This is the best chicken tikka masala recipe ever! It tastes just like the restaurant and will fool even the most hardcore of takeout enthusiasts. Rich and creamy with tender bites of chicken, this best ever chicken tikka masala recipe offers paleo, Whole30, and dairy-free options for a healthy Indian meal.
Chicken tikka masala is a gateway drug.
Having never before tasted a spicy and sour rassam, never dunked a crispy piece of pakora in bright green chutney, never fought over the last gulab jamun in the order, most of us start with chicken tikka masala. It’s considered the official dish of the United Kingdom and is almost certainly the unofficial first-timer’s order the world over. Maybe it’s the description on the menu:
Mesquite broiled Chicken-Tikka cooked with bell pepper, onions in a tomato butter sauce
Chicken tikka prepared in tomato cream sauce.
Pieces of chicken tikka cooked in a creamy sauce with fresh tomato and exotic spices.
I see a few words in each of those descriptions, don’t you? Tomato. Cream. Butter.
Indian cuisine neophytes across the country are pointing at that item on the menu, claiming “It couldn’t be bad.” And oh, are they so very wrong.
The recipe for the best chicken tikka masala is quite possibly the heavenliest dish on the face of the planet, if you’re asking me (and you are, aren’t you?). The heady mix of spices, the slow-cooked onions and garlic, the creamy, buttery ho-my-goodness sauce: it draws most Indian food newbies in instantaneously, converting them for life.
The problem is that a restaurant style chicken tikka masala recipe is weirdly hard to make at home. No, I take that back; it’s really hard to find. I’ve been working at nailing it for over a decade now, with no real luck. Sure, the recipes I made were great, awesome takes at Indian curries. But did they taste like restaurant-style chicken tikka masala? Was it the best chicken tikka masala recipe? Not quite. There was just something missing.
So a little while back, I decided to do some research into what restaurants really do to produce that unbelievable dish. I read through plenty of theory, different elements that combine to create the dish you know and love. I paired those new techniques with a recipe I altered to fit a paleo diet (and Whole30 for that matter!), and, most importantly, I had very low expectations.
And so when I tasted that first bite, it was sheer delight when I realized I’d done it. Finally, the restaurant style chicken tikka masala recipe I’d been dreaming of! The slow-cooked onions, garlic, tomatoes, and spices; the rich and creamy coconut milk; the heady spices and fenugreek. It surpassed every previous attempt I’d made with flying colors.
Why this is the best chicken tikka masala recipe
- It utilizes authentic caramelization processes to produce a tikka masala that tastes just like the restaurant.
- It’s rich and creamy and smooth and spicy and perfect.
- There are Whole30, paleo, and dairy-free options, making it super healthy and workable for even restrictive diets.
Tips to make the best chicken tikka masala recipe
Do not skip the caramelization process either with the aromatics or the tomato sauce. If you do, you’ll end up with a less-than Indian curry, and not the best chicken tikka masala recipe ever! Seriously, if you make this and find it isn’t the best ever, you didn’t caramelize it all long enough!
I used full-fat plain yogurt as a marinade, but if you’re paleo or on a Whole30, you can skip that without missing too much.
Where can I find fenugreek leaves?
Fenugreek leaves are optional but oh, they put the dish over the top. Do use them if you can find them! I bought a big box at an Asian market and have barely made a dent in it. If you like Indian food, you’ll be super happy to have a box of fenugreek leaves at home. I use them in my saag chicken recipe, too, and they really take things over the edge.
Is chicken tikka masala healthy?
This chicken tikka masala recipe is healthy! It marinades the chicken in full-fat yogurt, which I absolutely include as part of my paleo diet. You can totally skip it, though, or marinade your chicken in a dairy-free yogurt, like a cashew, almond, or coconut yogurt. Finally, you can use either coconut cream or heavy cream to enrich the sauce.
This chicken tikka masala has dairy free options and works for a Whole30 or paleo diet. It’s gluten and grain free, includes no sugar, and no processed anything! All real food love.
How to serve this chicken tikka masala
If you’re on a Whole30 or are strictly paleo, omit the regular yogurt in the marinade and either marinade the chicken in coconut milk or a compliant yogurt. When ready to serve, spoon the best chicken tikka masala you’ve ever had over steamed cauliflower rice with plenty of chopped fresh cilantro. A side of sautéed zucchini would be perfect here!
