Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is incredibly easy to make at home, by adding all the ingredients to your slow cooker and let it cook to perfection.

Slow Cooker recipes are a great time saver especially during busy week nights. You should also try my famous Slow Cooker Garlic Sesame Chicken, or if you are looking for Slow Cooker Soups, check my Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup. They are easy to make and very delicious.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe Tips

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is such a flavorful and easy dish to make in your crockpot. Thanks to all the spices, this is such a flavorful and aromatic dish. Incredibly easy to make in your slow cooker, this restaurant style meal can now be enjoyed on busy weeknights.

Chicken Tikka Masala has been on a rotation menu here. The tangy tomato sauce, the sweet cream, the soft and tender meat, work together to create a luxurious and amazing meal! You can serve it over rice with some buttery garlic naan on the side.

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What spices do you need to make tikka masala sauce?

• Ground Cumin – is used in Mexican, Middle Eastern and Indian dishes, a little goes a long way as it has a beautiful, bold flavor.
• Ground Turmeric – is great in recipes, but you can actually use it to fight colds as it has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.
• Ground Coriander – always great to have on hand as it is wildly used is recipes from many cuisines.
• Garam Masala – is a blend of ground spices commonly used in India, Pakistan, and some other South Asian cuisines. I personally used it exclusively when I cook indian dishes, so a small jar will last you a long time.
• Curry Powder – again, this is also a blend of more spices, I don’t use it a lot, so a small jar lasts us a long time.
• Ground Ginger – can be used in a variety of recipes, I also use it as a stomach pain remedy, ginger has so many health benefits, that I usually make a lemon, ginger water to drink in the morning.
• Garlic Powder – I always try to use organic seasoning and spices, I like having garlic powder on hand for seasoning purposes and also slow cooker recipes.
• Onion Powder – perfect to have on hand for seasoning and to create different rubs.
• Tomato Sauce – I buy Organic Tomato Sauce in bulk, as I use it in so many recipes, to make pasta sauce, pizza sauce and so many other recipes.
• Tomato Paste – so much more concentrated than the tomato sauce, I always keep Organic Tomato Paste on hand, it adds a lot of flavor and taste to any tomato dish.

What is the difference between Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala?

Both dishes are very similar, the only main difference lies in the way they are cooked and in the ingredients used. Butter Chicken uses a lot of butter,  whereas Tikka Masala uses more masal, or spices.

Can you freeze Chicken Tikka Masala?

Chicken Tikka Masala can be easily frozen. To do so, you will have to let the chicken mixture and rice cool to room temperature, then seal in separate large zip-top plastic freezer bags. Label with the date, and freeze for up to 3-4 months, or longer if you use a deep freezer.

How do you thaw Chicken Tikka Masala?

• Transfer the frozen Chicken Tikka Masala to your refrigerator the night before you wish to use it to allow it to thaw. Add the sauce to a sauce pan and reheat it to at least 165 F before you consume it.
• Microwave the chicken or heat it up in the sauce pan, you can also put it in a hot oven until it warms up.

Can you make Chicken Tikka Masala in the Pressure Cooker?

Yes, you can, and its actually very easy and time efficient. Check my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala.

Print

Servings: 6 serv

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

4 mins

Total Time:

19 mins

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is incredibly easy to make at home, by adding all the ingredients to your slow cooker and let it cook to perfection.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts cubed into 2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger root
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 large tomato diced
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 cups heavy cream

Garnish:

• Fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

1. Combine garlic powder, onion powder, ground turmeric, garam masala, curry powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika, ground ginger root and salt in a small bowl, whisk to combine.
2. Add cubed chicken to the spice bowl and mix well to coat the meat.
3. Add the season chicken pieces to the slow cooker. Add the chopped onion, fresh ginger, diced tomato, tomato paste and tomato sauce. Stir well.
4. Cover the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high or for 8 hours on low.
5. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 1 minute on high, and stir into the chicken tikka masala. Taste and add more salt and paprika (for spiciness) if needed.
6. Serve over rice garnished with fresh parsley or cilantro.
7. If you want to freeze the chicken tikka masala, do so before stirring in the heavy cream. The cream can be mixed after thawing, while heating the chicken tikka masala in a sauce pan over medium heat. Chicken tikka masala can be frozen to up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

Chicken thighs can also be used in this recipe, I used chicken breast as we always buy it in bulk and I usually have some on hand all the time.

The chicken can be seasoned and after that mixed with 1 cup of full fat unflavored greek yogurt and marinated for 4-6 hours. This is not a mandatory step, while it can add extra softness and flavor to the chicken, I find it that the slow cooker creates a perfect dish even if I skip this step.

Calories: 555, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Cholesterol: 205mg, Sodium: 1460mg, Potassium: 902mg, Carbohydrates: 25g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Protein: 36g, Vitamin A: 37.6%, Vitamin C: 11.4%, Calcium: 8.8%, Iron: 12.5%

Author: Catalina Castravet

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Chicken Tikka Masala

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