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!!
Tried this today and everyone loved it, even the toddler. l followed it exactly as written.
Toddler approved adds an extra star!
Any suggestion on more sauce? I love my sauce with this dish. Didn’t know if adding more canned tomatoes would throw off the spices or add too much acid to the dish?
Also the prep time for this dish is much longer than 15 minutes for me. Maybe almost an hour. Do cubed chicken breast in 3 bashes was about 20 minutes alone. Plus everything else that needed done. Could maybe decrease the time next time.
But overall- wonderful dish. Highly recommend
If you want to do more sauce, I would suggest doubling everything except the chicken. You’ll definitely get more spices stuck in the pan, but that’s okay. :)
I only have greek yogurt, will that work?
Maybe if it’s full fat Greek yogurt, but you still have to consider that Greek yogurt very tangy, whereas heavy cream is not, so it will change the flavor.
Thanks, Beth! Just tried this recipe after wanting to explore more Indian ingredients (a pretty decent coconut curry has been in my back pocket for a while, but I’ve been wanting to expand my knowledge and go-to recipes) and this was a great one to try. Great flavor! I’ll probably adjust it next time for some preferences, but this was fantastic!
This was very whatever. Was not creamy. Pretty bland actually. Stick to take out.
Very good! Tasted delicious! I added another quarter tsp of cayenne pepper and I could only slightly taste any spice. I think the cream really counteracts the spice of the initial amount. Next time, I’ll probably add a full tsp. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs just cuz that’s what we had on hand but it still tasted really good. It needed a few pinches of salt after to really boring out the taste and I added some extra garam masala since mine was just Walmart bought so I assumed it was low quality. Great basis for a delicious recipe though. Incrediblely easy to make, I’ll definitely be using this again! Thank you SO MUCH!
Delicious! I’m not one to often use a slow cooker, but this might change that.
Loved making this dish!! My first time with tikka masala, but have tried other curries before, love the heat and spice all the way! Adapted from slow cooker to my cast iron and worked out great!! Going to vary up the proteins and veggies to try them out. Thank you!!
I used to think of making curry from scratch as super hard and intimidating. This recipie has changed my mind, it was so easy and so delicious! This will be a regular meal in our house!
This was a wonderful dish! I used chicken breast that I cut into large chunks and followed the recipe. For the spices I used the measurements in the recipe with a little more garam masala as suggested until I was satisfied with how the mixture smelled. I will definitely be making this recipe again!
Could be slightly more flavorful, but I did enjoy it! And very easy to make.
Hello Beth! I’d just purchased garam masala, but hadn’t tried a recipe with it yet. I love my crock pot. So I was delighted when I found your receipe for chicken tikka masala. So glad to report, it was a big hit!! THANKS!!!
Made this for dinner and meal prep, turned out really well (at least for the first time, we will see how it holds up for meal prep). I made the mistake of not making proper garam masala, but if you have the rest of the spices you can fudge it a little bit. Also used that tubed fresh ginger to make it easier. I will definitely get or make proper garam masala for the next time I make this though!
Seriously, this appears to be a great budget way to make and eat indian food. I will be trying the saag and naan recipies next to complete the perfect trifecta, but I just bought some naan at the store for this go around.
Seriously so good! I’ve made this recipe several times and it always hits the spot. I substituted the heavy cream for the whole coconut milk and it worked great.
I also make this in the instant pot I follow the recipe exactly just instead of 3 hours in the slow cooker I do 25 minutes on high pressure and 10 minutes natural release and then quick release. The chicken just falls apart, I love it!
This recipe is going to my favorites. Budget and flavor wrapped in one. Spice was a simmer, I will probably up the spicy level next time but other than that no complaints. Great recipe!