Chicken Tikka Masala

Submitted by Preston Taylor - added 8/19/26

⏱ 80 min 🍽 Serves 6

This tikka masala sauce is bright orange and richly flavored with onion, garlic, spices, tomato sauce, and cream, cooked with tender chicken chunks.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. salt, or more to taste
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 14 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp. white sugar, or more to taste
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder

Instructions

1. Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic; cook and stir just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric into onion mixture; fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir tomato sauce into onion and spice mixture; bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
4. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes, then mix in cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, and paprika. Bring sauce back to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir chicken into hot oil; add curry powder. Sear chicken until lightly browned but still pink inside, about 3 minutes; stir often.
6. Transfer chicken and any pan juices into sauce. Simmer chicken in sauce until no longer pink, about 30 minutes; adjust sugar and salt to taste.