If you’re not on a Whole30, serve this recipe over steamed basmati rice with a side of naan and raita. I have a seriously fab recipe for the perfect naan, and it’s way easier than you’d think!
How to make the best chicken tikka masala
Other recipes you’ll love:
- The Best Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala (Whole30, Paleo, Low Carb)
- Whole30 Chicken Curry (Low Carb, Paleo)
- Butter Chicken
- Whole30 Butter Chicken (Paleo)
- Saag Chicken (Whole30)
- Perfect Naan
- Chicken Tikka Masala Chili (Whole30, Paleo)
Best Chicken Tikka Masala (Restaurant Style, Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-Free)
This is the best chicken tikka masala recipe ever, and it's so rich and perfectly spiced. A double caramelization process produces a chicken tikka masala that tastes just like the best restaurant style dish.
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 2 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts diced, about 1.5 pounds
- 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt or compliant plant-based yogurt if on Whole30, see note
- 1 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about half a lemon)
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
For the sauce:
- 4 tablespoons ghee or butter (1/4 cup)
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 1-2 serrano chiles minced, see note for heat level
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger grated
- 3 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 green bell pepper deseeded and sliced into strips
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- lots of salt to taste
- 2 cups coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk, or heavy cream, or half and half, see note
For serving:
- basmati rice or cauliflower rice
- naan if you're not paleo or on a Whole30
- fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
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Combine all marinade ingredients besides chicken (omitting yogurt if paleo or on a Whole30) in a medium bowl and stir well. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
Make the Sauce
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Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add serrano chiles, garlic, ginger, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a nice toffee color, about 20 minutes, adding a few drops of water here and there if drying out and sticking. Add garam masala and paprika and stir well. Cook until fragrant, a few minutes, adding a couple tablespoons of water if necessary to reduce sticking.
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Stir in the tomato sauce then transfer to blender and blend until smooth. Return the sauce to your skillet and add the rest of the can of tomato sauce. Add sliced bell pepper, fenugreek, and salt.
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Meanwhile, cook the chicken. Preheat broiler and place a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place chicken pieces on top of rack. Broil, turning occasionally, until browned in spots and cooked through, about 8 minutes total.
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Simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low heat or until thick and more like a paste than sauce. Add the can of coconut milk and stir until very smooth. Taste and correct seasonings. Add chicken, stir well, and serve over basmati or cauliflower rice and naan, if that fits into your diet. Top with plenty of chopped cilantro.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Heat Levels:
- Mild: 1 serrano chile, seeded
- Medium: 1 serrano chile, not seeded
- Hot: 2 serrano chiles, not seeded
If you're on a Whole30, you can use a compliant non-dairy yogurt, like Kite Hill unsweetened, to marinate your chicken. You can also skip the yogurt entirely and simply marinate the chicken in spices and lemon juice, or use canned coconut milk to replace the yogurt.
Cream:
I prefer to use about 2 cups of pure coconut cream, just the thick, solid white part of a can of coconut milk. You can use one can of full-fat coconut milk, if you prefer, but the sauce won't be as creamy. If you're not on any specific sort of diet, try about 2 cups of heavy cream or half and half to enrich the sauce!
This recipe was originally published in April 2016 but was updated with new photos, directions, and recipe revisions in December 2018.
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You’re joking. Something THIS delicious is actually good for me? Like, I can ACTUALLY enjoy it and not feel guilty at all? What kind of a magic worker are you!? This looks absolutely amazing!
I know, right?! Also, am now dying over your blog. I had a YouTube channel when I was prego called Bun in the Oven (for really obvious reasons), but your “about” section… I literally chortled.
Hey! Do I substitute anything for the Greek yogurt in the marinade since I am doing whole30? Excited about this!! Thanks!!
Nope! You don’t have to! It should be fine without it BUT you could sub some full-fat coconut milk. Mmmmm!
I found fenugreek seeds…how much do you think I should use? I was going to toast the seeds and grind them in my spice grinder.
