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My friend Margaret told me that in 2001 a British foreign secretary, Robin Cook, stood up in a speech and called chicken tikka masala a true British national dish. I thought she was teasing me until she showed me the words. She also told me that Glasgow, in Scotland, claims the dish was invented there, in a restaurant kitchen, by a cook who added a creamy tomato sauce to plain chicken tikka for a customer who wanted something to go with it. Whether or not that story is true, the British have loved it for decades, and it has been one of the most ordered dishes in the country for years.
Margaret makes it at home, and hers is milder and simpler than I expected. The taste everybody loves in a restaurant comes from the chicken being charred in a very hot clay oven called a tandoor. You do not need one. Here is how to get that charred restaurant taste at home with nothing more than your broiler, a rack and an overnight yogurt marinade, and how to make the creamy sauce in one pan while the chicken cooks.
Why this chicken tikka masala works
- Overnight yogurt marinade. Yogurt tenderizes the chicken and carries the spices deep into the meat.
- Chicken thighs. Thighs stay juicy under high heat. Breast works, but it dries out faster.
- A rack and a hot broiler. Lifting the chicken on a rack lets the heat reach every side, so the edges blacken in spots like a tandoor.
- Spices toasted in butter. A minute in the hot fat wakes up the spices before the tomatoes go in.
- Cream at the end. A pour of cream softens the heat and turns the sauce that warm orange color.
Ingredients
Serves 4 with rice. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the chicken and marinade
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (900g), cut into large bite-size pieces
- 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (180g)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
For the sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne, to taste
- 1 can (15 ounces, 425g) tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (180ml)
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro, to serve
To serve
- Cooked white or basmati rice
- Warm flatbread (optional)
Use whole-milk yogurt for the marinade. Low-fat yogurt is thinner and slides off the chicken under the broiler. The chili powder controls the heat, so start with a little for a family supper.
How to make chicken tikka masala
- Marinate the chicken. Stir the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, paprika, turmeric and salt together in a bowl. Add the chicken and turn it until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Heat the broiler to high and set an oven rack about 5 inches from the heat. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top. Brush the rack with a little oil.
- Lift the chicken out of the marinade, letting the extra drip off, and spread the pieces on the rack in one layer with space between them.
- Broil for 10 to 14 minutes, turning once halfway, until the chicken is cooked through and blackened in spots at the edges. Watch it closely near the end. Set aside.
- While the chicken broils, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and golden.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the garam masala, cumin, paprika and chili powder and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and sugar, scrape the bottom of the pan, and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens and darkens.
- Stir in the cream and bring it back to a gentle simmer. Taste and add salt.
- Add the charred chicken and any juices from the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes so the chicken soaks up the sauce.
- Scatter with cilantro and serve over rice, with warm flatbread on the side.
Tips that make the difference
- Do not crowd the rack. Pieces that touch steam instead of charring.
- If your broiler is weak, finish the chicken in a very hot dry cast iron skillet for a minute on each side.
- For a smoother sauce, blend it with a stick blender before the chicken goes in.
- A pat of cold butter stirred in at the very end makes the sauce glossy, the way Margaret likes it.
Variations
- Milder for children. Leave out the chili powder and add an extra spoon of cream.
- Grilled. Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers and cook it over a hot grill.
- Chicken breast. Use breast, cut into larger pieces, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes less.
- Lighter. Use half cream and half whole milk, and simmer a few minutes longer to thicken.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It tastes even better the next day.
Freeze the cooled curry without the rice for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water, stirring, so the cream does not split.
Frequently asked questions
Is chicken tikka masala spicy?
Not this one. It is warm and fragrant rather than hot. The chili powder is the only heat, and you can leave it out.
Do I really have to marinate it overnight?
Four hours is enough for good flavor. Overnight makes the chicken more tender and the taste deeper.
What is the difference between chicken tikka and chicken tikka masala?
Chicken tikka is the marinated, charred chicken on its own. Chicken tikka masala is that chicken simmered in a creamy tomato sauce.
What do the British serve with it?
Rice, a warm flatbread for the sauce, and often a simple cucumber and yogurt side.
Margaret says the British claim it as their own, and after one bowl at home, you will understand why nobody argues with Glasgow.
Chicken Tikka Masala, the British Way (Charred Chicken at Home, No Tandoor)
British-style chicken tikka masala made at home: chicken marinated overnight in yogurt and spices, charred under a hot broiler, then simmered in a creamy, gently spiced tomato sauce. Mild, family style, served with rice.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (900g), cut into large bite-size pieces
- 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne, to taste
- 1 can (15 ounces, 425g) tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro, to serve
- Cooked white or basmati rice
- Warm flatbread
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Stir the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, paprika, turmeric and salt together in a bowl. Add the chicken and turn it until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Heat the broiler to high and set an oven rack about 5 inches from the heat. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top. Brush the rack with a little oil.
- Lift the chicken out of the marinade, letting the extra drip off, and spread the pieces on the rack in one layer with space between them.
- Broil for 10 to 14 minutes, turning once halfway, until the chicken is cooked through and blackened in spots at the edges. Watch it closely near the end. Set aside.
- While the chicken broils, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and golden.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the garam masala, cumin, paprika and chili powder and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and sugar, scrape the bottom of the pan, and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens and darkens.
- Stir in the cream and bring it back to a gentle simmer. Taste and add salt.
- Add the charred chicken and any juices from the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes so the chicken soaks up the sauce.
- Scatter with cilantro and serve over rice, with warm flatbread on the side.
