Chef John's Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken tikka masala is usually made with heavy cream, but I like to use coconut milk instead; its subtle sweetness works beautifully with the spices in the dish. I probably get more requests for Indian food than any other ethnic cuisine, so I was very excited to post this recipe for chicken tikka masala — until I found out it's a British recipe. Serve with steamed rice.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 625 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 (13 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee), or more as needed
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger, or more to taste
• ½ cup chicken broth, or as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place chicken in a bowl. Drizzle vegetable oil over chicken; toss to coat.

Step 2

Whisk together salt, garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken and turn to coat evenly.

Step 3

Melt clarified butter in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Cook chicken thighs in hot butter until browned on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. When cool enough to handle, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Step 4

Make sauce: Place the skillet with chicken drippings over medium-high heat. Stir onion into the skillet; sauté until onion softens and turns translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook until paste caramelizes, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic and ginger into tomato-onion mixture; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 5

Pour crushed tomatoes into the skillet. Bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Pour in coconut milk and chicken broth; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors blend and sauce is slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.

Step 6

Stir chicken and any accumulated juices into sauce. Add cilantro and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until chicken is cooked through and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.