I feel like I’m 95 years old this week. I’ve been so tired every night. I’m struggling writing this blog post as we speak. It looks like I’m crying because I’m yawning so much. On top of all that, I have noticed that I’m getting really bad lower back pain. I sit all day long and sometimes I don’t even get up to take a walk. Does that happen to you? If it’s raining out, I typically don’t go out for a walk so that really isn’t good, but some days I get so busy or involved at work, I forget to leave my chair, only to the bathroom. I think that’s really affecting my lower back. Why do we have to get old?! I’d be perfectly fine if I were 25 forever :)
Being tired after work doesn’t help the whole dinner part of the evening. When I’m tired, I’m usually too lazy to cook or make anything decent. That was this entire week. We ate horribly this week because I was so tired so we would go out to eat. I hate doing that but what can ya do? You can’t force yourself to cook when you can barely keep your eyes open.
That’s where slow cooker meals come into play :) a few weeks ago, I prepped everything the night before (mostly all the chopping) and threw everything in the crock pot right before we left for work in the morning and we came home to the most amazing and comforting dinner. It’s so nice to walk into your house after work and smell dinner already prepared. It’s as if you have an in-house chef.
I have seen crockpot tikka masala all over the place but a lot of them had you cooking some parts of it as a prep step. This is just my opinion but what’s the point of a set it & forget it meal if you still have to cook it before you set it? I hate those. I just like chopping things up and throwing it in a crockpot. So when I finally found this recipe on Jaclyn‘s site, I was thrilled. Definitely a keeper. Tastes just like the real thing and it makes a ton! Leftovers in this household = less days I have to cook during the week, haha
Chicken Tikka Masala {Crockpot}
Yield: 6-8 servings | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 8 hours
Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, or about 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 lbs.)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 (29 oz.) can of tomato puree
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. Garam masala
1 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt, or to taste
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1-3 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on your heat preference)
2 bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. cornstarch
Chopped parsley or cilantro, for topping
Instructions:
- Place everything up to the bay leaves in a large bowl. With a spatula, stir to combine everything and make sure the chicken is coated well.
- Gently place the mixture in the insert of the crockpot and add the two bay leaves.
- Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).
- When done, in a medium bowl, whisk together heavy cream and corn starch, then pour the mixture into the crockpot and gently stir. Let cook an additional 20 minutes to thicken up.
- Serve hot over a bed of white (or brown) rice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Source: adapted from Cooking Classy
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Oh yum, this looks amazing!!! I love using my slow cooker, and love that this has few steps to do so as well!
I used to have horrible back pain when I worked a desk job and I still struggle with it when i don’t move around a lot. Do you exercise regularly? I’ve noticed that the more I stretch and exercise (which still isn’t that much) the better my back feels. I think we tend to lose our posture while sitting.
I love tikka masala and this looks wonderful!
Oh this has definitely been me this week – tasty food with minimum effort sounds exactly what we need. Hope you manage to get some rest over the weekend!
Ughhh I feel ya, except I’ve been having hip pain–how are we old ladies in our mid-twenties? Sigh. Thank goodness for crockpots.
Great photos, Julie! Not an easy thing to make pretty!
Thanks Rachel! I agree, it was definitely difficult trying to style this guy lol
Just pinned this bad boy!
OMG I’ve been dying for a tikka slow cooker recipe to go with my saag!
AND HERE IT IS.
Adding this to the menu next week! Thanks for inspiration! PS Are you team parsley? I love cilantro but my aunt hates it. I know it’s a love hate thing,, ;)
Thank you thank you thank you! I’ve really been wanting to get into more slow cooker more, but have been deterred by a lot of recipes that require serious prep. This recipe is perfect. Plus, I’ve been craving Indian. Done and done.
Totally team parsley! I always sub parsley for cilantro when it’s called for as a garnish. Cilantro tastes like soap to me. I hear you’re either born with the taste buds for cilantro or not. I know my parents love it – so I guess I’m odd kid out ;)
Yuuuuum! I’ve been craving tikka masala all week and this is just making it worse! Hope your back feels better! :)
This looks delicious and just what I need for a chilly and busy fall day! Is there a substitute for the heavy cream? Would using a combination of milk and cream still give the same consistency and reduce the fat content by a little bit?
You could use half and half if you wanted, 2% milk would work too.
