Hands up if the first thing you look for an in Indian restaurant is a Chicken Tikka Masala! Yep, me too, and a Peshwari naan! You literally can’t go wrong with a slow cooker Chicken Tikka Masala – it’s a classic British Indian dish, and for a good reason. Full of flavour, healthy and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
History of the Chicken Tikka Masala
There are many stories about the origins of the Chicken Tikka Masala – but the one I like to believe is that it was invented in a restaurant named Shish Mahal in Glasgow. Supposedly a man ordered a chicken curry, and sent it back because he thought it was dry.
The owner, a Pakistani chef named Ali Ahmed Aslam, improvised a sauce with tomato soup and spices. It was promptly sent back to the table and the man absolutely loved it – so much so that he returned again and again with his friends, and it soon became a dish on their menu. The rest, as they say, was history.
Tips for a good Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
The list of ingredients is long – but don’t be put off by thinking this is a difficult slow cooker Chicken Tikka Masala to make – it’s easy peasy! All of the ingredients are available from any good supermarket.
On that note, don’t be tempted to use spices you have had in your cupboard for years – whilst it’ll still taste good, new spices will make a massive difference to the overall flavour!
This was the very first curry I tried in the slow cooker, so the recipe you see here has had many years of tweaks and refinement…and if I may say so myself, it’s pretty damn good.
Difference Between Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken
The spices in a Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken are similar – the main difference is the marinated and charred meat in the Chicken Tikka Masala. Try our Slow Cooker Butter Chicken recipe for yourself and let us know what you think in the comments.
I really hope you enjoy making and eating this as much as I did, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this recipe and a take away.
Can I freeze leftover Chicken Tikka Masala?
Chicken Tikka Masala will keep in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and ensure it’s piping hot all the way through before serving. If it looks a little dry you can loosen up the sauce with a little hot water before reheating.
Alternatively, it’ll keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
How to make Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Equipment
Ingredients
Marinade
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tsp ginger ground
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp chilli powder ground, mild
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3 tbsp natural yoghurt
- 500 g (1 lb) chicken thighs
Sauce
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion large white, chopped
- 2 red pepper capsicum
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 400 g (2 cups) tomato passata
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp paprika not smoked, ideally ground sweet paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp ginger ground or fresh can be used if you have it
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp dried coriander finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) can be used if available
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder mild
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 5 tbsp natural yogurt
- 75 ml (0.32 cups) cream double or single
Instructions
Marinade the chicken
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir thoroughly.
- Roughly chop the chicken thighs into large chunks, and add to the marinade mixture, coating the meat thoroughly. Seal and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes (2-3 hours ideally).
Cook chicken and sauce
- Heat the oil in a pan over a high heat, then briefly fry the marinaded chicken pieces. This will create a brown coating on the chicken as the marinade cooks, recreating the charred effect usually achieved in a tandoor. Add the chicken to the slow cooker, along with any marinade left in the bowl.
- Roughly chop the onion and pepper, crush the cloves of garlic, and add to the slow cooker.
- In a separate bowl combine the ingredients for the sauce, mixing well. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the slow cooker, ensuring everything is coated in the mixture. Cook for 4 hours on a high setting, or 6 hours on low, stir and then serve with rice and a sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander.
This recipe looks great – I can’t wait to try it! Can I confirm though that you add the cream and yoghurt at the same time as everything else in the sauce at the beginning? Does it ever go weird in the slow cooker after 6 hours?! Thanks so much!
Hiya, yes you do and no it doesn’t make it curdle or anything like that. This recipe suits the grandparents to the 8 year old and an incredibly picky teenager. I’ve never had it turn out badly. I usually add an extra onion and a little more cayenne. Its packed with flavour so defo give it a go!
Thanks for such lovely feedback! I usually add fresh red chilli on top too ?
I’d like to cook this meal but my cooker only has a low and high setting. What do you suggest for setting and time with that in mind?
Thanks for the heads up – extra cooking times have now been added.
Ive just made this chicken tikka and Ive never tasted anything so good, my husband says he could eat it every day and we eat a lot of currys, thankyou so much,
Thank you, that’s great to hear!
Lovely. I want to double the amounts. Any tips? I have. A large slow cooker. Thanks
If you tap the number of servings in the recipe card you can scale it up to however many people you’d like to feed. 🙂
Are you able to freeze any leftovers in any of the Indian recipes?
Yes, absolutely, and they’ll keep for up to three months. Ensure that when you reheat them they’re piping hot all the way through!
Just tried this recipe cooked it for the wife and mum in law all three of us absolutely loved this chicken tikka masala 5 stars
I’ve just made this for tea tonight was so delicious… the chicken was fall apart tender with lots of sauce and full of flavour. Going to be one of my favourites I think.
I cooked this for me and my boyfriend for the first time last night. I halved all the ingredients listed, except the chopped tomatoes where I used the full tin still. The curry was so so tasty. I’m so glad I went out and bought all the spices listed as I will be definitely making it again. There was such a depth of flavour in this curry that I’ve never achieved before when making them myself. Very impressed.
I cooked this for my wife and her friends – and they loved it. It was easy, and very tasty. Definitely one we’ll do again!
This is by far and away the best chicken tikka masala I’ve ever tasted. I was blown away by the depth of flavour created by cooking in the slow cooker. Thank you for sharing. I have shared it amongst friends and family and they are all in love with this curry. Even the chicken tikka masala in our favourite curry house isn’t as good. Superb 🙂 In fact all the recipes I have tried on here have been brilliant. Keep them coming! I trust your flavours totally x