Chef John’s Chicken Tikka Masala

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Description

I probably get more requests for Indian food than any other ethnic cuisine, so I was very excited to be posting this recipe for chicken tikka masala; until I found out it’s actually a British recipe. This is usually done with heavy cream, but I like to use coconut milk instead; the subtle sweetness it provides works beautifully with the spices in the dish. Serve with steamed rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 2 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee), or more as needed
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger, or more to taste
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (13 ounce) can coconut milk
  • ½ cup chicken broth, or as needed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Place chicken in a bowl. Drizzle vegetable oil over chicken; toss to coat.
  2. Whisk together salt
  3. garam masala
  4. cumin
  5. coriander
  6. paprika
  7. turmeric
  8. black pepper
  9. cayenne pepper
  10. and cardamom in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken and turn to coat evenly.
  11. Melt clarified butter in a large
  12. heavy skillet over high heat. Cook chicken thighs in hot butter until browned on all sides
  13. 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. When cool enough to handle
  14. cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
  15. Make sauce: Place the skillet with chicken drippings over medium-high heat. Stir onion into the skillet; sauté until onion softens and turns translucent
  16. 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook until paste caramelizes
  17. about 5 minutes. Stir garlic and ginger into tomato-onion mixture; cook until fragrant
  18. about 1 minute.
  19. Pour crushed tomatoes into the skillet. Bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Pour in coconut milk and chicken broth; bring to a simmer
  20. reduce heat to medium-low
  21. and cook
  22. stirring occasionally
  23. until flavors blend and sauce is slightly reduced
  24. about 15 minutes.
  25. Stir chicken and any accumulated juices into sauce. Add cilantro and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer
  26. reduce heat to medium-low
  27. and cook until chicken is cooked through and tender
  28. 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Servings: 4

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