Better buy your cane now… you’ll need it to get down the aisle ;)
I love a lazy day meal that is waiting for me after work making my house smell delicious. I totally understand the lack of motivation when it is raining outside. I always want to have something and warm and comforting but I don’t have the energy to make it! Slow cooker meals are perfect :)
I know exactly how you feel this week! I’ve only done one blog post due to feet being swollen and just not wanting to get up from the couch after a long nap. Glad you made this because I have never had Indian food and I heard this is a great food to start with.
UM HOLY CRAP YES. I want to face dive into that and never come up for air. I sound like Bev don’t I? haha!
I totally agree, if I’m using my crockpot I don’t want to do many extra prep steps! This looks delicious, I’ve been meaning to make this for awhile and now is the perfect season!
I’m obsessed with chicken tikka masala, but I’m with you, being so tired when I get home that all I want is something quick and easy. This is perfect and I can’t wait to make it!
Okay, I seriously need to get my act together and try tikka misala. I’ve NEVER had it before and it looks so delicious! Plus, if it’s a slow-cooker recipe, it’s my new BFF so I have no excuse not to make it :) and I agree with you about getting old; sometimes my hips start hurting for no reason and I have to walk around complaining “my hips!” Lol, I’m 21. I def. shouldn’t be complaining of hip problems!
This looks awesome! I tried to do an Indian Butter Chicken in the crock pot a few weeks ago but just wasn’t happy with the results. My chicken all fell apart and the flavors in the sauce didn’t quite balance. Can’t wait to try yours!
I’m so lame, I’ve never had this dish. I better go ahead and try your recipe pronto, so I can join the cool kids
Love that you made this in a crock pot! :) Thanks for the recipe!
Ow yeah, I hear you. Tired and what you want to do is just lying on the couch, eating potato chips (or whatever you see first within reach – no walking required) and sleep, hahaha. This is the answer – slow cooker. I definitely need this recipe! That looks so fabolous!
The crockpot is a dream come true and I cant think of a better smell to come home to then Chicken Tikka Masala.
I can barely even wait one more minute to have a bite of this. LOVE these flavors. And slow cooker meal? Bring. It. ON!
You just became my boyfriend’s new favorite person ever by exposing me to this recipe! Chicken Tikka Masala is his favorite!!
Question: did you cut the chicken into cubes before cooking?
Yes! I cubed it and then tossed it with everything. I’ll have to write that in the instructions, thanks for pointing it out!
Hey, will you please come up with a curry chicken recipe for a slow-cooker? My fiance loves the above dish, so I’m happy to try, but I can’t eat dairy (can’t digest it). Love, love, love chicken curry though, and would love to slow-cooker it!
I’m 28 and take a 2 hour nap every day because I’m constantly exhausted and the only part of me that doesn’t hurt are my arms and chest. So it could be worse. :)
And this looks interesting! I’ve never had chicken tikka masala before. Sounds good, though.
This looks amazing…I know how you feel, sitting at the computer so long, or reading. I love knowing my dinner is cooking tho. Try rubbing peppermint on your back when it hurts. It increases circulations and feels invigorating. Keep blogging…
Yum!!! Can’t wait to try yhis recipe!!!
I used to have the same evening fatigue. Turns out I’m Anemic and my body doesn’t get as much as Iron as it needs. Talk to your Dr.!!!! Ferralet 90 (an iron supplement) changed my life!
I can’t wait to make this. I love Indian food, and Tikka Masala is one of my favorites. Plus making it in the crock pot is just a bonus!
omg! I can’t explain how excited I am to make this! that was my first Indian dish to try and I fell in love! I will win brownie points with the boyfriend for cooking this and even better in the crockpot!
I am right there with you. I have been so tired lately and crockpot meals are becoming a new favorite. This looks delicious. I can’t wait to give it a try. My husband LOVES Indian food so he’ll be happy too!
crockpot meals are a life saver!! Julie, tikka masala is my favorite favorite FAVORITE indian dish! I’ve never made it myself though. Only have had it at restaurants. I need to give this a try! You are the queen of quick meals that taste like my favorite take-out meals :)
Omg, I love chicken tikka masala! This is awesome how you can just cook it in the crockpot!
Tikka masala is my fave Indian dish! I think I love it even more now that I can make it in a crock pot!