Hi Lauren! For this recipe, you want dried fenugreek leaves. I’m not sure I would use seeds in this sauce. The leaves can be found at Asian markets, but they’re optional, too!
Any idea if I can make this in my instant pot???? If so, details please!!! TIA
Hi Lori! Unfortunately, you can’t really make this in the Instant Pot using the pressure cooker setting. So much of the rich restaurant flavor is dependent upon the long caramelization of the aromatics. However, you could likely certainly use the Instant Pot on sauté mode to replace that process! You’ve given me a great idea for a new recipe! That said, I’ve tried a recipe close to this on Manual mode, and it just falls flat, compared to this one. Still delicious, but not the same quality. I hope you try it on Sauté mode and let me know how you like it 🙂
You could absolutely try that! Yogurt is usually used in marinades for its tenderizing effect, so coconut milk wouldn’t cover that part but would absolutely not hurt. It would surely add a nice richness – let’s try it!
How did you feel about the coconut milk fat marinade? I’m planning on making this next week for dinner and wondered what your results were. Thanks!
It works great! Of course yogurt is ideal but that’s not doable on a whole30. But the coconut milk marinade is delish
any advice on how this would freeze? LOVE it and definitely want to try, but there’s only one of me and I’ll need to save the leftovers.
I’ve never tried it, but it should freeze pretty well! You might want to sub boneless skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts, just so they stay tender after reheating, though. Let me know if you try it!
Hey! I was wondering if this recipe can be adapted to a crockpot without sacrificing the quality? Also, do you have an estimated calorie count?
Unfortunately, you can’t adapt this recipe to the Crockpot without losing a lot of the restaurant flavor. The caramelizing of the aromatics is critical to that quality! Trust me, I’ve tried 😀 It’s still good coming from the Crockpot (technically I’ve tried it in the InstantPot) but you don’t get that reduction or caramelization unfortunately. I don’t have a calorie count – I think you can paste the ingredients into MyFitnessPal, maybe?
Hello! This look beyond amazing! Any idea of something to sub for the butter or ghee in the sauce? We’re totally dairy-free, and even ghee is irritating for my dairy allergy. Thanks!
Hi Christina! Coconut oil would work totally fine here 🙂
I wish this wouldn’t have been advertised as dairy free! Greek yogurt and butter are dairy products. And omitting the yogurt would take away a lot of the tang and the creaminess. What could be substituted?
Hey Shelley! You can easily substitute coconut oil for the ghee – there is, however, no allergenic milk fat included. Omitting the yogurt is totally fine, especially since it’s just a marinade. It has been done many, many times by Whole30ers 🙂 You can also use dairy-free yogurt.
This was literally one of the most delicious recipes I have eaten. I invited people over just so they could try this. Thank you for cracking the restaurant secret!!
That is hysterical! I’m so, so glad you liked it as much as we do, Kaitlyn 😀 And thanks for coming back to let me know!
Hey there! I just made this last night. First time using the broiler drawer (had to go buy a pan), and went to an Indian grocery store to get the ingredients I didn’t have. SOOOOO worth it! This recipe is great and I’ve already shared the URL for this page to several people. I came across this page by accident. How can i find more of your [paleo/W30] recipes? Do you have a cookbook?
I’m so glad you liked it, Rolland! And thank you so much for sharing 🙂 I’m working on an Instant Pot Whole30 cookbook that I think you’ll like, but in the meantime, check out my Whole30 starter guide!
https://40aprons.com/downloads/whole30-starter-kit/
I found this on Pinterest- it is the best Chicken Tikka that has tasted even sorta close to my fave restaurant. I left out the fenugreek because I didnt have any and it was STILL excellent! I even had it for breakfast 😀
Thank you so much for sharing!
Chicken tikka masala for breakfast is one of my favorites! Ha! I’m so glad you liked it, and thank you so much for coming back to tell me 🙂
Hi, I would like to try recipe, I just want to know how many carbs has this recipe have? Thank you
I’m honestly not sure. I love this site for analyzing nutrient data:
https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594
Hello – we made this recipe several weeks back and loved it! We left out the FennelGreek leaves and had no problem. The taste was excellent and I felt like there was an orchestral medley playing on my pallet. Just delicious!
