Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
I am obsessed with chicken tikka masala and let’s be real — Indian food for that matter.
Whenever I go to an Indian restaurant, as American as this is, I always order chicken tikka masala.
I like trying each restaurant’s own take on chicken tikka masala and most of the time I have not been disappointed.
I love the complex flavors of Indian cuisine and the numerous spices used in their dishes to give you the most flavorful experience ever.
I always look to create restaurant favorites at home and this slow cooker chicken tikka masala is one of those.
When you’re tired after work, the whole dinner part of the evening is kind of daunting.
That’s where this slow cooker chicken tikka masala comes into play.
I prepped everything the night before and put everything into the slow cooker right before I left for work.
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!
Tips to make this slow cooker chicken tikka masala dish
- Try to prep/chop everything the night before so you can put this into the slow cooker before you head out for the day
- Read the instructions carefully — some of the ingredients are not added at the beginning
- Use the correct spices
Can you make this vegan or vegetarian?
I don’t see why you can’t! You could substitute out the chicken for firm tofu (but I’d add that in at the end of cooking).
Can I omit any of the spices that I cannot find?
No! It is what creates the flavor of this dish.
Indian cuisine is highly flavorful because of the spices used.
Can I substitute sour cream for the yoghurt?
You can, but it MIGHT be too sour.
I accidentally added everything into the slow cooker, will my recipe be ruined?
No, it will be fine.
Other slow cooker recipes to love:
Slow cooker chicken enchilada soup
Slow cooker pumpkin coconut curry
Slow cooker chicken pot pie soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 8 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins, or about 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 pounds) – cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
- 1: 29- ounce can of tomato puree
- 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon tumeric powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1-3 teaspoon cayenne pepper, depending on your heat preference
- 2 leaves bay
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- Lemon juice from half a small lemon
- Chopped parsley or cilantro, for topping
Instructions
- Place chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato puree, yogurt, olive oil, garam masala, tumeric powder, cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper 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. Squeeze half a lemon over the mixture then stir to incorporate.
- Serve hot over a bed of white (or brown) rice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Photography by Jesse Reilly
Hi! Do you think sour cream would be a good substitute for the plain yogurt!
No, probably wouldn’t be. Too sour!
Actually, it worked out nicely. It just made it richer and creamier. I’m not sure how it would work in a slow cooker, though. I cooked mine completely on the stovetop.
How many servings does this recipe make?
it says 8 in the recipe card, but you can adjust it if need be.
Could I use half and half instead of heavy cream?
yes
I just made this and it came out great!! Thank you 😊
This is a delicious recipe. Picked up some naan from the local international grocery store. Mmm!
I’m trying to make this keto style what would be a good substitute for the yogurt? Cream cheese or sour cream?
probably sour cream
If your going to prep the day before you may as well coat the chicken with garam masala and par grill it first and serve the finished dish with long grain basmati rice instead of plain white or brown. It’ll make the dish more traditional. Aside from those two things everything else looks spot on! Going to try it soon.
Wow!! thanks for sharing this amazing recipe cooking tips at home i will definitely try to cook by following your instructions.
Hi, Julie, I see lime wedges in the photo, but the ingredients list uses lemon. I love lemons as well as limes. Which should I use?
either or is fine
This is a favorite recipe I use when I have guests. I get so many compliments and never have any leftovers, I often make a double batch and freeze portions. It freezes extremely well. I use Half and Half instead of heavy cream. I have used ground ginger when I do not have fresh. I put all the ingredients up to black pepper into the Crock Pot and mix. I don’t mix them in another bowl first. I highly recommend Chicken Tikka Masala. f you are on WW Smart Points its 3.75 Points.
Is it supposed to have such a heavy cinnamon flavor? I think the garam masala i used had cinnamon in it already. Is there a way to counteract the cinnamon flavor?
Thanks!
Haley
no, it’s not supposed to have a heavy cinnamon flavor. the best thing to do is just up the other spices
Hi Julie,
Going to make this tonight. When you say tomato purée, do you mean tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, or something else? Please let me know. That’s you!
Tomato puree like this: https://www.amazon.com/Cento-Tomato-Puree-28-Ounce/dp/B01B62ZFVO
What would you recommend as a substitute for heavy cream? Could I use almond milk or a can of coconut milk?
Coconut milk would be lovely
Could you use Greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt? I also wanted to make it a bit lighter and leave out the cream … would perhaps light coconut milk work? Thank you! Looks delicious
You could use Greek yogurt and light coconut milk could work too.
Can you cut this in half and still cook in crock pot without adjusting cook time?
If you cut in half, you won’t need as much cook time
Can you use tomato paste instead of purée??
Oh no, absolutely not! Tomato paste is HIGHLY concentrated.
I diluted the paste with water at a 1:1 ratio and it came out perfectly.
This recipe is amazing! My family considers ourselves to be Indian food snobs and we were all blown away by the authenticity of this homemade dish! One thing I added was chickpeas, which was a nice added texture along with the chicken. I am thinking to add chunks of potato in the future as well. We will be making this again and again. Thank you!
I am on a reverse keto diet… may I add potato to this recipe and when do you think it would be best to do so?
you can, and i would add it probably halfway through
I eat at Indian restaurants frequently and decided to try this recipe. I thought it was honestly really bad and nothing like the traditional dish. Really heavy on the tomato and cinnamon flavors and I followed the recipe exactly. If you’re looking for something that tastes even somewhat authentic I would not try this recipe.
Hi I’m not sure what size tomato purée is required, can you confirm please?
the recipe states one 29 ounce can
Any idea how much sodium is in a serving in this recipe. Souds delicious, but we have to be on a low sodium diet.
Thanks
Sorry, I don’t have that information.
I made this today and for some reason it had a bitter taste. I am not sure what it was from. Could be the Cumin. I also felt it was too spicy with the Cayenne Pepper. I added 1 teaspoon plus a little and I think next time I would leave it out. I was a little disappointed with the outcome.
There are so many pop up ads on your blog that it makes it impossible to read the recipe :( such a shame when people do this
Can’t believe how good this was!! Didn’t alter the recipe and everyone loved it. Will absolutely make this again!