Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken tikka masala is a dish based on chunks of Indian-style roasted chicken (Chicken Tikka) cooked in a tomato curry sauce, originating in India. There is no standard recipe for chicken tikka masala; a survey found that, of 48 different recipes, the only common ingredient was chicken. The sauce usually includes tomato and either cream or coconut cream and various spices.
Ingredients
- 675 g (1.5 lb) cooked Chicken Tikka
- 2 tbsp mustard seed oil (see notes)
- 4 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 200 g (7 oz) onions, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tin (28 oz) plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1–4 chopped fresh green chiles (depending on strength of the chiles and the desired strength of the sauce)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
- 50 ml (4 fl oz) single cream
- 1 tbsp malt vinegar or tamarind extract
- 2 tbsp curry paste
- 2 tbsp tandoori masala paste
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp garam masala
Steps
- Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan.
- Add the garlic and onions. Stir-fry until browned.
- Add the curry pastes with a little water or yogurt. Mix well.
- Add the cooked chicken tikka. Stir-fry 2 minutes to heat through.
- Add the tomatoes, vinegar, tomato paste and chilies. Simmer 5 minutes, adding water if needed.
- Add the cream, garam masala and chopped cilantro. Simmer briefly.
- Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve with naan, turmeric rice, onion bhajis and/or white wine.
Notes from the original
- Mustard seed oil is considered inappropriate for human consumption in many parts of the world and is therefore not always available. A poor alternative can be made by crackling ½ tsp of mustard seeds in approximately 2 tbsp of very hot vegetable or olive oil. Allow to cool, then use in place of mustard seed oil.
- Powdered or concentrated ingredients can be substituted for fresh ones but at the amount of taste.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Chicken Tikka Masala” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2026-01-28, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Chicken Tikka Masala Curry.png by Sriyarao22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.





