Tikka masala is not one of those dishes you have to eat only at an Indian restaurants. It may seem daunting, or you may not even know where to start. But you can (and should!) make this chicken tikka masala recipe at home. It is very flavorful and it’s written in such way that you can control how much you want of the warming spices.
Indian-inspired dishes like this one make for excellent meal preps. They often taste better the next day, are easy to make vegan or vegetarian, and are packed with flavor.
Even if you’ve never ordered tikka masala at a restaurant, I encourage you to try this. And if you want to try another authentic chicken tikka masala recipe, give this one a shot!
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What is tikka masala?
Tikka masala consists of chopped marinated and grilled or roasted chicken in a tangy tomato sauce that’s often mixed with a cream element. We’re using coconut milk.
Tikka masala is visually similar to butter chicken, but the flavor leans more heavily on the tomato and less on the butter. The flavor profile is different because the spices are. Also, the chicken is traditionally roasted in a tandoor oven in tikka masala, vs the chicken cooking in the sauce in butter chicken.
Related: Freezer Meal Prep: Stock Your Freezer With 8 Easy Prep Recipes
How to modify this chicken tikka masala recipe
- Use whole milk yogurt (not Greek yogurt) or whole milk instead of coconut milk. Marinate the chicken in yogurt and add more yogurt to make the sauce creamier after it’s done simmering (you don’t want to do this on a high heat). This swap works if you’re allergic to coconut/dislike coconut milk or if you can eat dairy and prefer to use a dairy product in this dish.
- Swap out the carrots for another veggie. I chose carrots for this because they add texture while blending in with the color of the sauce. Traditional tikka masala does not include carrots; this is a WWL spin on it to add more veggies! Cauliflower, chopped greens, zucchini and red/yellow/orange bell pepper would also make great veggie adds for this meal. Again, however, it’s not mandatory.
- Make it more/less spicy. The recipe, as written, is pretty middle-of-the-road when it comes to spice. You can add more spice by adding more cayenne (1/4-1/2 teaspoon) or reduce it. You can warm it up with more cumin, or reduce it to make it feel less spicy. It’s not really a spicy ingredient, but if your taste buds are not used to it. It can also taste very spicy for those who are sensitive to spices.
- Switch up the carb element. This recipe calls for rice, but you can use a different small grain like quinoa or even orzo. It won’t be traditional but it will be good. You can even skip rice altogether and go for pita or naan. (or both, like I did!) Cauliflower rice would work, too.
- Switch up the protein. We’re using chicken here because it’s easy, but this would work with beef or lamb, too. Use the same marinating process for beef or lamb, but cooking times might change. Want to go plant-based? Throwing in baked tofu or chickpeas would be excellent.
Related: 8 International Recipes to Try at Home
Can you make chicken tikka masala in an Instant Pot?
Yes, you can! Here’s a quick cheat sheet!
- Add the chicken chunks, 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 tsp garam masala to a plastic bag or bowl and mix well. Marinate for 20 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
- Melt the butter in the Instant Pot on SAUTE, then add the onion, garlic, ginger, carrots, and spices. Cook and stir until fragrant.
- Add the chicken chunks, cooking until browned. Add in the tomato sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes. Make sure to vent immediately.
- Uncover and add the remaining coconut milk. Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE, and let simmer until it thickens. Turn the Instant Pot off. Let it cool for a few minutes before adding cilantro and lime. Enjoy!
Cook the rice on the stove or in a rice cooker or enjoy with naan or pita!
Related: Copycat Restaurant Recipes To Make When You Want to Order In
How to double or add more volume to this chicken tikka masala
To double this recipe, simply double the ingredients. Note you’ll add more cooking time to the rice and you may have to cook the chicken/sauce in batches depending on how big your food processor and/or pan is!
To add more volume, start with adding a little more protein and veggies. I promise this meal is filling as is (and the recipe makes a lot of food!) but adding some cauliflower or greens to the sauce would be super tasty and filling, too.
How to storing chicken tikka masala
This chicken tikka masala lasts for up to 4 days in the fridge, covered in an airtight container. It’s freezer-friendly (without the rice) for up to 3 months.
