This slow cooker chicken tikka masala is the homemade version you’ve been dreaming of… bold and richly flavored, yet SO easy to make! Imagine coming home to the mouthwatering smell of this classic curry simmering away, ready to electrify your tastebuds!
Looking for other recipes made simpler by the slow cooker? Be sure to check out my Crockpot Meatloaf, Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, Slow Cooker Apple Butter, and Crockpot Spaghetti Casserole!
CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
There’s nothing better than knowing that dinner is taken care of. You don’t have to stand over a hot stove for 30 minutes or more, and you still get to eat a home-cooked meal!
Slow cookers are truly one of my favorite things… walking in the house and having the smell of this delicious curry hit you; it’s an amazing feeling.
Serve this chicken tikka masala with some basmati rice and naan bread for a perfect Indian meal at home!
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
In an effort to make this slow cooker version taste the most like the real deal, I added 2 extra steps to add seared flavor. But don’t worry, it’s still incredibly simple!
- Sear chicken in skillet, remove and dice.
- Cook onion, peppers, spices, garlic and ginger.
- Transfer mixture to the slow cooker and stir in tomato sauce.
- Cook.
- Mix sauce with yogurt, then add yogurt to the slow cooker.
- Stir in cilantro and eat!
COOKING TIPS FOR CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
- Take the time to sear – I know it’s a pain, and it’s an extra step or two, but searing both the chicken and the onion/pepper mixture adds SO much flavor!
- Use fresh spices – some of these spices may have been ones you’ve kept in the cabinet for a loooonnnggg time, but spices becomes less potent and flavorful over time, so use fresh spices for this recipe if possible.
- Temper the yogurt – if you add the yogurt to the hot sauce in the slow cooker, it may curdle, so it’s best to temper the yogurt by whisking some of the sauce into the yogurt, then mixing the yogurt into the slow cooker.
VARIATIONS OF TIKKA MASALA
- The No-Sear Method – if you’d rather not take the time to sear the chicken before adding it to the slow cooker, you can dice up the thighs ahead of time, season them with salt and pepper and add them to the slow cooker raw. I do highly recommend cooking the onion and pepper with the spices though… it adds SO much flavor.
- Other Proteins – tikka masala can be made with other proteins besides chicken if you’d like. Turkey, pork, shrimp, or even tofu would work well.
- Yogurt substitutes – if you’re completely against yogurt, you can use heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk.
- Longer cooking time – if you need or want this recipe to cook longer, don’t dice the chicken thighs, cook them whole, and they’ll cook for 6-7 hours. This will result in a shredded chicken tikka masala.
MAKING CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA AHEAD OF TIME
Most curries, in addition to this one, taste almost even better the next day! The flavors really have time to meld and intensify.
So feel free to make this dish ahead of time, then reheat the chicken in the sauce in a saucepan and enjoy!
STORING CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
Leftovers, if you have any, should last 3-4 days if kept covered and refrigerated.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
My favorite way of serving this dish is alongside a big bowl of basmati rice, and with plenty of naan bread (preferably garlic naan!).
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT USED IN THIS RECIPE
- Slow Cooker – I prefer using a smaller slow cooker for this recipe, as I think it cooks the chicken more evenly, and this is the model I have and love. The exact slow cooker used in the photos is this one, but it’s pretty pricey!
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion minced
- 1 serrano pepper seeded and minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 - 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup whole-fat plain yogurt (not greek)
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro minced
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over MED HIGH heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet once hot. Sear chicken 2-3 minutes per side, until very browned. Remove to a cutting board and slice into 1 inch pieces.
- Add onion, serrano, tomato paste, garam masala, tumeric, smoked paprika, cumin and sugar to same skillet over MED HIGH heat. Cook 3-4 minutes, until onion is soft and slightly browned at the edges.
- Stir in garlic and ginger and cook another 30 seconds or so. Add 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth to scrape up any browned bits in the skillet.
- Transfer skillet contents to bottom of slow cooker. Top with diced chicken and tomato sauce, stirring well to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, remove 1/2 cup of sauce from the slow cooker and slowly pour it into the yogurt, while whisking quickly. This tempers the yogurt so it doesn't curdle.
- Stir all yogurt into the slow cooker and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve.
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Chef Tips
INSTANT POT VERSION
All ingredients are the same, but add 1/2 cup chicken broth-
Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add vegetable oil to Instant Pot and select "Saute". When hot, add chicken and cook for a 2-3 minutes per side each side, until well browned. You don't want to overcrowd the pot, so you may need to do this in batches.
