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This slow cooker chicken tikka masala is a great at-home Indian option for those nights that you can’t quite shell out the money for takeout. This incredibly flavorful at-home alternative will be sure to satisfy any craving! Be sure to serve it with some homemade naan as well.
Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines and I am always craving it. I love the complex flavors of Indian cuisine and it always makes my tastebuds come alive. I think that’s why I love Indian cuisine so much — I’m obsessed with flavor and richness.
I always look to create restaurant favorites at home and this slow cooker chicken tikka masala recipe is one of them! I actually have several Indian favorites on my site, including stovetop butter chicken, dal makhani, biryani, samosas, and gobi manchurian.
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!
What is chicken tikka masala?
Chicken tikka masala is a dish that’s consisted of marinated chicken that is cooked in a super flavorful creamy tomato-based sauce. It is served worldwide and a popular dish at many Indian restaurants.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For exact measurements, scroll to the bottom of the post.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – I prefer using dark meat over white meat for slow cooker dishes. They tend to retain moisture a lot better and they’re so much more tender and juicy.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Tomato puree – this is the base of the sauce.
- Plain yogurt – you’ll be marinating your chicken in this. Yogurt helps tenderize the chicken.
- Garam masala – a blend of spices originating from India and the most common spice you’ll see in Indian cooking.
- Turmeric powder
- Ground cumin – for that earthy flavor
- Sweet paprika
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground black pepper
- Cayenne pepper – if you don’t like heat, you may omit this and if you love heat, you may add more!
- Bay leaves
- Heavy cream – for that ultra creamy, luxurious sauce.
- Cornstarch – to help thicken the curry stew a bit.
- Lemon juice – to help brighten up the flavors.
How to make chicken tikka masala
For detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post.
Marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, you’ll add majority of the ingredients with the chicken and stir to ensure all the chicken is coated. Cover and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.
Cook the chicken. Once you’re ready, add everything into the insert of the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
Make the cornstarch slurry. While the mixture is still hot, make the cornstarch slurry and stir it into the slow cooker to thicken up the sauce a bit.
Serve. Serve on a bed of basmati rice and with Homemade Naan.
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
Common questions
Is chicken tikka masala spicy? It depends! If you like spice you can make it spicy by adding in more cayenne pepper than the recipe calls for. If you don’t like it spicy then you can omit it or use less.
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.
What can I serve with chicken tikka masala? Homemade Naan, Vegetable Samosas, and Mango Lassi!
Storing and reheating instructions
This will keep in an airtight container for up to five days in the refrigerator. To reheat, simply pop it in the microwave for 1 minute (or more) or reheat on the stovetop.
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
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
- 29 ounce (822 ml) can of tomato puree
- 1 ½ cups (368 g) plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon tumeric powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ tablespoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1–3 teaspoons cayenne pepper, depending on your heat preference
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons 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.5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 large onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, 29 ounce (822 ml) can of tomato puree, 1 ½ cups (368 g) plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons Garam masala, 1 teaspoon tumeric powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, ½ tablespoon sweet paprika, 2 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, 1–3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- Cover and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.
- Once marinated, gently place the mixture in the insert of the crockpot and add the two bay leaves.2 bay leaves
- Cover and cook for 4 hours on low (or 2 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.1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, Lemon juice from half a small lemon
- 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
Nutrition
Photography by Jesse Reilly
So delicious! Easy dish with little to no hassle that packs lots of flavor. I followed the recipe to a T with the exception of using turkey breast instead of chicken. This recipe beats my favorite Indian restaurant’s chicken tikka masala. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, great to hear, DeLea!
I only have a 4 qt crockpot. Should I cut the recipe in half or will a full recipe fit in the smaller size?
Mine’s a 4-quart crockpot, too. It’ll fit but it’ll be a close one! Haha :)
If it is not too much of a hassle, can you post next to each ingredient needed in grams?
Looks delicious! And a person said to make it REALLY good and more authentic is to use ground cashews instead of cornstarch. Have you tried this with ground cashews?
Hi Abraham, I don’t measure anything in grams so it would take me a longer time to convert recipes to that, therefore, I don’t post in grams. There are online converters that you can use to help you with that if you need it! I’ve never tried it with ground cashews – sounds delicious!
I made this yesterday and it was incredibly delicious. I used four boneless chicken thighs and one large breast, subbed coconut milk for heavy cream and kind of fudged the spices (being more heavy-handed with my favorites). The end result was super flavorful, and just the right amount of spicy/sweet. The sauce was so good my boyfriend actually licked his bowl clean!
For those of you who work crazy hours like me, the recipe is forgiving on time. I cooked it for eight hours on low, then left it for over three hours on the “warm” setting. My chicken was shredded, but the liquid/meat ratio remained good.
Made this yesterday for my son’s 38th birthday. Everyone loved it. I did cut down on the cayenne and cornstarch, but followed the rest. I used 4 lg. chicken breasts and have a lot left over. I froze it for future meals.
Thanks for this! Wpund up turning out absolutely delicious. Now if only I had a decent recipe for na’an…
This turned out wonderfully! Tender and delicious. Thanks for the easy recipe!
Glad to hear, Priyanna! Thanks for the feedback!
Hi, are you certain that you only meant to write 1 can of puree because I followed this recipe to the T and it’s quite light almost tan in color before the cream. I’m added another box of puree and it looks and tastes better now. Am I wrong? Just wondering?
Hi Kimberly, yes I’m certain it’s only 1 can of puree. Did you use the 29 oz. can or something smaller?
Ihad the exact same problem. I used tinned tomatoes, maybe that is why. I read online that it is what you guys called tomato puree in the USA
I believe tomato puree is what we call passata in Europe. Normally you can find it in grocery stores, but if not, you can make your own by taking a can of peeled whole tomatoes and turning it into a puree using a blender.
OK I followed the instructions to the T I have been a cook for quite some time I have to say that the sauce came out really good but the chicken came out very dry. I can’t even eat the chicken due to how bad this came out. The best thing for this recipe is to cook the chicken separate. That way it does not come out dry.
Hey there! This is in the cooker now! I’m so excited. Just curious, why did you leave the lemon juice out of your version of the recipe? (Cooking Classy originally had 2 TBSP)
Hi Caitlyn, I left it out because I thought it made the sauce too tart.