I love simplifying recipes and making them accessible for the average everyday American cook, with simple ingredients and simple prep, but I think went too far with the original version of this Slow Cooker Tikka Masala recipe. When I made it again recently I thought, “yeah, I can do better than this.” So I got back in the kitchen and started tweaking and testing. I’m happy to say that this new and improved version is richer, has more spices, a more complex flavor, and is far less “tomato-y.” But don’t worry, if you’re a fan of the original, there is a link to download the old version of the Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala below. ;)
Recipe Updates
So what did I do to improve this chicken tikka masala recipe? A few very important things…
The spice mix: I beefed up the spice mix a bit to make the flavors more complex, adding some cumin, turmeric, and smoked paprika to give extra smoky flavor that mimics the fire licked flavor of traditional chicken tikka masala.
Searing: I decided to add an extra step to this process, which might seem fussy to some, but it totally changes the flavor. Searing the seasoned meat before it goes into the slow cooker adds a ton of flavor from the maillard reaction and from toasting the spices. Likewise, sautéing the onions also changes their flavor and soaks up any bits of spices and chicken flavor left over in the skillet. Do NOT skip this step. It goes fast, I promise.
Less Tomato Sauce: One of the most common criticisms of the old recipe is that it tasted way too tomato-y. Upon remaking the recipe, I agreed so I reduced the tomato sauce by half, and the result was PERFECT. 👍Good call, everyone!
And if you love the old recipe, click here to download the pdf.
Recipe Substitutions and Options:
Chicken: You can use chicken breast in place of the chicken thighs, although it tends to not be as tender or juicy. I suggest cutting it into cubes before seasoning with the spices to maximize the flavor.
Cream: You can use full-fat yogurt or full-fat coconut milk in place of the cream.
Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce is a common product in the U.S., but I know it’s not readily available in other countries. The closest product would probably be passata. You may need to add a bit more salt at the end if using passata, as tomato sauce contains salt.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Servings 6Ingredients
- 1.5 Tbsp garam masala ($0.45)
- 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional) ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs ($5.78)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 1 yellow onion, diced ($0.32)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced ($0.24)
- 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger ($0.11)
- 1 15oz. can tomato sauce ($0.50)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream ($0.32)
For Serving
- 4 cups cooked rice ($0.70)
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.17)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika, salt, cayenne, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill). Sprinkle the spice mix over both sides of the chicken thighs, coating them liberally.
- Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the seasoned chicken and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until well browned (the chicken does not need to be cooked through). Transfer the seared chicken to the slow cooker.
- Add the diced onion to the skillet and continue to cook until the onions are soft and slightly browned on the edges. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the onions to the slow cooker, then add 1/4 cup of water to the skillet and stir to dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour the water into the slow cooker.
- Add the minced garlic, grated ginger, and tomato sauce to the slow cooker with the chicken and onion. Briefly stir, then place the lid on top, and turn the slow cooker on. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
- After 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low, the chicken should be fall-apart tender. Turn the slow cooker off, then add the heavy cream. Stir gently to combine the cream with the tomato sauce. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed.
- To serve, spoon the chicken and tomato sauce over cooked rice and top with fresh cilantro.
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Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala – Step by Step Photos
Start by preparing the spice mix. In a small bowl, combine 1.5 Tbsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (leave out if you want it mild), and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill).
Sprinkle the seasoning mix over both sides of 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Make sure they are liberally coated.
Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the seasoned chicken, and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until well browned. The chicken does not need to be cooked through. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
Add the diced onion to the hot skillet and sautée for a few minutes more, or just until the onions are soft and a little browned on the edges. The onions will pick up some of the spices left behind by the chicken, which is a good thing, but we want to get ALL the flavor left behind. So, transfer the onions to the slow cooker, remove the skillet from the heat, add 1/4 cup water, and stir to dissolve all the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Pour that water into the slow cooker.
Also add 3 cloves of minced garlic and about 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger to the slow cooker.
Finally, pour 15 oz. tomato sauce into the slow cooker and give everything a brief stir.
Close the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
The chicken should be fall-apart tender after cooking.
Add 1/3 cup heavy cream to the slow cooker and give everything a gentle stir.
Give the sauce a taste and add salt, if needed. Remember, salt can magnify flavors, sometimes adding just a pinch can be a game changer.
To serve your Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala, spoon over cooked rice and top with fresh cilantro. Or, serve with naan bread on the side. Creamy and delicious!!
Could I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs?
Yes, but it won’t be quite as tender. Chicken thighs stay wonderfully moist and tender.
I am so glad to see how fast the instant pot is going to be! I heard about them from your post the other day and am going to get on around Christmas time=) So nice to know you will be posting recipes using yours. Excited to learn all I can before purchasing one.
Thanks for all the yummy recipes!
Sarah
YUM! I’ve been buying the Tikka Masala jarred simmer sauce from my local Kroger, but I’ve been wanting to make this from scratch. Going to try the coconut milk substitution and “try” to make your homemade Naan as well.
How would you modify the crock pot recipe if you used boneless chicken thighs?
I’d probably just cook it the same. It may cook faster than 4 hours on high or eight on low, but it won’t hurt if it gets a little extra time in the pot.
I used boneless thighs and cooked for 8 hours on low; dish came out great.
Oh, oops! I used boneless, as well. Must not have read it straight. Cooked it for 8 hours and it was just fine. YUMMMM!!
I like your site and recipes but jeez, next time you “crave the aromatic spices of Indian food” maybe try putting some whole spices in there. :)
I have a slow cooker recipe for this too that is similar but it uses yogurt instead of cream. Less expensive since you made your own?
Yep, except I used the last of my yogurt to make the naan that I ate with it. Hahaha :)
Can you link me to the yogurt alternative ? And/Or would using coconut milk work? I am trying to stay away from heavy dairy
Doesn’t matter to me if it’s a bit inauthentic, I love this set-and-forget slow cooker method :) Definitely going to be making this recipe in the near future!
WOW, that looks delicious! Hopefully I can find garam masala at the grocery store, because I DEFINITELY want to try this one.
I love that you mentioned that you can make this in your instant pot! We purchased one during s previous sale and I’m still trying to come up with a good list of recipes to cook in it. I hope you keep posting recipes you cook in yours.
I made this tonight! Delicious and warmed my tummy. So glad to hear you got an instant pot. We got one about 6 months ago after reading a recommendation on nomnompaleo.com Sometimes we use ours multiple times in a day or even multiple times for one meal! Best money I’ve spent on a kitchen appliance. Worth every penny:)
Yum! Thanks for sharing, I have been looking for a good slow cooker Indian dish to make! I think I might want to sub in coconut milk for the cream, do you think that would work?
I’ve used coconut milk in place of cream for other Tikka Masala recipes and it works beautifully. No reason why it shouldn’t work in this one too, though if you use an entire can it will turn out creamier than the pics here.
Yes, that should work fine. :)
I’m so glad you got an instant pot, becuase I have one too and I’m looking forward to all your IP recipes!
How do you think this one would freeze? I would add the cilantro after I reheat, of course. I’m not 100% sure about freezing the cream, but I think it would work to freeze it before adding the cream, and just add the cream when reheating. I think everything else would freeze great!
I think it would freeze great, probably even with the cream. My version wasn’t too cream heavy, so I don’t think it would matter much. If more cream were used you might have a problem, but I kept the cream kind of low.
This is going on my menu for next week, no doubt about it. Thank you for the inspiration!
Beyond thrilled that you’re now posting IP pressure cooker recipes!! This looks delicious.