Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala recipe with rich, aromatic sauce full of warm spices and flavor. Serve it with your choice of steamed rice or cauliflower rice for flavorful comfort food!
Indian food lovers, you’re going to go wild over this simple Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala recipe!
I shared this recipe for the first time back in 2014, and have revamped it to make it even more luscious and irresistible!
What is Chicken Tikka Masala?:
In case you haven’t tried it, Chicken Tikka Masala is a classic Indian dish of tender chunks of chicken slow cooked in a creamy aromatic tomato cream sauce.
The word “tikka” means “small pieces of meat” in Punjabi, and “masala” means “mixture.”
The chicken is marinated in plain yogurt with lots of mild spices before it is stewed in that delicious tikka masala sauce.
What is special about chicken tikka masala? The incredible rich flavor, silky texture, and the indescribable medley of flavors.
What is the difference between chicken curry and chicken tikka masala? While both chicken curry and chicken tikka masala are generously spiced with many flavors and include a thick and creamy sauce, chicken curry typically references the coconut milk based Thai version, whereas Chicken Tikka Masala uses cream and butter for the sauce.
More closely related are Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala, as they both contain very similar spices, although the sauce of butter chicken is primarily butter, just as it sounds.
Is chicken tikka masala spicy? The way this recipe is written, you’ll end up with a medium spice level (and that’s being generous, as I find it to be quite mild).
If you love spicy food, add cayenne pepper or your favorite spicy chili to increase the spice level.
Before we get started, I want to point out that this recipe requires far more ingredients than I typically include in my easy dinner recipes.
There is a twofold silver lining: First, most of the ingredients are spices, so you may already have all of them on hand.
Second, the majority of the ingredients for the chicken marinade are used in the sauce as well, so many of the ingredients are duplicates.
In spite of all the spices, I trust you will find this recipe is well worth the extra measuring. You should be able to find the simple ingredients at most grocery stores. If your local grocery store doesn’t carry some of the spices, you can find them online or at any natural food store.
Plus, the best part is this flavorful, delicious slow cooker version is so easy to prepare and doesn’t require any extra steps like browning the chicken or roasting the chicken.
It is designed to take all of the guesswork out of making this Indian classic so that you are left with a perfect restaurant-quality result every time.
This beautiful recipe is perfect for making ahead of time and enjoying throughout the week.
For those of you who are dairy-free, you can make my Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala recipe, which is dairy-free and paleo (and you can make it in the slow cooker instead of the pressure cooker).
Let’s discuss the ingredients for this delicious Chicken Tikka Masala recipe!
Ingredients for Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala:
Avocado Oil and Butter: Used to sauté the onion, garlic cloves and the spices for the sauce, we need a high temperature cooking oil in addition to creamy butter. You can also use olive oil or canola oil in place of avocado oil.
Chicken: Use either boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs. There is enough sauce to generously engulf 3 pounds of meat, but if you prefer your masala very saucy, stick with 1.5 to 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts. In essence, choose the amount of chicken based on how much sauce you like relative to the meat.
Plain Yogurt: Used to tenderize the chicken in the marinade, yogurt gets mixed up with a bunch of spices, ginger, and garlic for an incredible flavor fest.
Fresh Ginger, Onion, & Garlic: A generous amount of fresh ginger, a large onion, and garlic bring a slight kick and plenty of flavor to the marinade and sauce.
Spices: Garam masala (which is a combination of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and a few other spices), curry powder (which is a combination of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garlic powder), paprika, kashmiri red chili powder, and salt.
It’s this combination of spices that brings such huge depth of flavor to the dish. For the absolute best results, I recommend sticking with the spices listed in the recipe card rather than trying to make substitutions, unless you’re very confident in preparing Indian cuisine.
Heavy Cream: The creaminess of the tikka masala sauce is attributed to heavy whipping cream. This ingredient is what is responsible for that silky smooth texture and luxurious richness. Use full fat coconut milk to make it dairy-free (this is what I do).
Tomato Sauce: Adding acidity and flavor to the sauce, canned tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes or tomato puree) bring powerful nuance to the flavor profile.
Tomato paste will work too, but I prefer smooth tomato sauce from a can. Make no mistake, tikka masala sauce tastes nothing like a tomato based sauce you get in Italian food, as the tomato is not the primary flavor.
For Serving: Steamed white rice, brown rice, naan, or cauliflower rice.
The end result of all these ingredients slow cooked together is one of the all time best comfort foods.
Traditional Indian tikka masala includes ground cumin, ground coriander, and ground turmeric. To simplify the recipe, I replace all three with curry powder, as it contains all three in addition to garlic powder.
