Easy Chicken Tikka Masala – Asian Recipes At Home (2024)

A super easy and quick meal using store-bought Tikka Masala sauce will satisfy your Indian food cravings.

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Today, we are doing something a little different. We are not sharing our own recipe but a review of a delicious Indian cuisine product we have tried. The product we are reviewing is Patak’s Original Tikka Masala Curry.

We had tried an Indian buffet together locally before COVID-19 hit last year. It was the first time my mom had tried Indian cuisine and instantly fell in love. We haven’t tried to recreate a homemade version of tikka masala yet, but hope to in the future. We saw this jar at our local grocery store and decided to give it a try to see what it tasted like. This totally satisfied our Indian food craving! It was delicious!

Key features and tips

The sauce may be store-bought, however, we thought the flavors were on point. It wasn’t exactly like the Indian restaurant, but it definitely satisfied our craving! You just have to try it for yourself! If you don’t want to use chicken, you could use tofu or a variety of vegetables instead.

If you have a gluten allergy, the sauce itself states it is gluten-free. However, you’ll need to omit the naan bread to keep this meal gluten-free.

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Ingredients needed to make this super easy Indian meal

  • Jar of Patak’s Tikka Masala Curry sauce
  • Boneless chicken breast
  • Cooked basmati rice (or your choice of cooked white rice)
  • Package of Naan bread (omit if you need this to be gluten-free) – We found some great Naan bread at our local Sam’s Club, however, there are some options online too.
  • Green onions (optional garnish) – We love green onions, however, you can use the more traditional garnish of fresh cilantro/coriander.

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How to make this easy weeknight meal

Step 1: Heat the oil in a deep frying pan

We are going to follow the instructions as they are on the Patak’s Tikka Masala. Heat the avocado oil in a deep frying pan.

Step 2: Brown the diced chicken

Once the pan and oil are hot, add the diced chicken breast and saute until the chicken is no longer pink and browned (about 5 minutes).

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Step 3: Pour jar of sauce over chicken and simmer

After the chicken is completely cooked then pour the jar of sauce over the chicken and simmer for 15 minutes on low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent it from burning to the bottom of the pan.

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While it’s simmering, warm up your naan bread (omit if gluten-free) according to the package instructions.

Step 4: Serve over rice

Serve over rice and garnish with chopped green onions (or use the more traditional garnish like cilantro/coriander). Make sure to serve with Naan bread (omit if you are staying gluten-free).

We hope you enjoy this super easy recipe! We absolutely loved that we could have a quick and tasty meal on the table with very little effort!

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Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

A super easy and quick meal using store-bought Tikka Masala sauce will satisfy your Indian food cravings.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. We are going to follow the instructions as they are on the Patak’s Tikka Masala. Heat the avocado oil in a deep frying pan.
  2. Once the pan and oil are hot, add the diced chicken breast and saute until the chicken is no longer pink and browned (about 5 minutes).
  3. After the chicken is completely cooked then pour the jar of sauce over the chicken and simmer for 15 minutes on low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent it from burning to the bottom of the pan.
  4. Serve over rice and garnish with chopped green onions (or use the more traditional garnish like cilantro/coriander). Make sure to serve with Naan bread (omit if you are staying gluten-free).

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Easy Chicken Tikka Masala – Asian Recipes At Home (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to a jar of tikka masala? ›

Add more spices: Store-bought curry sauces often lack the depth of flavour that homemade sauces have. To remedy this, you can add more spices like cumin, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Use fresh ginger and garlic: Fresh ginger and garlic add a lot of flavour to curries.

Is tikka masala an Asian dish? ›

Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken are two of the most popular South Asian dishes in the world. They've helped spread that region's bold, delicious flavors across the globe.

How to add more Flavour to tikka masala? ›

Also, definitely more spices, especially SALT/PEPPER, Cumin, Coriander and CAYENNE. Indian food needs heat to bring everything to life. A 1/4Tsp of Cinnamon also works well in Tikka. I also HIGHLY recommend at least 1 diced Red Bell Pepper.

