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!!
Is the amount of chicken still correct? It was 2lbs of bone-in chicken thighs and now it’s 2lbs boneless? Seems like alot of chicken by comparison and more than is shown in the pictures.
Yep, my chicken (shown in the photos) was just slightly under 2 lbs. You can do either bone-in or bonless, it will just be more saucy with the bone-in (after removing the bones, of course).
I am not sure what the deal is with the other commenters and the flavors, but the flavors on this revised version are definitely ON. It tasted exactly like I would expect tikka masala to taste, except I will say that there wasn’t nearly enough sauce to go around. Mine was barely enough to cover the chicken with just 8 oz of tomato sauce, as the recipe calls for.
If there is a way to double the sauce (or triple, honestly) without affecting the taste, it would be a 5-star recipe to me.
I personally don’t like slow cooker recipes that require cooking something beforehand, but that is not contributing to my review score, more just a preference.
OMG, I just realized there was a typo in the recipe!! It was a 15oz. can of tomato sauce. Thank you SO MUCH for posting your comment. I may not have noticed otherwise. 🤦♀️
I am so glad you revamped this!! I have eyed it for years, debating making it. On one hand, I trust your food judgement and love my slow cooker. On the other hand, all these bad comments made me fearful it was a bad bet (but again, I trust your food judgement so I continued to think about making it anyway and saying to hell with the haters haha).
Putting this on the grocery list to make this week. :) I’ll comment with the results!
I cannot believe you just posted this! I’ve been craving Tikka Masala for weeks but all the recipes had too many ingredients. Finally thought of your blog yesterday, was lucky enough that you had a recipe, and printed it for dinner tomorrow. Then today you post an even better recipe?! Too great. Thanks for this, very excited to try it.
Dear Beth, I love your recipes. I haven’t tried this one but I have seen the instructions and read some comments, and I know it doesn’t taste “right” because the spices are added all together. Indian cuisine is very hard and so much of the flavor depends on how and when the spices are used. I would have used an initial tadka wiith cumin seeds (blooming cumin seeds in hot oil) at least. Also garam masala is used more of an enhancement spice than a foundational spice, because on its own it is very powerful.
She changed the recipe. The comments were from the original recipe she posted. So disregard them. :)
Could you substitute chickpeas in this recipe?
I suppose you could, but you might want to try my one of my fast stove top versions instead. They’re a little better and formulated for use with chickpeas: Curried Chickpeas with Spinach or Quick Curried Chickpeas. THey’re literally so fast that you can make it in the time it would take just to add the stuff to the slow cooker, so there is no advantage to using a cooker for those recipes.
I’m so sorry but I have to agree with those who rated this fairly low……at first tasting, it tasted very much like tomato soup (Campbell’s). So I added salt and more garam masala. It wasn’t ‘awful’ but it also wasn’t fabulous. It really doesn’t taste much like any tikka I”ve had before. I”m afraid I won’t be doing this one again, I know I can do much better following another recipe. So sorry! I will say, my kids did still eat and they’re taking the leftovers for lunch. I made homemade naan to go with it, so I think that helped a wee bit.
This is the first recipe I tried off of thiz site and I loved it! I marinated the chicken for about an hour in the same spice blend used and some cayenne pepper, added some fresh tumeric to the recipe, cooked it on low heat on a stove top (I don’t own a slow cooker) and used half the alloted tomato sauce and it still came out divine!
I love this and have made it before just a couple times. Super easy! I wonder if sour cream would work, since I find that I have a lot on hand?
Yes, that would probably taste quite good. A little different, since it has a different flavor, but you’ll still get that creamy-tangy element.
I tried this in an instant pot, but before it came up to pressure it stopped with a burn warning, and sure enough some of the sauce was burnt on the bottom of the pot. From what I could find, it seems like instant pots don’t work so well with nothing but tomato sauce since there isn’t enough moisture to build up enough steam for the pressure. How’d you get it to work in yours without burning?
I did some reading on this, and it looks like my mistake was mixing everything together in the instant pot. I just did that without even thinking about it, and I didn’t really notice in your directions the ingredients were decidedly not mixed. Apparently there’s not enough moisture in tomato sauces to create steam and if it’s in contact with the bottom of the pot it burns easily. Looks like any recipe that uses tomato sauce recommends pouring it on top of all the other ingredients and not stirring it.
Did you add extra liquid to the bottom of yours? Or did the liquid released from the chicken and onions suffice?
Anyway, if any other Instant Pot newbies like myself come into this recipe and wonder why their attempt burned, that’s likely why. Don’t mix thick tomato sauces in an instant pot if you’re pressure cooking, just pour them on top.
I didn’t add any extra water to my pot, but I’ve heard that the newer models of the IP have a “burn” warning that the older models do not have. I wonder if I would have gotten that warning due to low moisture in the pot, had I had a newer machine.
It looks like older models used a different warning, Overheat (displayed as Ovrht, I think?) but they were also a bit less touchy when it came to displaying it. The redesign in the newer models probably made them a bit more sensitive.
For this attempt the recipe still came out fine, I just dumped the contents into a large pot and cooked it the old fashioned way, but I want to give this another shot the next time I get a craving for Tikka Masala. What I’ll probably do is layer the ingredients properly without mixing, but also add a splash of water to the very bottom to be safe. I can simmer it for a bit in saute mode at the end to reduce if it comes out too thin.
I think I’m going to try to rework this recipe as well. People seem to get mixed results.
We have made this a couple times now, and it is a hit every time! We did end up adding more garam masala every time, but not a ton. Love how easy it is, and it tastes great!
I’m not sure what Matthew made, becuase my family LOVED this recipe. De-Lish!
I completely agree with Rikki and wish I had read her comment before I wasted my time and money on this.
Tastes disgusting made exactly as described and literally made me sick.
I think you’ve misused the word literally. Maybe you don’t like Indian food?
It tastes absolutely nothing like genuine indian food. I had the same experience as Matthew. Bland, tasteless, and I had to throw it out, because I couldn’t eat more than a couple bites. Which is a shame, because chicken tikka masala is my favorite food. I should have known this wouldn’t taste anything like the genuine product since it uses around a quarter of the necessary spices. More fool am I.
I’ve made a bunch of Beth’s recipes and usually they’re awesome, but this one was truly awful. It was little more than bland tomato sauce on rice that tasted nothing like Tikka Masala, plus the taste/smell it did have made me feel sick to my stomach! I’m still trying to get it out of my home. :'(
Stumbled on this site while looking how to make more use of our Wisconsin Foundry cookers. Absolutely sold without having used a single recipe.