Quick Chicken Tikka Masala
A quick stovetop version of chicken tikka masala with spiced, seared chicken and a tomato-yogurt sauce finished with cilantro.
Equipment
- food processor (or knife)
- Large Skillet
- Bowl
- Plate
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 1 1/2 inchknob ginger, peeled
- 4 clovesgarlic peeled
- 1/2 large yellow onion peeled
- 1 1/2 lbsboneless skinless chicken breasts diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 Tbspgaram masala spice blend* divided (see notes)
- Salt
- 2 Tbspolive oil divided
- 1 Tbsptomato paste
- 1 1/2 tspground paprika
- 1/4 tspcayenne pepper more or less to taste
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cupplain Greek yogurt** I used fat-free, any kind will work fine though
- 1 Tbspfresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cupcilantro leaves
Instructions
Instructions
- Place the peeled ginger, peeled garlic, and the 1/2 peeled onion in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped; if you don’t have a food processor, finely mince and combine by hand. Transfer the chopped mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
- Put the diced chicken (1-inch cubes) in a bowl. Add half of the 1 1/2 Tbsp garam masala (reserve the other half for the sauce) and salt to taste; toss to coat the chicken evenly.
- Heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add the seasoned chicken to the skillet in a single layer (work in batches if needed to avoid crowding). Cook, turning or stirring once halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 6–7 minutes total. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat if the skillet is smoking, then add the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil to the same skillet and heat over medium-high.
- Add the chopped onion/ginger/garlic mixture to the skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, the remaining half of the garam masala, the ground paprika, and the cayenne pepper (more or less to taste). Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes (28 oz can), bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, and season with salt to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is hot and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Return the cooked chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and cook for 1 minute more to reheat and combine flavors.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the plain Greek yogurt and the fresh lemon juice until the sauce is smooth and well combined.
- Serve warm, topped with the cilantro leaves.
Notes
Notes
1. For a homemade garam masala spice blend (which I recommend using) whisk together: 2 Tbsp ground cumin, 2 Tbsp ground coriander, 1 1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper, 1 Tbsp ground cardamom, 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. The blend listed here will make enough to make this recipe 4 times so it's quicker the next few times you make it.
2. To make it a little richer sometimes I like to substitute 1/4 cup heavy cream for 1/4 cup of the yogurt. Both ways are delicious though.
3. You can let it simmer longer if needed if the canned tomatoes used were watery. If the canned tomatoes were thick you can add a few Tbsp of water if needed to thin the sauce mixture.
Recipe source: inspired by this recipe on
Epicurious
1. For a homemade garam masala spice blend (which I recommend using) whisk together: 2 Tbsp ground cumin, 2 Tbsp ground coriander, 1 1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper, 1 Tbsp ground cardamom, 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. The blend listed here will make enough to make this recipe 4 times so it's quicker the next few times you make it.
2. To make it a little richer sometimes I like to substitute 1/4 cup heavy cream for 1/4 cup of the yogurt. Both ways are delicious though.
3. You can let it simmer longer if needed if the canned tomatoes used were watery. If the canned tomatoes were thick you can add a few Tbsp of water if needed to thin the sauce mixture.
Recipe source: inspired by this recipe on
Epicurious