To Mary who mentioned a dairy issue- I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but my plan is to make it with plain coconut milk yogurt (found at Kroger & whole foods, etc) sub coconut cream (in the can) for heavy cream. My son has a life threatening dairy allergy & these are our go to substitute ingredients so we can eat the same meals as a family. In the case of those who don’t like the coconut taste, I’m going to guess that there will be enough Indian spice to overpower the coconut. But, coconut would blend nicely with Indian spices anyway :) win-win!
Thanks for posting this recipe!
I get the same way too – I’m so tired throughout the week and I’m actually getting at least 6-8 hrs of sleep! Us 20-years old are getting old! But thank god for amazing slow cooker recipes, right? I’ve made this same one from Cooking Classy and absolutely loved it!
Yummy DELICIOUS! ;)
To Amy – Thank you for the suggestion! I’m new to the dairy problem, and any suggestions like that are very helpful! Thanks for taking the time to suggest it.
To all – Did we establish this is in a 6 qt. crockpot? I have a baby one (1.5-2 qt. single/two person serving one) and will have to scale the recipe down. It would be helpful to know what the starting point is! :) Happy cooking, everyone!
Yes, this is for a 6 qt.
Oh I feel our pain on that tired thing. It has been KILLING me!! I know exercise will help, but when am I gonna have time to do that?? I would have to wake up earlier and then umm doesn’t that kinda defeat the purpose? I will have to try that recipe this week. It’s gorgeous!!
Where can I get Garam masala? Never heard of it before.
You should see a chiropractor for an evaluation. I used to feel that way sometimes. Achy dull pain, that made me grumpy and lazy. My chiropractor changed all of that. The key is to find one that is very thorough and will take X-rays before they treat you. Hope this helps!
You can usually find it at any grocery store’s spice section. It’s pretty popular. If you can’t, you can order it on Amazon. http://astore.amazon.com/tabfortwo-20/detail/B000WR8SK0 (affiliate link).
Okay, kids, I don’t want to hear about achy-breaky backs, hips, etc. Wait ’til you reach 67 like me–lol!! Strange problem: neither hubby nor I like cumin. Can we substitute or leave it out without destroying the recipe? We DO like cilantro, though. :-)
Okay, kids, you haven’t felt aches or pains ’til you’ve reached 67 like me! Strange question: neither hubby nor I like cumin. Can I omit it or replace it without compromising the flavor? And we DO like cilantro–lol.
You could try ground coriander or chili powder.
If I cut the recipe in 1/2, how long do I cook it for? And high or low. I want to make this this week. My son LOVES butter chicken, and to me this has a same taste, so do not think he will now the diff. He just loves the sauce w/tons of nan, lol..
Thanks
I’d probably cook it for 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.
Thanks for this recipe! I made it tonight and liked it. I couldn’t find garam masala, so I used this recipe for it:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-garam-masala/
When I first looked at the photos I couldn’t believe this was made in a crockpot. I don’t use mine often enough but if I put this on the table I’d be a hero for sure
Chicken Tikka Masala in a crockpot?? Sign me up!!
This will be on my dinner table really soon! Work is crazy so this slow cooker recipe will be perfect.
[...] squash (cannot wait to cook up something tasty), tomatoes, apples. We headed back and threw some Chicken Tikka Masala in the Crockpot, then made some fabulous Double Pumpkin Kissed Chocolate Chunk Cookies. [...]
My mouth is watering for this!
Ahh, this looks amazing too Julie! I am loving all these crockpot recipes! I cannot wait to whip mine out! I need to get cooking with all these beautiful recipes. PS, I went to Sur La Table this weekend for the first time! Heaven!!!! It is bad that it is so close to me. Im going to get in trouble there ;)
Cooked this today for the family. The kids didn’t go for it at all and I have to say that it wasn’t super-great for me either. It was a miss for me, sorry!
I just did this tonight too and I have to agree with Kathy – it was very bland, believe it or not!! I don’t know what to add to give it some more flavor…
To Julie – Thanks, Julie! (For the clarification and the link for the spice.)
To Soknitpicky – thanks for the post for the spice recipe. I was thinking of just skipping that ingredient since I didn’t know what it was. Thanks! :)
oh my this is such a heavenly dish. I have never thought about making it in a crock pot..I will have to try this out soon!
love your photographs
Hi, lovin the recipe but struggling with the 29oz can of tomato puree… 29oz??? Really that much??
Just going to try this now but seems I haven’t got enough!!!
29oz = 822.13617g
Yup, 29 oz.!