If you want to go with the original version, replace the curry powder with 1 teaspoon of each ground cumin, coriander, and turmeric.
Now that we’ve covered the simple ingredients, let’s make it!
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala:
Marinate the Chicken:
Mix the ingredients for the marinade together in a container with a lid and combine chicken pieces. Stir until the chicken is well coated in marinade.
Seal the container and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (ideally 1 to 24 hours).
While the chicken is marinating, you can prepare the chicken tikka masala sauce.
Make the Tikka Masala Sauce:
Heat oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add in the minced garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, curry powder, paprika, kashmiri red chili powder and sea salt.
Stir until everything is combined and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the spices to open up.
Pour the tomato sauce and heavy cream into the skillet and stir everything together until well-combined.
Remove the sauce from the heat. There is no need to heat the sauce for longer, as it will be cooking in the crock pot for many hours.
Pour the tikka masala sauce into the bottom of the crock pot. Add the marinated chicken and stir until everything is well-combined.
Secure the lid on the crock pot and cook on Low Heat for 6 to 8 hours or High heat for 4 hours.
Once the chicken tikka masala has finished cooking, taste it for flavor and add more salt to taste. You can also stir in ¼ cup of fresh cilantro if you’d like.
Serve Chicken Tikka Masala with steamed white rice (I do jasmine rice) and enjoy! You can also serve it with my Ginger Turmeric Aromatic Rice for a real wild ride. Chicken tikka masala is also traditionally served with naan bread.
Store any leftover chicken tikka masala in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It will be even more flavorful the next day, so you’ll have something to look forward to.
And that’s it! An easy version of traditional Chicken Tikka Masala that you will want to put on repeat time and again! This delicious dinner will be a huge hit among friends and family.
Make a double batch of it if you’re serving more than 3 to 4 people or if you’re meal prepping for meals for the week.
If you love Indian cuisine, also try out these delicious favorites!
More Indian Recipes:
- Easy Lamb Curry
- Indian Eggplant Curry (Bhaingan Bharta)
- Quick and Easy Chana Saag
- Paleo Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Indian Lamb Curry
The next time you’re craving Indian food, whip up this delicious slow cooker recipe!
Enjoy this epic culinary adventure!
Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 1.5 to 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs chopped into bite sizes
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 1 ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder*
- 1 tsp sea salt
For the Tikka Masala Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 Tbsp curry powder**
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder*
- 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
- 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream***
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
- Mix the ingredients for the marinade together in a container with a lid and add in the chopped chicken. Stir until the chicken is well coated in marinade.
- Seal the container and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (ideally 1 to 24 hours).
- While the chicken is marinating, you can prepare the chicken tikka masala sauce.
Make the Tikka Masala Sauce:
- Heat oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the minced garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, curry powder, paprika, kashmiri red chili powder and sea salt. Stir until everything is combined and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the spices to open up.
- Pour the tomato sauce and heavy cream into the skillet and stir everything together until well-combined.
- Remove the sauce from the heat. There is no need to heat the sauce for longer, as it will be cooking in the crock pot for many hours.
- Pour the tikka masala sauce into the bottom of the crock pot. Add the marinated chicken and stir until everything is well-combined.
- Secure the lid on the crock pot and cook on Low Heat for 6 to 8 hours or High heat for 4 hours.
- Once the chicken tikka masala has finished cooking, taste it for flavor and add more salt to taste. You can also stir in ¼ cup of fresh cilantro if you’d like.
- Serve Chicken Tikka Masala with steamed white rice (I do jasmine rice) and enjoy! You can also serve it with my Ginger Turmeric Aromatic Rice for a real wild ride. Chicken tikka masala is also traditionally served with naan bread.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on September 19, 2014. I updated the photos, added more information to the post, and updated the recipe to make it even better!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
Hi Julie,
Do you know if substituting garam masala for any of the spices is ok? How much do you think would be approprate?
Hi Jenna, I bet you could take out a few of the spices, and add garam masala, for sure! Sounds delicious! I’d say maybe take out the cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon, and add 2 teaspoons of garam masala. Let me know how it turns out!
OK to freeze this?
Absolutely! I’m a big fan of freezing in freezer bags (you can double-bag if need be). It should thaw and reheat like a dream 🙂
I’m planning on making this recipe in my cricket tomorrow while I’m at work. There isn’t as much sauce as I expected. Will it be OK leaving it on low for 8 hours if the chicken is in frozen chopped up chunks or would you recommend adding a little chicken broth/stock?
