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Indian Chicken Tikka Masala

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This Indian chicken tikka masala is officially in my top 5 favorites by Thomas! The sauce is insane, the chicken is soft, and there is just so much flavor! It seems complicated because there are so many spices/ ingredients, but I realize that’s why Indian food is so good. One of my favorite takeout choices! They just really know how to flavor their food. This meal is complete with our turmeric rice and fresh naan, and it’s cozy and fabulous!

What you need to make Indian chicken tikka masala + substitutions:

  • Chicken breasts- The chicken breast adds some nice protein and flavor. You could do vegetarian if needed, but highly suggest the chicken!
  • Greek yogurt- The greek yogurt helps to break down the chicken when it’s marinating resulting in a super soft chicken. It really makes the chicken melt in your mouth and adds a nice thickness. We used Fage 2% because it’s what we had, but you could also use full fat.
  • Lemon- Lemon juice adds a nice vibrance and brightness in the flavor.
  • Garlic- Fresh garlic is preferred here for sure, makes such a difference in the flavor.
  • Ginger- Fresh ginger is definitely required. It adds such a delicious flavor punch! If you don’t want to deal with fresh ginger, I love getting these frozen gingers cubes from Trader Joe’s but they sell multiple places. You just pop them out of the container and you have fresh ginger!
  • Onions- Onions are always a winner to help bring extra flavor! They are the main part of the sauce as well so you definitely can’t skip them.
  • Coconut milk- For the coconut milk, use what you prefer but we definitely love full fat. More flavor for sure!
  • Whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes- When it comes to canned tomatoes, Thomas can be quite picky and always prefers San Marzano. The tomatoes will be blended so we love using the whole peeled.

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Indian Chicken Tikka Masala

This Indian chicken tikka masala is officially in my top 5 favorites by Thomas! The sauce is insane, the chicken is soft, and there is just so much flavor! It seems complicated because there are so many spices/ ingredients, but I realize that's why Indian food is so good. One of my favorite takeout choices! They just really know how to flavor their food. This meal is complete with our turmeric rice and fresh naan, and it's cozy and fabulous!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: chicken, cozy dinner, dinner, indian, tikka masala, turmeric rice
Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade:

  • 1 lb chicken breasts
  • ½ cup plain greek yogurt (I suggest 2% or full fat)
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • ½ tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp sea salt

For the Sauce:

  • 14 oz whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
  • 6 oz full fat coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 3-4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • ½ tbsp curry powder (ours was a mix of turmeric, paprika, & fenugreek)
  • ½ fresh lemon juiced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin

Instructions

For the chicken marinade:

  • Chop your chicken breasts into cubes. In a medium bowl, add in the chicken, yogurt, sea salt, all spices, and lemon juice.
  • In a mortal and pestle, crush together the fresh ginger and garlic until it forms a paste. You can also just mince both the ginger and garlic is preferred.
  • Add the ginger/ garlic paste to the chicken mixture and mix until everything is well combined. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes minimum to overnight (about 10-12 hours).

To make the sauce:

  • Heat a large sauce pan with olive oil. Add in the chopped onion, garlic and a bay leaf. Season with sea salt and sauté for a few minutes.
  • Add in fresh ginger and all seasonings. Mix together until the onion mixture is coated and cook for a couple minutes.
  • Add in the tomatoes, coconut milk, and lemon juice. Crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Pour your sauce into a blender or food processor and blend well until nice and creamy. To make the sauce authentically, you can strain your sauce through a sieve to make it super creamy. It's not required but just makes the sauce very smooth.

To cook the chicken:

  • Heat a medium saucepan. Add in the marinated chicken and let it cook until cooked though completely or make sure the chicken reached an internal temperature of 165F degrees.

To assemble:

  • In the same pan that you made the sauce, pour the sauce back into the pan. Add in the cooked chicken and mix.
  • To serve, enjoy with our favorite turmeric rice or just jasmine rice, and fresh naan! Enjoy!

Notes

For Storing: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
 

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