[...] On Saturday afternoon, I threw together this Chicken Tikka Masala into our crockpot and set it on high for 5 hours. You can find the recipe here: http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/2012/10/19/chicken-tikka-masala-crockpot/ [...]
Yum! I am going to have to try this recipe – I tried one a while back from Tasy Kitchen and the hubby and I werent too crazy about it. Hopefully this one will be a winner!
Thanks so much for posting this Julie =)! I wish my pics looked as good as yours! I love your blog, it’s so pretty and original and your photography is always amazing.
Oh Jaclyn, please! I love YOUR blog!! Your photographs are always so flawless and the way you stage your photos make me so envious of your food styling! Your frosting skills are superb too :) thanks for the sweet comment, it was a delicious dish! xoxo
Count me in the too tired club this week. Plus I finally replaced my old crock pot that died and I’m looking for some tasty things to try in it. Adding this one for sure. Thanks Julie.
-Gina-
I’m thinking this will be dinner tomorrow night. Looks absolutely delicious.
[...] jerk tilapia with veggies and rice pilafTuesday: vegetable minestrone and quesadillasWednesday: crockpot chicken tikka masala and 5 minute naanThursday: eggplant parmesanFriday: leftoversSaturday: [...]
This was fantastic! I made it today for dinner tonight, and my husband and I were super impressed. Only drawback was that I used a little too much cayenne for the kids to like it, but it provided just the right amount of heat for the grownups. I’m looking forward to leftover night!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was really good. I substituted chicken thighs for the breasts and they tasted great. They fell apart in the sauce. My family really enjoyed it and there is enough left overs to use for dinner another night. Do you think it would freeze well?
Yes! It would freeze well in an airtight container or Tupperware. Glad your family enjoyed it!
I made this last night exactly as the recipe says (except I cooked it in a dutch oven at 300 degrees for five hours). It was absolutely amazing! It tastes exactly like the chicken tikka masala I have had in restaurants. Definitely on the top 3 list of favorite recipes!
This is absolutely amazing! I used canned coconut milk in place of the heavy cream since I always have that on hand. I sneaked in some cauliflower and peas, too.
I made this just for me since I know no one in my family would even try it so I froze the left over sauce in individual containers. I had only added one chicken breast. I always keep cooked turkey breast in the freezer and I usually have cooked chicken in the fridge so I always have quick meals ready to go verses having to buy those frozen dinners.
I made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! I had to leave it in the crockpot almost 12 hours because that’s how long I was at work, so I added some chicken broth so it wouldn’t get too dry and it was incredible.
[...] Get the recipe [...]
[...] Today I am making chicken tikka masala in a crock pot. Using a recipe from here. [...]
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! I found it on Pinterest a few weeks ago and have been looking for a cold day to make it. Today’s the day. I started it at 1pm and doing the 4-5 hrs on high. It’s starting to smell amazing! It looks really good for Chicken Tikka Masala. I’ve made a different version of this recipe in the past that wasn’t bad, but it excluded the Masala…WHAT?!? Yes, and it didn’t taste right either. I’m looking forward to the end result. Thanks again, and keep up the great work on this wonderful blog!
Hey! This looks amazing and I am making it tonight. I have one question thought….did you dice the chicken beforehand or let it cook and then cut it up?
I diced it beforehand.
I have this recipe in the crock pot now. Glad to have found it on pinterest. Really looking forward to dinnner!!! I’m sorry to hear about the pain & tiredness you’ve been experiencing. As I was reading, I thought, “I need to share nopalea.” It’s an all natural juice with cactus in it. It has been a life changer for so many experiencing pain & inflammation, including myself. Now i don’t like to go 1 day without it. More info at livewellnessnow.com.
I can’t wait to make this. I’ve never used a crockpot before but with my hectic schedule I plan to buy one this week! This may be a silly question but am I suppose to cut the chicken up before???
Thank you for this recipe!
Daniela
Yes, I cut up the chicken before! Hope you enjoy!
Is there any benefit from cooking 8 hours over 4? Is there a different in taste?
No, there isn’t. 8 hour is on low and 4 hours is on high. Just depends how much time you have. If you’re setting it to cook while you’re at work, I’d do 8 hours.
[...] Table for Two’s crock pot Chicken Tikka Masala. The flavor was authentic and the heat was perfect (I used 2 tsp of cayenne). It makes a lot and even with eating leftovers, David and I couldn’t quite finish it. Cut the chicken into small pieces before cooking it. The directions don’t mention that, but it’s important. Cooks for 8 hours, which makes it a nice one to throw together before work. It was a little too spicy to be kid friendly, but you could always reduce the amount of cayenne. [...]