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Remove chicken to cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces.
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Add onion, serrano, tomato paste, garam masala, tumeric, smoked paprika, cumin and sugar to Instant Pot. Cook 3-4 minutes, until onion is soft and slightly browned at the edges.
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Stir in garlic and ginger and cook another 30 seconds or so. Add chicken broth to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Browned bits on the bottom can result in a BURN notice from the Instant Pot.
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Return chicken pieces to the pot, along with tomato sauce. Stir slightly.
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Close lid securely and make sure the valve is set to "sealing". Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" and adjust the +/- button until it reads 8 minutes.
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When finished cooking, carefully turn the valve to "venting" for a quick pressure release. When the steam has all escaped, and the pin has dropped, remove the lid.
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Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm. Select "Saute".
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Add yogurt to a small mixing bowl. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the sauce from the Instant Pot and slowly pour it to the yogurt, while whisking quickly. This tempers the yogurt so it doesn't curdle.
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Stir the yogurt mixture into the Instant Pot and let simmer for several minutes, until thickened to your liking.
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Return chicken to the pot, along with minced cilantro. Stir and serve hot.
FOR A SMOOTHER SAUCE
- Scoop chicken pieces out of slow cooker or instant pot and set aside in a bowl (I like to use a slotted spoon for this).
- Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce right in the slow cooker, or transfer the sauce to a standard blender and blend until smooth. Be careful, as the sauce is very hot!
- Add chicken back to pureed sauce and proceed with step 6
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Lauri H says
Only made one batch. Froze some in a glass bowl. 2 C. portions. Tasted EVEN BETTER later for my lunch and/or dinner.
Going to make another batch this weekend. My frozen leftovers are now gone.
Art says
Fantastic! Made this for my daughters who like the dish, I personally have not…until your version! Perfect medley of heat, spice countered by creamy yogurt. From my perspective, perfectly spiced! Thank you!
Terena says
Hello! I’m excited to try this- would there be any issues if the slow cooking on low part is closer to 6hrs? Ha! Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
I can’t say for certain, as I’ve only tested this recipe as written. I feel like the chicken may be pretty overcooked, but if you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Greg says
Methodology is good for searing the chicken first. The thigh meat came out great in the end. BUT this isn’t a dish to serve your Indian friends I’m afraid. I would almost cut the tomato paste and sauce in half, double down on Garam Masala, add 1-1.5 tsp of garlic powder and ground ginger. All other spices should be dialed up by 1.5x. I found myself constantly adding
More and more spice to overcome the tomatoey overtone.
Andrea Montoya says
Best & quickest recipe!! Delish!!
K says
Amazing! We add fresh lime juice when serving!
Roy says
Not into this one… needs a lot more spice and a lot less tomato.
Amy says
A friend brought this to our book club meeting and it was delicious! I don’t have a slow cooker. I was thinking about making it in my Dutch oven in the oven. If you think that would work, what temperature would you recommend? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
Glad you enjoyed! While I’m certain this could be done in a dutch oven and slow cooked in the oven (most slow cooker recipes can), I haven’t tested it, so I can’t speak to what temperature and how long it would take. You could try using this general conversion chart for slow cooker to dutch oven recipes, but this isn’t tested by me, just a google search result: https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/slow-cooker-vs-dutch-oven-a-conversion-guide/
Christine M says
This recipe is great. Spice level perfect. Our family enjoyed this with basmati rice and naan bread. I sauted zucchini, onion and peppers and added into the sauce at the end to have it go further.
Christine M says
Great recipe. Spice level perfect.
Our family enjoyed this dinner w/ basmati rice and naan bread. I sauted zucchini and peppers and onions and added to the sauce at end to make it go further.
Eric says
I made this yesterday and it was delicious and the aroma through my house was wonderful. I didn’t have a serrano pepper, so I used a jalapeno. This was just the right amount of heat, so maybe I’d stick to that instead of the serrano. One observation yesterday is that maybe I can taste the tomato base more than I’m used to with chicken tikka masala, so maybe the Indian spices could use a slight increase. But we’ll see with leftovers tonight!
Carrie H says
This recipe was So easy and so delicious! I made it with chicken thighs. The meat was perfectly shredded after 3 hours in the crockpot. I subbed ground ginger for the real but did have real cilantro. My fiance and his mother were raving over it and the leftovers tasted even better the following day! Thank you for sharing this!