    • 1 piece ginger (3 cm), finely grated
    • 1 green chili, finely chopped
    • 1 tbsp tomato paste
    • 1 tsp ground cumin
    • 2 tsp ground coriander
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
    • 1 can chopped tomatoes (400 g)
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 100 ml heavy cream
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
    • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish

    Instructions

    1. Stir all the tikka ingredients except the chicken until smooth. Mix in the chicken and let it marinate, covered, in the fridge for at least 60 minutes.
    2. Preheat the oven broiler to its highest setting. Thread the chicken onto skewers or lay it on a rack over a baking sheet and broil it for 12 minutes on the top shelf. Turn it after 6 minutes. The edges should get dark, charred spots.
    3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide pot and fry the onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
    4. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chili for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, cumin, coriander and chili powder and toast everything for 1 minute, until fragrant.
    5. Add the tomatoes and salt and simmer the masala for 10 minutes, until oil separates at the edge. Blend it roughly if you like a smooth sauce.
    6. Stir in the cream and garam masala, put the grilled tikka in the sauce and let it steep for 5 minutes over low heat, until the meat reaches 74 °C (165 °F) inside.
    7. Crush the kasuri methi between your fingers over the pot, stir it in and sprinkle the curry with cilantro.

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    More recipes: Indian recipes · Curry recipes · All Asian recipes

    Image: AI-generated.

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