Great recipe! I used fat free evap milk in place of heavy cream and it had a nice texture to it. Could have used more tomato flavor – may add paste next time. Thanks for this!!
[...] Sunday – Chicken Tikka Masala [...]
So, the first time I read the recipe I read TABLESPOONS of cayenne (wishful thinking?), and I added 3 tablespoons of cayenne to the pot! Needless to say, it was insanely spicy. What I ended up doing is just doubling everything else AND adding a can of coconut milk (instead of doubling the cream). It turned out great. I made this two weeks ago and we are STILL enjoying it, I froze all the extra. Reheating on the stove as we speak!
I served it with this garlic naan (I doubled the garlic [on purpose] and griddled it in a saute pan with salted butter, AMAZEBALLS). I season your recipe with salted butter, for a little more fat in the flavor, and sea salt.
While I am still trying to find the elusive “restaurant-style” Chicken Tikka Masala (I’m convinced that there is some secret that no one is telling us home cooks), I really have enjoyed your recipe–and having tried several as well as having taken a cooking class for it–I plan on making yours many more times in the future! The ease of the crockpot seals the deal for me. Thanks!
your blog is beautiful and this recipe looks delicious and not too complicated. :)
[...] foolproof recipe that will convince you to love the dish as much as we do. If you already love it, this crockpot recipe makes an indian meal on a weeknight a possibility! I was a little skeptical that the crockpot could [...]
I’m making this tonight! So excited! I’ve never cooked in a crockpot before so this may be a silly question. Do the chicken pieces need to be thawed beforehand?
Yes, they need to be thawed beforehand.
Made this last night but used skim milk instead of cream. To make up for the creaminess heavy cream would have given I used Greek yogurt. It was a huge hit and my new favorite recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Made it for dinner and it was AWESOME! even my kids loved it. thank you so much for the recipe
Just wanted to thank you for this recipe, I made this tonight and it is sooo yummy! I was afraid to try it because I can’t tolerate anything spicy but it looked so good so I decided to give it a try and just left out the cayenne and pepper all together and it tastes delicious, very flavourful but not spicy at all so if anyone doesn’t like spicy food you can still use this recipe minus the cayenne. This was super easy too, cut the chicken, onion and garlic up last night and put it in a large ziplock bag in the fridge and measured all the spices out and put in a bag then just dumped it all in in the morning and presto!
Pretty good, SO EASY! I threw everything in my crockpot the night before (put it in the fridge) and had it all mixed up so i could just pop it in the crockpot in the morning and turn it on.
It seemed to be missing a certain flavor though? and wasn’t as red as I was expecting it to be.
I just had to comment and say how freakin’ delicious this was. I found your blog through Pinterest and everything I’ve tried so far has been amazing! Thank you! :)
Yum!! I just made this for lunch today!!! So easy and delicious! Thanks for posting! I found your blog on Pintrest and love your recipes!
SO good!! I had to add a little extra cayenne pepper, Garam masala & garlic to kick it up for my taste…but super yummy! Thank you for the recipe :)
Recipe looks amazing… my family LOVES the spices in Garam Masala! Making it for dinner tonight – with coconut & yogurt to replace the cream (lactose issues). Also, don’t need to cut your meat before hand… it will easily shred after hours in the crock pot and wonderful sauce! Thanks for the great recipe.
Julie, thank you thank you thank you + THANK YOU.
Found this on Pinterest. Had it for last night’s dinner (plus just now at lunch) and it was amazing. I knew it would be too spicy for my toddler so she dined on rice and na’an … and my husband + I licked our bowls … seriously.
Not sure if it will make a difference for anyone reading but thought I would pass it along. I just threw in the chicken breasts whole (lazy) and it was perfect. Also added some peas and carrots when serving to say I ate veggies at dinner.
I am making this for tonight – cannot wait.
p.s. the lovely woman who owns my favorite Indian restaurant near Cincinnati says the secret ingredient is “love”. She’s right !
I have this in the slow cooker now … about 3 hours left and ALL I SMELL is cinnamon, even tho I followed the directions to a T. I’m concerned that this is just going to be so sweet that we can’t eat it. Also, my sauce is barely pink after I added the yogurt … haven’t even added the cream yet. Anyone have any suggestions how to salvage the $16 worth of chicken breasts I used? Another half can of tomatoes, maybe?
