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.
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.