This meal reheats well in the microwave or on the stove. I highly recommend eating it with some warm naan or pita. Happy prepping!
Don’t forget to try out our other delicious free recipes!
- Easy Chicken Satay Recipe With Stir-Fried Veggies
- Korean-Inspired Bibimbap Bowls (Vegetarian)
- Thai Coconut Curry Soup With Chicken (One-Pot!)
- Orange Chicken Recipe (Trader Joe’s Copycat)
- Veggie Meal Prep Ramen With Tofu & Marinated Eggs
Easy Chicken Tikka Masala for Meal Prep
Ingredients
for the chicken & marinade
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 15 oz canned coconut milk 1 cup for the marinade, reserve the rest
- 16 oz chicken breast chopped into chunks
for everything else
- 3/4 cup rice See notes above for other carb options
- 1 TBSP olive oil or butter
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 3 carrot chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 15 oz tomato sauce canned
- 1 cup cilantro chopped, for serving, optional
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Combine the chicken chunks, 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 tsp garam masala in a zip-close plastic bag or bowl and mix well. Marinate for 20 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
- Cook the rice/grain according to the package and set aside.
- Add 1 TBSP oil or butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, until it’s fully cooked through.
- Add the chopped onion, carrots, garlic and ginger to the pan with a splash of water to get some of the residue from the chicken off the bottom of the pan. Add the garam masala, cumin and nutmeg to the pan with salt and pepper to taste. Stir frequently for 5-7 minutes, cooking until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Add the whole can of tomato sauce to the pan, stir and bring the sauce to a low boil. Then simmer and cook uncovered for about 10-15 minutes. If your sauce thickens too much, add 1-2 TBSP water to thin it out.
- After 10 minutes turn off the heat, pour in the remaining coconut milk/whole milk/yogurt and stir. Taste the sauce and adjust spices as necessary. (I added more salt and garam masala at this point.)
- Assemble: Divide the cooked rice among your 3 meal prep containers. Then divide the tikka masala between the three containers. Top with cilantro and lime wedges if desired.
Brianna Deel says
Hello!
This is the first thing I’ve made from work week lunch and I’m honestly REALLY disappointed. The spices were SO strong and there were just too many. The spices truly ruined the meal in my family and I’s opinion. We actually couldn’t finish eating it.
But with all that said, I am still really excited to try the other recipes and I’m still going to give work week lunch a chance.
workweeklunch says
I’m really sorry to hear that! Everyone has different preferences — in the future, I recommend using less spices than my recipes call for, then tasting as you cook to make sure that it’s not too hot/spicy. Also a tip for this type of recipe: adding more milk or coconut milk (or a milk-like component like yogurt) would have made the spices less spicy!
Pam Kirkbride says
After I read the above comment, I made sure to really limit the spices for my family. I made 6 servings and only used 1 tsp of garam masala (instead of two) in the marinade and a little over 1 tsp in the sauce, and I made sure to taste it along the way. I also only put in 1 cup of coconut milk instead of the 2 cups in the sauce because I wasn’t sure how the kids would like it. Bottom line: they loved it! It had flavor but wasn’t so overpowering.
Valda Karlsons says
I would like to respectfully add a counter comment: I love spices and am very encouraged to see the variety of offerings, with international influences (I am new to the program). My biggest complaint of American-sourced recipes is that the spices are toned down, which significantly reduces the authenticity of the dish. I encourage you to keep the original ingredients, and provide an alternative spicing element if needed, but please don’t “bland it down”!
Caitlin Kelliher says
Ok so I have been craving some yummy Indian food for the last two weeks and decided to attempt this recipe. It was a SUCCESS! Adding the cashews was the icing on the cake. I also added a few extra ounces of the coconut milk to the sauce because I was really after that creamy coconut flavor and then used about a tsp of corn starch to thicken it up. You have done it again, Talia! Magnificent!
Amanda Cormier says
I didn’t find this spicy at all! Tasted just like chicken tikka masala from takeout. Loved it!
FYI the cashews are missing from the ingredient list and instructions but are included in the note.