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!!
I accidentally added the half and half with the sauce at the beginning. Will it ruin if it’s cooked on high for 4 hrs?
It might curdle and or it could scorch around the edges. :(
I read some of the comments warning that the recipe was bland so I sauteed my onions and garlic before adding them, added some extra garam masala and deglazed with wine. Still turned out a bit bland for my tastes, but perhaps there’s just no such thing as convenience Indian food! It was definitely not bad, though, and the guys I fed lapped it up.
I just made this last night. It smelled really good when cooking, but the 2 cans of tomato was too much, it came out really watery, so I had to add flour to thicken it. Also, the 1 TBspoon of garam masala isn’t enough. You need way more! Like 3-4 TBspoons. There’s A LOT that needed to be doctored up. Salt. Lots of salt. The garam masala I have doesn’t have any salt, and nothing in this recipe said anything about salt. Also marinade the chicken in the spices and garlic/ginger for a few hours so the chicken isn’t bland. I’ll do this next time, because the chicken itself turned out tasteless.
This recipe looks beautiful, but lacks flavor in all areas.
Made this and followed the recipe pretty carefully, and this pretty much tastes nothing like Chicken Tikka Masala. It tastes like spiced up tomato juice on rice. I would go for a more authentic recipe next time – or at least one that uses yogurt.
I agree! I had to add ALOT of extra seasoning, salt and garlic to mine, and finally got it to taste like Tikka Masala. The recipe as is is very bland =(
Delicious! Can this be made in a pressure cooker? Thank you!
Nevermind! Just reread the directions and answered my own question. Can’t wait to try it tonight!
Is there anything I could use instead of cream? Unfortunately my digestive system doesn’t handle cream well.
Full fat coconut milk would also be really good in this. :)
I just made this tonight with my instant pot on slow cooker mode low for 8 hrs. I used skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cause that’s what I had. Really good! I will be making this again. I often make your recipes but this is my first time commenting. Thanks!!!
This was so tasty! I modified slightly and it was still delicious, also has been great re-heated in microwave. These were my subs;
-I can of strained tomatoes and one can of fire roasted tomatoes + 2tbs tomato paste (instead of the 2 cans of sauce)
-2 tbs of garam masala instead of one
-1 tbs of turmeric added
-used full fat coconut milk instead of cream
-served over steamed broccoli and basmati rice
Was so tasty, will for sure make again!
What would the cook time difference be for using chicken breasts w/out the bone?
It should be about the same for this method.
This was very bland and did not taste right. Very different from any restaurant chicken tikka masala I’ve ever had. I used high quality ingredients and followed the recipe exactly.
I accidentally put the half and half in so it’ll be in there during the slow cooking for 4 hours! Did I just ruin the dish? Any advice? 😖
I’m curious as to how your dish turned out. I haven’t added the cream before I should have, but others may be curious too
Perfect weeknight recipe for our family! When I made this for the first time 2 weeks ago, my 12 year old called it “magical” and my very picky 9 year old called it “pretty good”, so that puts it into regular rotation in our house.
I just assembled it again in the slow cooker for tonight’s dinner, and I’m looking forward to having something delicious waiting for us when we get home this evening.
This was very good, but a bit sweet for me–probably the tomato sauce I bought. I added some chili powder to combat the sweetness, and it was great.
I’m a newby to the IP. Did you set it on manual for 45 minutes? Thank you!
I actually used the “meat/stew” button and adjusted to “more” as the instruction booklet notes that setting for “bone stripping effect”. :) I just went back and looked at it, though, and noticed that there is a “poultry” button and the booklet says that its there because poultry is easier to cook than red meat. Oops! :)
Thank you, Beth!
Hello Beth!
Am I able to use chicken drumsticks instead of thighs?
Thank you!
You could, but there usually isn’t quite as much meat on the drumsticks, so just take that into consideration. :)