Best Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe (Rich & Creamy Sauce)
INGREDIENTS
Marinating Chicken:
- 1 pound boneless skinless fresh chicken breasts
- 7 ounces plain 2% fat greek yogurt (I use the Fage brand; do not use regular yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Sauce:
- 15 ounces canned unsalted plain tomato sauce (not pasta sauce)
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (this yields medium spiciness, and can be substituted with 1 diced jalapeño with seeds removed)
Serving:
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Trim off excess fat, if any. Cut them into bite-sized chunks, about 1/2 to 1 inch in size.
- In a large bowl, stir together all marinade ingredients except the chicken, until well-mixed. Add chicken chunks and mix until well-coated with the marinade; the marinade should be thick, not thin or watery. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Heat a large nonstick pan over high heat (I use a 10-inch wide and 3-inch tall nonstick pan) until very hot, no oil needed. Add only half of the yogurt-covered chicken chunks, spreading them out in the pan. Cook for a few minutes until they are golden brown and a bit charred, frequently stirring and flipping the chicken to sear different sides (tongs are useful for this).
- Once the chicken chunks are seared, transfer them to a large plate. Repeat the searing process with the remaining half of the chicken chunks. Doing this in 2 batches prevents the pan from cooling too much, resulting in a better sear.
- Reduce to medium heat. Add all sauce ingredients to the now-empty pan, stirring for a minute until mixed. Add seared chicken chunks without pan drippings and submerge them into the sauce; no need to stir. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and decreasing the heat as needed to maintain a light simmer. After simmering, the chicken should be cooked through and the sauce slightly thickened and orange.
- Turn off the heat. Serve into bowls, and garnish with chopped cilantro.
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