My one pan chicken tikka masala recipe is quick and easy enough to make for weeknight dinners — no takeout needed! A combination of Indian spices and buttermilk create a meat-tenderizing marinade, while the addition of tomato sauce turns it into the tastiest tikka masala sauce. It only takes 30 minutes of hands-on cooking to enjoy a curry that tastes like it simmered all afternoon!
Top Reader Reviews
I love this recipe. I have made it 5 or 6 times now, but,it is my husband who so enjoys it.
–
This recipe is top notch, you will be hard pressed to find a better one!
–
Easy Tikka Masala Sauce
There’s no reason to resort to a jar of tikka masala sauce when this homemade recipe is so darn rich, creamy, and easy. As much as I love a shortcut, it’s just not necessary here! With a can of tomato sauce as the base, a mix of simple spices (garam masala, turmeric, cumin, ginger, chili powder), and a dash of heavy cream to bring it all together, my chicken tikka recipe has plenty of flavor. I use buttermilk instead of yogurt in my tikka marinade because the acid is quick but gentle — which means a short marinating time. Plus the prep and simmer goes fast, so this takeout-inspired dinner will be ready in no time!
Email this recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Easy Chicken Recipes.
🙈 Learn from my mistake!
Using a little too much liquid or trying to cut the simmer time short can both lead to a watery tikka masala sauce.
💡Lesson Learned: Give the sauce a few extra minutes to simmer uncovered. If needed, stir in a cornstarch slurry and it will thicken right up!
Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces*)
- 2 cups buttermilk (**)
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter (***)
- 15 ounces tomato sauce (1 can)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
- 1½ cups heavy cream (room temperature****)
- fresh cilantro (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the chicken with the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, ginger, red chili powder, and buttermilk. Mix it, then cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.2 cups buttermilk, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- When ready to cook, add olive oil to a non-stick pan on high heat. Add the chicken pieces, and cook for 4 minutes on each side until slightly browned, but not cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken from pan and set aside.2 tablespoons olive oil
- In the same pan, add the butter and onions. Cook until soft and golden brown, for about 7 minutes on medium heat.1 tablespoon salted butter, 1 large onion
- Add the tomato sauce and lime juice, and bring to simmer.15 ounces tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Add the reserved marinade-sauce and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the sauce, and let everything simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes; until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- Add the heavy cream, stir everything together, and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat.1½ cups heavy cream
- Serve over steamed rice, add some fresh cilantro to taste and enjoy!fresh cilantro
Notes
- Cut the chicken into even-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Make this recipe a little more (or less) spicy as you please by adding more/less chili powder.
- Marinate the chicken longer to make it even more tender, up to 8 hours.
- Cooking all chicken pieces at once can crowd the pan, steaming instead of browning them. Sear in batches to get better caramelization and deeper flavor.
- Some separating may occur when adding the buttermilk marinade to the sauce, but it won’t affect the taste.
- Taste the sauce before adding cream. If it tastes too acidic from tomato/lime, add a pinch of sugar or a little more cream to balance it.
- Avoid boiling once cream is added; a gentle simmer keeps the sauce silky and prevents curdling.
- If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered a few extra minutes or add a small slurry of cornstarch and water.
- Serve with basmati rice, naan, and a wedge of lime for added brightness.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Foolproof Tips
- Marinate longer for more flavor. The chicken can marinate in the buttermilk mixture for up to 8 hours in the fridge, so don’t be afraid to prep this ahead of time. The longer marinating time will make it ultra tender and tasty!
- Avoid curdled cream. Let the heavy cream sit at room temperature while prepping the dish so that it isn’t fridge-cold. Then lower the heat on the pan just before stirring in the cream. These 2 simple tricks will help prevent a clumpy sauce!
- Simmer instead of boil. Cooking down the tikka sauce works best over a gentle simmer. It should be gently bubbling over medium-low heat. If it starts to boil or bubble rapidly, reduce the heat!
How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala Step by Step
Cut the Chicken: Cut 1½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Try to get them as even as possible so they all cook at the same rate.
Marinate the Chicken: In a bowl, add the chicken with 2 teaspoons of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of grated ginger, 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, and 2 cups of buttermilk. Mix it all together, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour — or up to 8 hours if time allows. I like to do this step in the morning so my chicken is ready to cook by dinnertime.
Brown the Chicken: In a non-stick pan set over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for 4 minutes on each side, until slightly browned. Keep the remaining marinade for later. The chicken will not be thoroughly cooked at this point. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. I like to do this step in batches so each piece of chicken gets nice and brown and crispy.
Cook the Onions: In the same pan (no need to wipe out), add 1 tablespoon of salted butter and 1 large diced onion. Cook over medium heat until soft and golden brown, for about 7 minutes.
Add the Tomato Sauce: Add 15 ounces (1 can) of tomato sauce and the juice of 1 lime, and bring the sauce to a simmer.
Stir in the Leftover Marinade: Add the reserved buttermilk marinade to the pan, and cook for another 5 minutes. Don’t panic if the sauce looks split or curdled — this is totally normal!
Simmer the Chicken: Add the chicken pieces back to the pan of tikka masala sauce, and let everything simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes; or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through to 165°F.
Add the Heavy Cream: Add 1½ cups of room-temperature heavy cream, stir everything together, and cook for another 5 minutes over low heat. Don’t let it boil, or the sauce may separate.
Garnish and Serve: Serve tikka masala over steamed rice, add some fresh cilantro to taste, and enjoy! I love adding some naan for the perfect takeout dinner.
How to Store and Reheat
Store homemade chicken tikka masala in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pot set over medium-low heat, or in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through. I do not recommend freezing this dish, as the sauce separates once thawed.
More Indian-Inspired Recipes to Try!
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
Leave a Reply