Description
Comfort meets Indian cuisine in this slow cooker chicken tikka masala recipe that brings rich spices and creamy textures to your home kitchen. Home cooks can enjoy restaurant-quality flavors with minimal effort and maximum satisfaction.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (907 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole-milk plain yogurt (not Greek)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 ½ tsps kosher salt, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 2 tsps ground coriander
- 2 tsps garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- 1 (15 oz/425 g) can diced tomatoes, drained
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream or coconut milk
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked rice or naan, for serving
Instructions
- Marination: Coat chicken pieces thoroughly with yogurt and salt in a slow cooker, ensuring complete coverage and uniform seasoning.
- Aromatic Base: Sauté onions in olive oil until translucent, then rapidly incorporate garlic, ginger, coriander, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric, releasing their intense flavors within moments.
- Sauce Development: Enhance the onion mixture with tomato paste, deepening its color and complexity, then introduce crushed tomatoes and remaining salt, scraping the skillet to capture all caramelized essence.
- Slow Cooking Fusion: Merge the spiced tomato mixture with marinated chicken in the slow cooker, creating a harmonious blend of flavors and ensuring complete ingredient integration.
- Tenderization Process: Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours, allowing chicken to become supremely tender and fully infused with the intricate spice profile.
- Creamy Transformation: Stir in heavy cream or coconut milk to elevate the sauce’s richness and create a luxurious, silky texture.
- Final Refinement: Optionally reduce sauce by cooking uncovered on HIGH for 30 minutes, concentrating flavors and achieving desired consistency; taste and fine-tune seasoning as needed.
- Presentation: Embellish with fresh cilantro and serve alongside basmati rice or warm naan, completing this aromatic culinary experience.
Notes
- Marinate for Maximum Flavor: Coat chicken thoroughly in yogurt and salt to tenderize and infuse deep, rich flavors throughout the meat.
- Bloom Spices Perfectly: Quickly sauté spices with onions to unlock their aromatic oils, creating a more intense and authentic taste profile.
- Prevent Watery Sauce: Remove lid during final cooking stage to reduce liquid and concentrate the sauce’s robust, complex flavors.
- Customize Creaminess: Adjust sauce thickness by controlling cream or coconut milk quantity, ensuring your desired consistency and richness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg