Chicken Tikka Masala… also known as Tiki Tiki to my husband who can never remember what it is actually called, is one of our favorite meals. It’s a delicious Indian dish served over rice and usually served with naan (Indian flat bread) on the side. Loaded with lots of spices (cumin being my fav), a kick of heat (jalapenos… amount can be adjusted based on your heat tolerance), and creamy! Y-U-M! I ordered this at an Indian restaurant once and this recipe tastes just like it but is WAY less expensive.
Naan on the side is a must! If you’re going to make an Indian dish, go all out and do it right! Plus, it’s fun to have something new and different. Right!?
Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 10-12 boneless skinless chicken tenders, ~1 pound, cut in bite size pieces
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, veins and seeds removed, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- In a large bowl, mix together yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, black pepper, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Stir in chicken pieces and allow to marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
For the Sauce:
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add jalapeno and cook until tender (about 3-4 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cumin, paprika, salt, tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.
- While sauce simmers, grill chicken on an oiled George Foreman grill for 6-7 minutes or place chicken on skewers and grill on an oiled barbecue for 5 minutes on each side.
- Add grilled chicken to sauce and simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Serve chicken over white or brown rice (or a mix), garnish with cilantro, and serve with naan.
Recipe Source: Adapted from food.com (changed some ingredients and amounts of some spices)
(Nutrition facts do not include the rice.)
(Originally posted 2/8/14. Post updated 6/6/14 with new pictures and nutrition facts.)
I recommend wearing gloves when handling the jalapeno (or just touch as little as possible). One time when making a different dish with jalapenos I wasn’t really thinking… and then my hands were on FIRE. But one solution is to soak your hands in milk or yogurt for a few minutes.
Making this for dinner… How many ounces was the can of tomato sauce you used? A normal 15 oz can or one of those smaller ones?
Oh sorry about that! It’s a 8 ounce can. I’ll fix that on the recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
Awesome! Thanks!
I absolutely love Indian food, so I am definitely pinning this. I am looking forward to trying it! I would love for you to come link it up with us at Foodie Fridays!
Thanks Michelle! And I appreciate your invite! I’ll link it up this Friday.
We made this tonight and it was SO good! We love Indian food and this was like going to the restaurant!
Oh I’m so glad you guys liked it! It’s one of my favorites.
Making this again tonight — I’ve made it like 4 times over the past two years and rarely repeat recipes so that’s a good sign!! 🙂