Delicious Indian inspired chicken tikka masala in the crockpot is a winner! Set and forget, except for the delicious smells coming from your kitchen!
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I love this Chicken Tikka Masala recipe. Indian food is a big favorite around here, but it is usually a bit of a time investment, so I REALLY love this recipe – because using a crockpot to make it gives me lots of hands-off time.
Of course, I could visit an Indian restaurant and save ALL the time, but when you can make this so easily at home, why WOULDN’T you?
If you’re a fan of Indian food (and if you’re new to it – this recipe is a great intro to the cuisine!! This is a mild to medium heat recipe), you’ll love how easy this is, and how amazing the flavors are with very minimal effort. Get on it!
This has a beautiful color, complex and delicious flavor and is now on the permanent “here’s the recipe to use for this” list. It DOES have a long ingredient list, but it’s really not that difficult to pull together.
Served with rice on the side, this is a great meal.
What is Garam Masala? It’s a special blend of spices (commonly these: Cumin, Coriander, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Bay leaves, Peppercorns, Fennel, Mace and dried Chilies).
I buy Garam Masala at the grocery store or on Amazon.
If you love this recipe, do what I do – and measure DOUBLE the amount of spices. Add one set to a bowl, and another to a ziplock baggie – that way, you can make this at a moment’s notice. Just pull together the other ingredients, and this Chicken Tikka Masala is almost yours!!
If you’re into Crockpot Meals – try my Cowboy Casserole, or my 15 Bean Soup!
What is in Chicken Tikka Masala?
- CHICKEN – I use chicken breasts, but thighs are AWESOME in this too.
- BABY POTATOES – these are optional. I add them to thicken the gravy at the end
- ONION
- TOMATO SAUCE
- GREEK YOGURT – you can use heavy cream if you’d prefer, but add it at the end, vs cooking with it.
- COCONUT MILK
- SPICES
- GARLIC, GINGER, GARAM MASALA, CUMIN, PAPRIKA, SALT, BLACK PEPPER, CINNAMON, CAYENNE, CORIANDER
- CORNSTARCH
- CILANTRO
How to make this recipe:
Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!
- PREP
- Chop the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces
- In a large bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, yogurt, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, spices, and cornstarch until smooth.
- Add the chicken pieces, potatoes, and onions to the crock-pot.
- Pour the sauce over the top and mix well to combine.
- COOK
- Cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is cooked.
- Smash the potatoes against the side of the crock-pot (thickens the sauce).
- Add fresh cilantro, and mix well.
- SERVE
- Serve chicken over basmati rice topped with chopped cilantro.
FAQs and Kylee’s Notes
- If you’re REALLY not into heat – reduce the amount of cayenne pepper, or omit entirely. There will still be heat from the garam masala, but much less than if you add the cayenne!
- You may opt to use heavy cream in place of the yogurt. Add it at the end instead of cooking with it, so it doesn’t curdle.
- MORE INDIAN FOOD?
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Chicken Tikka Masala (a slow cooker recipe)
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 15 ounces whole potatoes (canned, drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 large onion (finely diced)
- 29 ounces tomato sauce ( canned)
- 1 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger (finely grated )
- 2 tablespoons Garam Masala
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoons cracked pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- cooked rice (for serving)
Directions
- Chop 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces, then add with t15 ounces whole potatoes (canned) and 1/2 large onion (diced) to the crock-pot.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 29 ounces tomato sauce , 1 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup coconut milk, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons Garam Masala, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoons cracked pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon coriander, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch until smooth.
- Pour over chicken and potatoes in the crock-pot and combine.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is tender and fully cooked. Smash the potatoes against the side of the crock-pot (thickens the sauce)
- Serve chicken over cooked rice topped with chopped cilantro.
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Notes
FAQs and Kylee’s Notes
- If you’re REALLY not into heat – reduce the amount of cayenne pepper, or omit entirely. There will still be heat from the garam masala, but much less than if you add the cayenne!
- You may opt to use heavy cream in place of the yogurt. Add it at the end instead of cooking with it, so it doesn’t curdle.
Nutrition Facts
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Update: This recipe was originally published in 2014 – and has been updated with new photos and rewritten with better step by step instructions.
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