Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Tender, flavorful slow cooker chicken tikka masala made with a simple yogurt marinade and a rich, creamy tomato sauce, perfect for serving over fluffy rice.
Chicken tikka masala is one of those dinners that feels a little special but is still simple enough to make at home, especially in the slow cooker. It has a rich, tomato-based sauce with warm Indian spices and just enough creaminess to balance everything out. It’s full of flavor without getting too spicy, which makes it a good fit for my family.
I chose this recipe because we enjoy those warm, comforting flavors, but nothing too overpowering. I also love finding ways to use the same simple ingredients across multiple recipes. The chicken gets a quick yogurt marinade while you blend the sauce, then everything cooks low and slow until the chicken is tender and the sauce is creamy. Serve over rice with fresh cilantro and chopped cashews for a cozy dinner at home.
Main Ingredients and Swaps
- Chicken: Breasts or thighs, cut into pieces. Thighs stay extra tender in the slow cooker. I used thighs here.
- Greek yogurt and lemon juice: The quick marinade. Even 30 minutes makes a difference.
- Kashmiri chili powder: Warm color and gentle heat. Regular chili powder works too.
- Ghee: For sauteing the aromatics. Butter works in a pinch.
- Onion, garlic, and ginger: The aromatic base of the sauce.
- Garam masala, cumin, coriander, and turmeric: The warm spice blend.
- Whole tomatoes: One can, pureed into the sauce.
- Brown sugar: Balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Cilantro stems: Optional, blended into the sauce. Save the leaves for topping.
- Cream or cashews: For the creamy finish. Soaked cashews blended with some of the sauce make a dairy-free option that adds a deeper, more complex flavor.
- Cooked rice: For serving. I had already cooked the rice the night before.
The Slow Cooker I Use
I have a GreenPan slow cooker, and it is the one I reach for again and again for family dinners like this one. It is pricier than some of the other slow cookers on the market, but I like it because of the shape and the size of it.
The insert is easy to clean, ceramic and non-stick, so it is non-toxic. And you can sauté right inside of the slow cooker, so a lot of meals I can make right in here without using the stove. During our kitchen remodel, we used it as basically our stove. You can find it here: Slow Cooker
How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala in the Slow Cooker
Marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken with the yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and Kashmiri chili powder. Marinate for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. I cut the chicken with poultry shears to save dishes, and patted it dry to get rid of extra moisture.
Saute the aromatics. Melt the ghee in a slow cooker on the saute function or in a separate skillet. Saute the onions until softened and starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and all the spices, and cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant. Transfer to a blender.
Blend the sauce. Add the can of whole tomatoes, the knob of ginger, 3 more cloves of fresh garlic, brown sugar, and the cilantro stems to the blender. Blend until smooth.
Place the marinated chicken right on top of the sauce, cover it up, and let it slow cook.
Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender. Add the cream (or cashew sauce) and stir until creamy. For a thicker sauce, leave the slow cooker on HIGH with the lid off for another hour or so. Serve over rice and top with cilantro and chopped cashews.
Tips
- Do not skip the marinade. Even 30 minutes in the yogurt mixture helps the chicken stay tender and flavorful.
- Bloom the spices. Cooking the spices with the garlic for 30 to 60 seconds wakes them up before they go into the blender.
- Make it dairy-free. Blend soaked cashews with some of the sauce instead of cream for a creamy finish without dairy.
- Pat the chicken dry. Pat the chicken dry to get rid of extra moisture. This is optional, but I do not like extra moisture in slow cooker meals.
- Finish: The cream and butter look separated at first, but if you stir and stir, they emulsify into a beautiful sauce. Taste at the end and adjust. I added a little extra cumin and salt.
- Cook time note: In the video, I cooked it on HIGH for up to 5 hours and the chicken was still tender and did not dry out.
- Ginger: You are using a good amount of ginger, but it does not have a strong ginger flavor. Ginger has lots of anti-inflammatory benefits.
Watch my YouTube video below to see how easy this recipe is to make from start to finish!
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 2 to 2 1/2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
For the chicken:
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the sauce:
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chili powder or Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, pureed
- 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
- Handful of cilantro stems, optional
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 inch knob fresh ginger
To finish:
- 1/2 cup cream OR 1/2 cup soaked cashews blended with some of the sauce
For serving:
- Chopped cashews
- Chopped cilantro
- Cooked rice
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken with the yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and Kashmiri chili powder. Marinate for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Saute the aromatics. Melt the butter or ghee in a slow cooker on the saute function or in a separate skillet. Saute the onions until softened and starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and all the spices; cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant. Transfer to a blender.
- Blend. Add the can of whole tomatoes, the knob of ginger, 3 more cloves of fresh garlic, brown sugar, and the cilantro stems to the blender. Blend until smooth.
- Place the marinated chicken right on top of the sauce, cover it up, and let it slow cook.
- Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender. Add the cream (or cashew sauce) and stir until creamy. For a thicker sauce, leave the slow cooker on HIGH with the lid off for another hour or so.
- Serve over rice and top with cilantro and chopped cashews.
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