If it doesn’t look like there’s enough sauce, I’d say it’d be fine to add some chicken broth, or some more coconut milk. I’d think 8 hours would be a bit much, even with frozen chicken, but it’s tough to say as all crock pots seem to work differently. If you’ve cooked chicken breast on low for 8 hours in the past and the meat turned out tender rather than tough, I’d say you’d be fine!
This sounds so delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
LOVE this recipe, sweet friend! So I included it in my contributor post – “50 Fabulous Grain-Free Slow Cooker Meals” – over at Keeper of the Home. I hope it sends lots of new friends your way! 🙂
this sounds amazing! i need to make it! what do you think could be a good substitute for the heavy cream to make it dairy free? coconut milk?
Hi Elena! Yup, you can use full-fat canned coconut milk. I’ve made a coconut milk version, and it turned out great. 🙂 Enjoy!
This was a great recipe. The recipe calls for fresh ginger and I do recommend using that, as I used dry (as well as dry turmeric), and I thought that the final product was a bit grainy. Next time I’ll definitely take the extra five minutes to use fresh ginger. 🙂
Thanks so much for letting me know about the ground ginger! I have never tested the recipe using ground ginger, so it’s good to know the result. So happy you made and enjoyed the tikka masala, and thanks so much for the feedback! 😀
Chicken Tikka Masal is British… not Indian… I mean it’s an Indian-British food, originating in the UK with Indian immigrants in curry shops. The best thing to come out of imperialism was the improvement to British cuisine! See the origins section of the wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tikka_masala
Thanks for a great recipe-I plan to make it tomorrow. What might be some ways to make it lighter in calorie//s and fat? Thanks”
So glad you’re planning on making the tikka masala! Because the bulk of the fat in this recipe comes from the cream, you’d have to take some of it out in order to lighten the calorie load; however, doing so will effect both the texture and the taste of the meal. As long as you’re okay with that, simply use less cream, or substitute some of the cream for lite coconut milk. Let me know how it turns out!
Thanks!!! I thought I’d report back – overall this was a success! I decided to substitute fat-free greek yogurt for the full fat yogurt, and mixed 1/2 heavy cream and 1/2 fat free cream. I have to say that it came out delicious and quite rich tasting. In the interest of full disclosure, my husband and I generally stick to a low fat diet, so perhaps we are more “used” to the taste of lighter recipes but for those that are watching what you eat, I would definitely recommend trying this. I also reserved a bunch of sauce for the freezer and will make it with vegetables or paneer next week.
I made double the batch as I typically like to have dinner made for the work week, and the only minor snafu I ran into was the slow cooker time – mine needed to be cooked for 3.5 hours on high, not 2 . Again, perhaps that’s because I made more meat.
Thanks so much for reporting back! I know there are plenty of readers who are watching their fat intake, so I appreciate you letting me know the result!! I’m so glad you made a big ol’ batch and that you enjoyed the meal! Hope you had a great weekend! xoxo
I’m going to make this recipe this weekend! Do you use goat milk yogurt? Greek yogurt? Which full fat yogurt do you recommend?
So glad you’re making the tikka masla this weekend!! I used whole milk plain yogurt, but I bet Greek yogurt would work just fine, too 🙂 Let me know what you think!
Thanks for the great recipe. I made this for dinner as-is, no changes/substitutions, and it turned out wonderfully. Such a “quick” slow cooker recipe too. Mine took about 2.5 hours on high.
Looks great, can’t wait to try it! I have the garam masala spice handy…do you happen to know which of the listed spices this would replace?
Thanks!
This looks sooooooo yummy!!! So full of flavour. I cannot wait to give this a shot using tofu instead of chicken. I know my mom will love the chicken version though, so I am sending her the recipe 🙂 Awesome post! xo
I made this recipe last night. Super tasty. I did add a few things once it had finished cooking. Some may sound weird (like the honey), but it worked! I added two tablespoons of honey, few more dashes of cinnamon, 1/4 cup more crushed tomatoes, maybe a 1/4 cup of chicken stock (just to thin it out a bit as once I added the yogurt and cream it was pretty thick), frozen peas and garbanzo beans. Will definitely be making this again, it was so nice to come home to a delicious smelling house! 🙂
MMMMM! All those adjustments sound amazing, Kristin! I’m so glad you experimented with the recipe, and I’m thinking my next go with it will have to include your peas and garbanzo beans idea. I bet the honey would be a nice contrast to the spice as well! Thanks again and enjoy the rest of your week!
Do we think this might work with paneer in lieu in chicken? There is only one way to find out. Cue the theme song.
I saw your comment (and recent recipe link) over at Everday Maven, and just had to come and read the recipe. So lovely, and a perfect family meal. I will try this with boneless thighs to make this almost a budget mea. Pinning etc.