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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
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!!
Absolutely one of my favorite recipes from Beth. I tried the old recipe a few years ago and it was good, but I definitely like the new version better. I’m made it several times and believe me when I say Beth knows what she’s talking about when it comes to searing the chicken before putting it in the slow cooker. It’s a bit of a pain when you’re rushing in the morning trying to get it in the crock pot before you head out for work, but you absolutely MUST sear your chicken if you want the full flavor potential of this recipe. I have subbed in chicken breasts for the thighs and it turned out well, though not quite as good as with the thighs. All things considered honestly I just recommend following the recipe on this one LOL.
I would absolutely LOVE to see an instant pot version of this recipe as an alternative for days I can’t get the searing done before I leave for work in the morning!
YUM! i used a red onion because i didn’t have any yellow on hand, really couldn’t tell a difference. i enjoyed the seasonings, wasn’t crazy spicy, filling, and my fiancé didn’t even find it spicy surprisingly!
Ohhh any chance of an IP version of this recipe? It’s a standby for me and I’d love to make it even quicker since I’m a busy mom and grad student!
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried this in an IP yet!
The nutrition data does not include the side of rice, correct?
Can’t wait to try it!
I’m sorry, I misread your comment. It DOES include the rice. The nutrition info on the recipes include everything listed in the ingredient list. :)
Hmmm ok. I was mostly asking due to protein content at the time cus I’ve been trying to lift weights recently, but I also count carbs due to being diabetic (type1) and the carb count just seemed low for that. I guess I just ate A LOT more rice than the recipe assumed 😜
But what I really came back for was just to comment that if anyone does like I did, and used a lot more of the spices than the recipe called for (I wasn’t confident in my spices quality) and it turned out to be a tad “too much”, a tablespoon or two (depending on how much you overdid it and how sweet you like it) of brown sugar added to the pot at the end, mellows it back down nicely. I think I tend to like a background of sweetness to my spicy dishes anyway, so even if I don’t use too much spice, I think the brown sugar addition will be something I keep in future… just less of it.
It was awesome!
Just forgot a rating.
Any thoughts on substituting sweet potato and chickpeas for the chicken? Same cook time? I just spent a lot of money moving and have a preponderance of garam masala, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes I’d like to use up before hitting the grocery store again.
I probably wouldn’t use this method for chickpeas and sweet potatoes. I’d just do a quick skillet method instead, like this version with chickpeas and cauliflower. Just sub sweet potatoes for the cauliflower and you’re good. :)
Great, thank you!! :)
I was wondering how many cups a serving would be?
I love this recipe. Have been making this every three weeks since the beginning of last year. It’s my go to favorite dinner. At first I was intimidated because I never cooked more than macaroni cheese since before the pandemic. This dish makes me feel like a real chef and have gotten many compliments on it. I pair it with coconut rice and or garlic naan. Thank you!
It was our first time making the dish. We did not use a slow cooker we have a cast iron pot we cooked it slow on stovetop. We put coconut milk instead of cream. Very good
I have made this recipe twice, using bone in thighs and then breast meat. Both came out AMAZING. I added baby spinach at the end and I doubled the cayenne , which gave it a nice kick!
Very good, does not taste like traditional tikka masala though. This tastes more like garam masala and the chicken is pulled instead of chunked.
Well, Beth, here comes a double compliment: Just had this for dinner and it was absolutely wonderful, and …my adult son made it. So, now my grown kids are into Budget Bytes and turning me on to good things. The Budget Bytes web site has helped us all cook delicious and healthy meals, inexpensively, and during a pandemic. Thanks so much, you are very much appreciated.
Thank you! That means a lot to me. :)
I meal prep/write down what I’m making throughout the week. Once again I failed to put “slow cooker” down so at 4:00 I started to panic. Sautéed the chicken and then onions in the pressure cooker and then cooked for 15 mins for no other reason than it was the preset for chicken on the IP. I used full-fat coconut milk bc I had it and didn’t want to run to the store for heavy cream. Once again Beth has provided a fantastic dinner that even I couldn’t mess up. Thank you Beth! Your recipes are not only budget-friendly but also versatile.
This was amazing! To add nutrients and bulk it out I added a box of frozen spinach to it. Was an easy way to get some veggies in.
The recipes look delicious!! I use the microwave and slow cooker a lot to cut costs. The news is telling us everything is going up in 2021, , especially food so low cost meal recipes would be great!! Do I have to pay to subscribe? Thanks.
Hello! No, you don’t have to pay to subscribe to our newsletter. :)
This is excellent! I may make it every week. My picky eater calls it his “favorite chicken!” I make it with the naan bread, which is excellent as well
It was good but definitely did not taste anything like authentic tikka masala that you’d get at an Indian restaurant. Authentic tikka masala is a lot of spices and prep though so for an easy version it was tasty. I paired it with the yellow jasmine rice which was also “blah” in my opinion but at the same time the fluffiest rice I’ve ever made in my life.