Chicken Tikka Masala (Home)

Name: Chicken Tikka Masala
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Punjab)
Ingredients: Boneless chicken thighs: 600g; Hung yoghurt: 120g; Kashmiri chilli powder: 2 tsp; Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tbsp; Lemon juice: 2 tbsp; Mustard oil: 2 tbsp; For masala: butter 40g, onion 200g, tomato purée 350g, cashew paste 30g, cream 80ml, garam masala 1 tsp, kasuri methi 1 tbsp; Thigh meat stays juicy; breast meat dries out — always use thighs for tikka masala.; Char on the chicken is essential — do not skip or the masala will taste flat.; Cashew paste is a home shortcut for the restaurant-style body; cream alone is not enough.; The home version should be slightly thicker and bolder than restaurant; do not thin it down.

🍗 Non-veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Medium

Grilled chicken tikka folded into a tomato-cream masala built at home — richer and more rustic than restaurant versions, with the authentic smokiness of a home grill or stovetop char.

⏱️25 minPrep

🔥15 minCook

🕒40 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

Boneless chicken thighs: 600g
Hung yoghurt: 120g
Kashmiri chilli powder: 2 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tbsp
Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
Mustard oil: 2 tbsp
For masala: butter 40g, onion 200g, tomato purée 350g, cashew paste 30g, cream 80ml, garam masala 1 tsp, kasuri methi 1 tbsp

👩‍🍳 How to make Chicken Tikka Masala

Mix yoghurt, Kashmiri chilli, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, mustard oil, salt.
Coat chicken.
Marinate minimum 4 hours.
Melt butter; cook onions until deep golden, 10 min.
Add ginger-garlic paste 2 min.
Add tomato purée; cook until oil surfaces.
Add cashew paste; cook 3 min.
Add cream, kasuri methi, garam masala.
Add chicken; simmer 5 minutes.
Finish with a knob of butter.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 520 kcal | 40g | 14g | 34g | 2g | Chicken Tikka Masala's Punjab origins are contested but the dish's DNA is unambiguously Punjabi — tandoor char + makhani sauce. The home version made by Punjabi families across the diaspora has become a comfort food of identity, the dish most likely to appear at a Punjabi family gathering anywhere from Ludhiana to Leicester. ---

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