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.
Just made this dish for my family, absolutely fantastic. Great flavour, not too spicy and having it prepared in a slow cooker made the chicken melt in the mouth. The kids have already asked when I can do it again!
That’s great to hear that everyone enjoyed this! Thank you for the review.
@Bec, can I marinade this overnight? Or is that too much?
Hi, yes you can marinade this overnight and cook the next day and the flavours will intensify! Longer than around 24 hours the texture of the chicken maybe affected by the citric acid from the lemon juice. Hope that helps. Enjoy!
First time I’ve made this and it definitely will not be the last, the flavours were absolutely amazing. Been asked to make it again very soon by family
Oh my goodness. So easy to make and was utterly delicious – much nicer than the takeaway one we had New Year’s Eve. My husband is a fussy eater – his normal response to dinners when asked if it was ok, all he mutters is ‘was alright’. After this meal he declared it was the best curry he’s ever eaten. Very, very high praise!
That’s fantastic praise indeed! Thanks for the review and glad you both enjoyed it.
Hello,
I want to try this recipe but I have a 6.5 litre slow cooker and the recipe is for a 3.5 litre one. Can I just double the ingredients to make it work in the 6.5 litre slow cooker.
Thanks.
Yes, that will work just fine! Hope you enjoy it.
This is more of a question, do I use the tikka masala marinade in the cooking process as well as the sauce or will it spoil it?
Yes, you should add any leftover marinade to the slow cooker along with the chicken. I’ll update the recipe instructions so they’re clearer – thank you for your feedback!
My absolute number 1 go to for making curry! Actually this whole site has some seriously amazing recipes on it! I am so glad I found it as it has gone through weaning both of my smalls (1 &4) and they both love everything we make!
Hi Jenny,
That’s really great to hear that you are all enjoying the recipes! 🙂 Thank you for the lovely feedback.
Rebecca
Hi, is it possible to substitute the 5 tbsp of natural yogurt and 75ml cream for 10 tbsp of Crème Fraîche instead?
Hi Ravi, yes that should be fine. Just mix in the Creme Fraiche well to ensure the sauce stays smooth as it’s a thicker consistency. Rebecca
Brilliant! thanks for the reply Rebecca
First time I have tried to do this and will not look back! Excellent recipe, great results
Hi
I’ve had a slow cooker for about 4 yrs and only used twice so while on lockdown decided to look for a chicken tikka recipe to try and OMG, absolutely stunning, my hubby gave it 10/10 and he’s so fussy. My son and daughter in law want to try so if I want to add an extra 2 or 3 portions would you suggest just adding more chicken or I need half again of all ingredients? Advice greatly appreciated.
Hi Sharon – glad it went well for you! If you click the “serving” number in the recipe card you’ll be able to move the slider to the amount of people you want to serve, and the ingredient quantities will adjust automatically.
I love this recipe. Its nice and easy and tastes great!!
It has changed from the original one though which used to have cornflour. Is this recipe still about??
Thanks
Steve