Homemade Curry Stand Chicken Tikka Masala
Make delicious, restaurant-style Chicken Tikka Masala at home! This easy recipe features tender chicken in a rich, creamy, spiced tomato sauce. A curry night favorite!
Ingredients
(Original recipe yields 6 servings)
For the Tikka Masala Sauce:
- â–¢ 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter), or unsalted butter/oil
- â–¢ 1 onion, finely chopped
- â–¢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
- â–¢ 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- â–¢ 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- â–¢ 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- â–¢ 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- â–¢ 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
- â–¢ 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- â–¢ 1 tablespoon white sugar, or more to taste (Optional)
- â–¢ 2 teaspoons paprika
For the Chicken:
- â–¢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- â–¢ 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1.5 – 2 lbs), cut into bite-size pieces
- ▢ ½ teaspoon curry powder
Garnish (Recommended):
- â–¢ Fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
1. Sauté Aromatics and Bloom Spices for Sauce:
- Gather all your ingredients. Chop onion, mince garlic, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat the ghee (or butter/oil) in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the finely chopped onion. Cook and stir until the onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon, and ground turmeric to the onion mixture in the skillet.
- Stir these spices constantly and fry them gently with the onions and garlic until they become very fragrant, about 2 minutes. This step, called “blooming,” is crucial for developing the deep flavor of the spices.
2. Build and Simmer the Tomato-Cream Sauce:
- Stir the canned tomato sauce into the onion and spice mixture in the skillet.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low.
- Let the sauce simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld.
- After 10 minutes, mix in the heavy whipping cream, optional white sugar (start with less if unsure), and the 2 teaspoons of paprika.
- Bring the sauce back to a gentle simmer (do not rapidly boil). Cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes more.
3. Sear the Chicken:
- While the sauce simmers, prepare the chicken. Heat the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a separate medium skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the bite-size chicken pieces to the hot oil. Sprinkle with the ½ teaspoon of curry powder.
- Sear the chicken, stirring often, until it is lightly browned on all sides but still slightly pink inside, about 3-5 minutes. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
4. Combine Chicken and Sauce, Simmer to Finish:
- Transfer the seared chicken and any accumulated pan juices from its skillet into the simmering Tikka Masala sauce.
- Stir gently to combine. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce over low heat until it is cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 20-30 minutes. The sauce may thicken a bit more.
- Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more salt or sugar if needed to achieve your preferred balance.
5. Serve:
- Serve the Homemade Curry Stand Chicken Tikka Masala hot.
- It’s traditionally served with fluffy basmati rice and/or warm naan bread.
- Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!