A friend of mine posted this link on Facebook. I though it looked good and bookmarked it. My husband (who happens to be from India) told me “Hey, that chicken tikka masala recipe that you saved on the computer looks good!” So, I’m making it tomorrow! We are both excited!
Thank you so, so much for posting this recipe! It is off the hook! It was a big hit with my family! Color me impressed!
This was obscenely delicious — I used chicken thighs, omitted the bay leaf, and used light cream and a little extra half and half instead of the heavy cream, but I don’t think that made a huge difference. I cannot believe how good this came out! The BF loved it (and he’s hard to please), and I’m excited for my leftovers tomorrow :)
I just made this tonight, and it was delicious!!!
I think this is a fantastic recipe!
Last night I prepped this dish and put it into the crock this morning. Couldn’t wait to get home for dinner. It’s so easy. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs because my experience is that chicken breast can get dried out in my crock.
Before I added the cream/cornstarch mixture I tasted it. I had only put in 1.5 tsps of cayenne and it was really hot. After the (light) cream it lost its heat so next time I’ll go all the way to 3 tsps. However, I think I will also use less cream because I feel it masked the other spices as well. Overall very yummy.
This is in my crock pot right now, and it’s honestly distracting from my ability to get my work done because it smells so good. I cannot wait for dinner tonight.
Great recipe. My son said it tasted just like what we get in the Indian restaurant (high praise from him). Tons of sauce so make lots of rice or better yet get some Naan.
You should correct the recipe to say that “combine all indredients except heavy cream and corn starch…I just made an expensive boo boo.
Hi Ken! Sorry it didn’t work out for you. You didn’t elaborate on what went wrong but this was how I have made it and how others have too, and it worked out for them. Sorry I can’t help you out but if you’d like to explain what happened, maybe we can troubleshoot!
Made this today and everyone loved it. I used diced canned tomatoes because I didn’t have the pureed, and I did brown my chicken and onions a bit before I put it in the cooker. (That’s my habit with making meats in the slow cooker, I think they turn out better tasting that way.) For the commenter who thought the cinnamon smelled too strong: I thought the same thing. I was worried, because I’m not a big fan of cinnamon. But the taste was amazing.
Hi Julie,
I ended up adding all the ingredients together to include the cream and cornstarch per the first instruction….leave it to a guy I had not read down to the end, BUT it ended up great…I added a little water to keep the cream from making it too dense and it cooked just fine. I added a recipe for Palak Paneer and made some Naan. The family was very happy with the end results. I will read all the way thru next time….Great Recipe.
Hi Julie,
I followed the recipe to a T minus the ginger because…well, Ginger and I are not friends so I used a lot less. Mine came out pretty bland. Not sure what I did wrong. :-(
I made this today with minor modification (I reduced the ginger a little and replaced the majority of cayenne pepper with fresh hot chili peppers finely chopped). By far the BEST tikka masal in the crock pot I have made to date. I’ve tried several and none have come out so delicious. We like our indian very spicy and found using fresh chili’s is the trick.
Thanks for the recipe, it will now be a part of our monthly rotation! SCORE!
Is there a substitute for the tomato paste? My fiancé is allergic to tomatoes. We miss out on a lot of recipes because of it. If there’s not, that’s fine, but I was curious if this recipe would still work with something non-tomato?
Thank you.
Hi Christine! Unfortunately, the tomato base in this recipe is what makes this recipe taste correctly (I would’ve suggested red bell pepper but that would probably be really gross) :( I wish I had another way around it for you! I’m so sorry!
Ok, thank you anyway! I might have to make a small batch for myself and make something special just for him. It sounds too good for me not to try.
Can I substitute Greek yogurt?
For which part of the recipe? The plain yogurt part or the heavy cream part? If you’re talking about the plain yogurt part, then yes. If the heavy cream part, no.
Ok this recipe ROCKS! I have made it about four times now and each time it is better than the last! Thank you sooooo much for sharing the love:)
liz
I just made the crockpot tiki masala for the first time! I am a huge fan of Indian food! This was an excellent recipe..very flavorful! Thank you for making one of my favorite foods easier to make!
Do you think I could combine the majority of the ingredients ahead of time, freeze and then cook it in the slow cooker? I’m getting ready to return to work after my maternity leave and would love to prep some meals!
