Last Updated on April 29, 2024 by Carne Diem
Protein:
Method: Stovetop
Jump to RecipeA classic of British Curry Houses, Chicken Tikka Masala is the king of British style curries. Flavorful cubed chicken is simmered in a rich flavorful tomato cream sauce, with warming Indian spices. This mild curry is easy to make at home, so you can enjoy this creamy and delicious Indian dish any time you want.
Table of contents
If you were to take a guess as to the national dish of Great Britain, chances are you would guess something along the lines of Fish and Chips, Shepard's pie, Beef Wellington, or even Bangers and Mash. While all worthy dishes you would be wrong (sorry Gordon Ramsey). The National Dish of the United Kingdom is actually Chicken Tikka Masala. The origin of chicken tikka masala is believed to be in Glascow Scotland where a Bengali chef adapted a traditional Indian recipe for British tastes, and not actually originally from the Indian subcontinent. Today chicken tikka masala can be found in curry houses across Britain and the world. It is hard to find a curry house in Britain that does not feature this delicious Indian curry on its menu.
The first time we were introduced to this dish was while studying in England and it has been a favorite ever since. Creamy and mild British Chicken Tikka Masala is always one of the first dishes (along with Butter Chicken) that I point people to that have never tried Indian cuisine. This easy chicken tikka masala recipe remains one of our family's favorite Indian dishes, and the best part is this delicious recipe is a breeze for home cooks to make at home.
Making the British Chicken Tikka Masala
We have adapted this recipe from one of our favorite Chicken Tikka Masala recipes by The Curry Guy The Curry Guy has pretty much written the bible of British Style Curry and has never steered us wrong on a recipe. For this recipe you will need to make a base curry sauce and then finish the dish. It is a little time consuming but not too bad, and totally worth the effort.
Choosing your chicken
For this recipe you will need about 1.5 pounds of cooked, cubed chicken. We always make this recipe with extra chicken from our Chicken Tikka Skewers, because the extra flavor it adds from the Greek yogurt marinated chicken pieces is fantastic. If you do not have time to do this you can used some cooked chicken thighs, cubed deli chicken, chargrilled chicken, or cook a few chicken breasts seasoned with a little of the Spice Mix 1, and then dice the chicken.
Make the Base Curry Sauce
The first step in making the British Chicken Tikka Masala in making a base curry sauce. This step can be completed ahead of time and frozen until needed or kept in the refrigerator if you make it a few days before. To make the base curry sauce you will need:
- 2 Small onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ Cup Cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Paste
- 2 teaspoons Ginger Paste
- ½ Red Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Small Carrot Peeled and diced
- 8 Ounce Tomato Sauce
- ¼ Cup Water
This is a mild curry dish, so it you would like a little more heat you can add a little bit of cayenne pepper or Indian red chili powder to personal preference.
For the spice mix for the base curry sauce you will need ½ teaspoon each of:
- Garam Masala
- Ground Coriander Powder
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Fenugreek Leaves
Heat a medium sized pot over medium heat and add the cooking oil. You can use any cooking oil for this step, we typically use extra virgin olive oil. Next, add the sliced onions and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.
Add in the bell pepper and carrot and cook for 5 more minutes.
Next, stir in the garlic and ginger paste, all of the spices for the curry sauce (spice mix 2), the tomato sauce, and water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and when cool enough blend with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender. Set aside or refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to use it.
Finishing the British Chicken Tikka Masala
Combine all of the ingredients for spice mix 1 in a small bowl.
Heat the Ghee or clarified butter over medium heat.
Add in all of the spices for spice mix 1 and stir constantly for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Do not let burn.
Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and stir to combine.
Next, add in the reserved curry sauce. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes, then add in the cooked cubed chicken.
You will want to cook the chicken until it is warmed through, typically a few minutes.
After a few minutes stir in the heavy cream or coconut milk and remove from the heat. Be sure to get all of the chunks of chicken coated in the creamy sauce.
Just before serving top with the lemon juice and serve. Note that traditional chicken tikka masala will be more of a red color, due to the addition of red food coloring. It does not add anything to the flavor of the dish so we choose to omit it. If you really want that traditional curry house red color you see at your favorite Indian restaurant, you can add some red food coloring here.
What to serve with Chicken Tikka Masala
Enjoy warm with naan bread, hot cooked basmati rice or jasmine rice, lentils, and samosas.
For more international chicken recipes, be sure to try our Peruvian Anticuchos de Pollo: Peruvian Chicken Skewers, Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken, and Cast Iron Chicken Fajitas.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's generally a mild dish. The creamy tomato sauce mellows out any heat from the spices. However, spice levels can vary depending on the recipe. You can make the dish spicier by adding Indian red chili powder or cayenne pepper.
Surprisingly, no! While it features Indian flavors, Tikka Masala is believed to have originated in Britain by Indian immigrants who catered to local tastes by adding a creamy tomato sauce to the traditional chicken tikka. Today it is considered the National dish of Great Britain.
These dishes are very similar, however, butter chicken typically uses a richer tomato sauce flavored with butter, while Tikka Masala often incorporates a touch of yogurt or cream for a slightly tangier flavor.
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📖 Recipe
British Chicken Tikka Masala
Equipment
- Medium Pot
- Large Skillet
- Blender, food processor, or hand held blender
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoon Ghee or Clarified Butter
- 2 Tablespoon Garlic Paste
- 2 Tablespoon Ginger Paste
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- Juice of 1 Lemon
Spice Mix 1
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- 2 Tablespoon Garam Masala
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Coriander
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Fenugreek Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
Curry Sauce
- 2 Small onions Thinly sliced
- ¼ Cup Cooking oil
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Paste
- 2 teaspoons Ginger Paste
- ½ Red Bell Pepper Diced
- 1 Small Carrot Peeled and diced
- 8 Ounce Tomato Sauce
- ¼ Cup Water
Spice Mix 2
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Fenugreek Leaves
Instructions
Make the Curry Sauce
- In a medium sized pot, heat the cooking oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in the bell pepper and carrot and cook for 5 more minutes, until softened.
- Next, stir in the garlic and ginger paste, all of the spices for the curry sauce (spice mix 2), the tomato sauce, and water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, and when cool enough blend with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender. Set aside.
Finishing the dish
- Heat the Ghee or clarified butter over medium heat
- Add in all of the spices for Spice Mix 1 and stir constantly for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Do not let burn.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and stir to combine.
- Next add in the reserved curry sauce. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes, then add in the cooked cubed chicken.
- Cook for a few minutes then stir in the heavy cream and remove from the heat.
- Just before serving top with the lemon juice and serve.
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