My question: we are making this again and I was wondering how important it was to broil the marinated chicken in the oven? Might it be as good by marinating the chicken and then simply cooking/simmering in the sauce?
Thanks for a delicious recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it! So… I prefer to broil the chicken to mimic the tandoor treatment the chicken’s given at restaurants. However, you could totally just simmer in the sauce, but you’ll be missing out on the additional caramelization and the flavor it brings. 🙂 I’ve made it in the Instant Pot without broiling the chicken, though, and it works! Let me know if you do it and how you like it. Thanks, Patrick!
Hi, this looks wonderful but I don’t have a broiler – would you be able to recommend another way to cook the chicken if I have to use the stovetop or oven, that will have the same type of texture as the method you’ve used here? Thanks so much!
You can definitely just remove the chicken from the marinade then sauté it until it’s cooked through! A grill would be great, too, but stovetop will work 🙂
This was definitely the best homemade Tikka Masala I’ve done. Awesome work! And I only had ground fenugreek, not leaves, so I’m especially excited to make it again. We made cauliflower rice and paleo naan to go with it and it was serious Indian craving perfection! Thank you, thank you. 🙂
I’m soooo glad you liked it as much as we did! Try it with the fenugreek leaves sometime, too – I really think they take it over the top!
Hi- you never mention when to put in the green bell pepper?
It’s in step #5 🙂
This recipe is TOTALLY amazing! I discovered it and have made it twice this month, and put it into rotation again next week. In fact, it’s even better the next day for lunch. Thank you!
I am SO glad you like it as much as we do! And I agree – leftovers are delish!!
I’m making this for a large crowd do you think the recipe can be doubled or even tripled?
I don’t see why not! Just make sure you’re fully caramelizing the aromatics and tomato 🙂
We made this over the weekend without the yogurt and without subbing anything for the yogurt and it was freakin’ phenomenal. Served it over coconut cauliflower rice. Will definitely be making again!
I’m so glad you loved it as much as we do!
This was incredibly delicious! The best meal I’ve ever cooked! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Is the ginger that’s called for supposed to be fresh ground or dried ground?
Both! The ground ginger is dried, and minced ginger is fresh 🙂
Wow this was good but waaaay too spicy for me. Did other people use fresh serrano peppers? Because wow this was super super spicy, even with the coconut milk to balance it out. Would love to try it again with the heat turned down.
I’m sorry you found it so spicy! I’ve not heard that before and it’s quite mild for us. If you make it again (and I hope you do!), I’d definitely recommend seeding the peppers before mincing. You could even cut the peppers down to simply one seeded serrano if you prefer!
Deseeding the Serrano peppers made all the difference. Tried it again and it was a perfect level of spice. Thanks!!
You have made my WILDEST dreams come true… cannot wait to make this.
Would this be as delish in a slow cooker or same deal as the crock pot answer?
I can’t do onions – would you recommend subbing garlic and canned tomatoes for tomato sauce?
Thank you!!
Yep – same deal as the Crockpot, however! I have an Instant Pot version with a slow cooker variation 🙂
https://40aprons.com/instant-pot-chicken-tikka-masala-whole30/
I would omit the onions altogether though it will alter the taste quite a bit. If you eat chicken tikka masala at restaurants I would keep the recipe as written. It is very close to the ingredients they use! 🙂
Despite how time consuming this is to cook I keep coming bcak to it over and over cause it’s sooooooo good! I pan sear my chicken instead of broiling it but I do everything else as is. So delicious!
Yes!! It does take quite a long time but it is so worth! Great idea to pan sear the chicken as well!
This is insanely delicious. Made exactly as recommended. Wowza. Takes so long, but so worth it!
“Chicken tikka masala is a gateway drug.” Truer words have never been written.
Right?!
Hi! I live in a tiny town and I can’t find Serrano peppers anywhere. I can only order Serrano Chile powder or dried Serrano Chiles. Thoughts!?
Try about half as many jalapeños as you would serranos here instead!
I ended up using 1/4 tsp Serrano Chile powder and it was perfect medium spicy! It is TO DIE FOR!! Just like the restaurants! I made half with chicken for me and the hubby and half with just garbanzo beans for my vegetarian Indian-food-loving brother. Thanks so much!!