Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is incredibly easy to make at home, by adding all the ingredients to your slow cooker and let it cook to perfection.
Crockpot recipes are a great time saver, especially during busy weeknights.
Crockpot chicken tikka masala recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is such a flavorful and easy dish to make in your crockpot. This Indian-inspired dish is among our favorites of all time. It is rich, flavorful, and creamy.
Thanks to all the spices, this is such a flavorful and aromatic dish. Incredibly easy to make in your slow cooker, this restaurant-style meal can now be enjoyed on busy weeknights.
Chicken Tikka Masala has been on a rotation menu here. The tangy tomato sauce, the sweet cream, and the soft and tender meat, work together to create a luxurious and amazing meal! You can serve it over rice with some buttery garlic naan on the side.
What is the difference between butter chicken and chicken tikka masala?
Both dishes are very similar, the only main difference lies in the way they are cooked and in the ingredients used. Butter Chicken uses a lot of butter, whereas Tikka Masala uses more masala or spices.
Ingredients
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cubed into 2-inch pieces)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger root
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 15 oz cans of tomato sauce
1 large tomato (diced)
1 large onion (chopped)
2 cups heavy cream
Garnish:
Fresh cilantro
Instructions
Combine garlic powder, onion powder, ground turmeric, garam masala, curry powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika, ground ginger root and salt in a small bowl, whisk to combine.
Add cubed chicken to the spice bowl and mix well to coat the meat.
Add the season chicken pieces to the slow cooker. Add the chopped onion, fresh ginger, diced tomato, tomato paste and tomato sauce. Stir well.
Cover the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high or for 8 hours on low.
Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 1 minute on high, and stir into the chicken tikka masala. Taste and add more salt and paprika (for spiciness) if needed.
Serve over rice garnished with fresh parsley or cilantro.
If you want to freeze the chicken tikka masala, do so before stirring in the heavy cream. The cream can be mixed after thawing, while heating the chicken tikka masala in a sauce pan over medium heat. Chicken tikka masala can be frozen to up to 3 months.
Notes
Chicken thighs can also be used in this recipe, I used chicken breast as we always buy it in bulk and I usually have some on hand all the time.
The chicken can be seasoned and after that mixed with 1 cup of full fat unflavored greek yogurt and marinated for 4-6 hours. This is not a mandatory step, while it can add extra softness and flavor to the chicken, I find it that the slow cooker creates a perfect dish even if I skip this step.
Nutrition
Serving: 0g | Calories: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 205mg | Sodium: 1460mg | Potassium: 902mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1880IU | Vitamin C: 9.4mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 2.3mg