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Quick and Easy Chicken Tikka Masala - no marinating time needed, perfect for a weeknight dinner! Such an easy way to recreate a favorite indian dinner recipe.

Quick and Easy Chicken Tikka Masala


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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Erin Browne
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 tsp garam masala spice*
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 lb chicken tenders
  • 4 tsp butter or butter substitute (I used Smart Balance)
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 4 tsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1 28-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream*
  • Fresh cilantro for garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, stir together garam masala, salt, turmeric, and paprika. Add flour to a shallow dish or bowl. Sprinkle chicken with a couple of pinches of the spice mixture and dredge in the flour. Set aside the rest of the spice mixture and the flour.
  2. Heat half of the butter in in a large skillet and cook the chicken until just done, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
  3. Melt the remaining butter in the same pan, using a spatula to scrape up all of the flavorful bits from the chicken on the bottom of the skillet. Add the onion and cook until translucent and fragrant, and then add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
  4. Add the remaining garam masala mix and 1 TBS of the remaining flour and mix until well-coated.
  5. Add the can of tomatoes and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened and fragrant, 5-7 minutes.
  6. Stir in the heavy cream and add the chicken and any leftover juices from the plate. Allow to simmer an additional 2-3 minutes. Serve hot over a bed of basmati rice and garnish with cilantro.

Notes

*If you don't have, or can't find, pre-mixed garam masala, you can 5 tsp of this as a quick substitute:
1 TBS cardamom
2 ¼ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground coriander
Scant 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

* You can increase the heavy cream to 1/3 or 1/2 cup if you prefer a creamier sauce or want to mellow the flavor of the tomatoes. Taste your sauce while cooking and adjust as needed.

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
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