What is the main flavor in tikka masala? ›

Tikka Masala is a tomato and cream-based sauce that's smoky from the chargrilled chicken, rich and creamy, with a slight sweetness and tanginess with mild heat (although we like it hot!) punctuated by earthy spices, ginger and garlic.

What is the difference between tikka and tikka masala? ›

Tikka refers to grilled or roasted pieces of meat that are either marinated in yogurt or spiced water before being cooked on skewers. Masala refers to a sauce made with cream, yogurt, or tomatoes; or a mixture of spices used to flavor food.

What pairs well with chicken tikka masala? ›

Let's jump right in.
  • Pulao Rice. Rice is generally considered the best side for dishes like tikka masala. ...
  • Garlic Naan. ...
  • Roasted Cauliflower. ...
  • Cucumber Mint Salad. ...
  • Cachumber (Kachumbar) salad. ...
  • Baingan ka bharta (Roasted Eggplant Mash) ...
  • Pooris. ...
  • Dal Tadka (spicy and tempered lentil gravy)
Sep 26, 2022

What makes tikka masala taste good? ›

To summarise, Indian chicken tikka masala has fresh flavors due to the use of fresh tomatoes. It's creamy, rich and delicious and won't make you feel bloated as there is a very small amount of cream used. Cashews impart a magical creamy texture and flavour without making you feel heavy.

What goes best with tikka masala? ›

Naan or Roti: Soft and fluffy Indian bread like naan or whole wheat roti is a classic accompaniment to chicken tikka. They're perfect for mopping up the delicious sauce. 2. Mint Chutney: A fresh and cooling mint chutney made with yogurt, mint leaves, and spices can balance the spiciness of the chicken tikka.

Can I use yogurt instead of cream in chicken tikka masala? ›

So, instead of cream, I use yogurt and butter (cream's close cousin) to get that rich and velvety tomato gravy for my Chicken Tikka Masala.

What does tikka masala mean in English? ›

/ˌtɪkə məˈsɑːlə/ [uncountable, countable] ​(in British cooking) a mild Indian-style dish made with pieces of meat, usually chicken, cooked in a sauce with cream and spices.

What can you substitute for heavy cream in tikka masala? ›

Chicken tikka masala is usually made with heavy cream, but I like to use coconut milk instead; its subtle sweetness works beautifully with the spices in the dish. Serve with steamed rice.

Why is my tikka masala bitter? ›

Your curry can taste bitter if the spices and garlic are burnt or if you've added too much fenugreek to the dish. You see, the secret to cooking a delicious curry recipe is to create a spicy paste and slowly cook it before adding your meat.

How do you thicken tikka masala sauce? ›

Add one tablespoon of cornflour to two or three tablespoons of cold water and stir. Pour the mixture into the sauce and allow to simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.

How to improve chicken tikka? ›

Marinating the chicken thigh meat in a citrusy yogurt sauce for around 12 hours will give it a tender texture and well rounded flavour. You can then achieve the charred effect of a tandoor oven by using a grill on high, or a very hot barbecue.

What's the difference between chicken curry and chicken tikka masala? ›

Recipes for both use the same seasonings, and appear pretty much interchangeable, except that curry often has coconut-something in it, and tikka masala is heavy on butter and cream.

How was tikka masala made? ›

Some believe that it was invented in the 1970s by a Bangladeshi chef in Glasgow, Scotland, who, in order to please a customer, added a mild tomato-cream sauce to his chicken tikka, which is pieces of boneless chicken marinated in yogurt and curry spices and served on a skewer, kebab-style.

Where is chicken tikka masala made from? ›

The origin of the dish is not certain, but many sources attribute it to the South Asian community in Great Britain; some sources also cite Glasgow as the city of origin. Chicken tikka masala may derive from butter chicken, a popular dish in the northern Indian subcontinent.

Is chicken tikka masala just butter chicken? ›

Butter chicken is a traditional Indian dish that is rich and creamy with a subtle smoky flavor. At the same time, tikka masala is a British Indian dish with a more complex flavor profile with tangy and spicy notes. Butter chicken is generally sweeter and milder in spiciness, while tikka masala is tangy and spicy.

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