I’ve never done that before so I can’t say for sure, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Kind of dumb question but is the tomato purée tomato sauce or paste? I really want to make this! I had Indian food for the first time the other night and loved it. I actually saw this recipe awhile back but was afraid to make it without knowing what it was supposed to taste like! Ha! Can’t wait to try it.
Tomato puree is tomato puree. It says it on the can that it’s puree. Here is a picture of the one I got: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/public/iZa3jE_Tq3u1CRdda9VscgsuxCMBCzAVqL07beE_PM7JCe_pYbpgGIFJ2HmQdt_vUqjwFPL8XTevTEdJNuN0M1akmtIRuKn5cncEUfV1AJ2LC2DUz_guS3TzsY58_vK8RCGnA79PoHU=s220-c
Thank you! I always buy diced, whole, tomato sauce or paste so I’ve never really seen this before. Good thing I asked!
I am going to try to use coconut milk instead of the heavy cream…hope it works!!
This sounds great! As I am infamous for overlooking a vital detail in a recipe, I just wanted to clarify that the chicken should be uncooked when it goes into the crockpot?
I’ll be trying this with my in-laws this week! Thanks.
Yup!
Julie, what a great recipe! I had to cut the recipe in half to fit my little crockpot and used plain tomato sauce instead of purée, but it still made plenty and came out absolutely delicious. Half of my family is Indian, but chicken tikka masala is the one dish I never make bc traditionally you need tandoori chicken which takes forever to marinade, then use that in the sauce. But somehow doing this in the crockpot eliminated the need for those extra steps and now I can make CTM in just a few min of prep :)
Looks delicious!!!! Thank you for posting this. Can I just use more yogurt instead of the heavy cream? Or almond milk? I’d like a lower-calorie/healthier substitute for the heavy cream, if possible.
You need some kind of fat in there so the yogurt doesn’t curdle. You could maybe add like 1/4 cup of heavy cream and a little more yogurt? Or if you want, just use almond milk instead. I’m not sure flavor-wise though if that’d interfere, but I doubt it.
I tried this and it was so good! I’m writing a post about recipes I’ve tried recently, and will definitely be linking to this post! :)
Thanks for sharing!
I tried the recipie but it didn’t turn out. Maybe its because I used sourcream because I didnt have yogart. I cooked it on low for 8 hours and found the chicken way over cooked and the sauce didn’t taste good. (I usually love Indian food). If I was to do this again, I would cook the chicken separtely and just add it in at the end to warm up. Thoughts?
Traditional Indian dishes always use yogurt. I’m pretty sure the sauce didn’t taste good because of the substitution of sour cream. I think you should try that next time. The yogurt also tenderizes the chicken throughout the cooking process so the omission of yogurt might’ve just been why your dish didn’t turn out. If you want to make this again, I definitely suggest using yogurt and if you want, you could definitely cook the chicken separately and then add it in at the end!
Thanks for the recipe. I made this last night and wanted to share my take on the spiciness level. I’m an absolute wimp when it comes to spice. I used 1.5 tsp of cayenne and for me it was too much. My husband is a spicy enthusiast and added more red pepper to his plate. I’m going to try adding some extra greek yogurt to my plate of leftovers tonight to try and cut down on the spice for me. My husband raved about this dish and offered to be in charge of eating all of the leftovers this week :) So I’d say it was a success!
Made this pot of goodness over the weekend, and we loved it. Very complex flavors, easy to throw together, and gave us plenty of leftovers. Considering it a regular in our rotation now!
Made this tonight and it was fantastic! Easy to throw together and came out delicious. The chicken ended up really tender, pretty much shredded but that’s probably because it cooked for about 10 hours since I work long shifts.
For anyone looking for a slightly lighter alternative, I used light coconut milk in place of the heavy cream and it turned out great – the spices definitely covered any coconut taste. I also used plain Greek yogurt, which kept the sauce nice and thick.
Thanks for the great recipe! I will definitely make this again
Can I use curry as a substitute for garam masala?
or is there a susbtitute for it
You could but I wouldn’t recommend it. Garam masala is a mixture of spices and your dish probably would just end up being a chicken curry dish as opposed to a tikka masala.
Is there a typo in this recipe? I made it with 29oz tomato puree and it was soooooo tomatoey and didn’t need thickening. Should it be 29oz tomato sauce?
No, there is no typo in the recipe. I made it myself with 29 oz. tomato puree.