Best Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe (Restaurant Style)

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 chicken tikka masala recipe has been perfected over years to be just the best!

Get Ready to Wow Your Tastebuds

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.

This recipe for 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 on 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 had been developing and most importantly, I had very low expectations.

And so when I tasted that first bite, it was a 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 half and half; the heady spices and fenugreek. It surpassed every previous attempt I’d made with flying colors.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

• 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 even healthier options, like Whole30, paleo, and dairy-free options, making it super healthy and workable for even restrictive diets.

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 uses real, whole foods.

This chicken tikka masala also 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.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• How to Make Paneer
• Paneer Tikka Masala
• Palak Paneer
• Easy Chana Masala
• Vegetarian Chickpea Tikka Masala
• Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala (Paleo, Low Carb)
• Butter Chicken
• Perfect Naan
• Chicken Tikka Masala Chili (Whole30, Paleo)
• Egg Roll in a Bowl
• The Best Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

4.97 from 150 votes

Best Chicken Tikka Masala (Restaurant Style)

Prep:15 minutes

Cook:1 hour 10 minutes

Marinating Time:1 hour

Total:2 hours 25 minutes

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.

• Pin

Print Save Saved! Click Here to Remove Ads

6 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced, about 1 ½ pounds

For the Marinade

• ▢ 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt See Notes for alternate diets
• ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garam masala
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice about half a lemon
• ▢ 2 teaspoons black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon dried ginger

For the Sauce

• ▢ 4 tablespoons ghee or butter, ¼ cup
• ▢ 1 medium white onion diced
• ▢ 1-2 serrano chiles minced, see Notes for heat level
• ▢ 5 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons fresh ginger grated
• ▢ 3 ½ 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 heavy cream or half-and-half, See Notes for alternate diets

For Serving

• ▢ basmati rice See Notes for alternate diets
• ▢ naan
• ▢ fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions 

Marinate the Chicken

• Combine all marinade ingredients besides chicken 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

• 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 of tablespoons of water if necessary to reduce sticking.
  
• Stir in the tomato sauce then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the sauce to your skillet. Add sliced bell pepper, fenugreek, and salt.
  
• Meanwhile, cook the chicken. Preheat broiler and place a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place chicken pieces on top of the rack. Broil, turning occasionally until browned in spots and cooked through, about 8 minutes total.
  
• Simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low heat or until thick and more like a paste than a sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir until very smooth. Taste and correct seasonings. Add chicken, stir well, and serve over basmati or cauliflower rice and naan. Top with plenty of chopped cilantro.
  

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.
• Use 2 cups coconut cream (just the solid white part of a can of coconut milk or cream) in place of the half and half.
• Serve over steamed cauliflower rice, not regular rice.

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 459kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 26g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 96mg, Potassium: 373mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1470IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 119mg, Iron: 1mg, Net Carbs: 8g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik