We absolutely LOVE Indian food in our house! There are so many favorites, but of all of them, I think this chicken tikka masala recipe takes the top spot!
Finding a paleo, gluten free, dairy free version of chicken tikka masala can be tough! I worked and refined this recipe until it was exactly what I was craving… You’ll be surprised at how authentic this chicken tikka masala recipe tastes!! There are so many spices in this recipe- the mixture of flavors is truly divine! This recipe is Whole30 friendly- just serve over cauliflower rice instead of regular rice. If we do serve it over rice, we prefer jasmine rice. But truly, both ways are delicious! Sometimes I’ve even just eaten the sauce in soup form- it’s just that good.
This meal has become a staple in our house – it’s on our menu at least once per week because we love it so much! I hope this becomes a new, delicious go-to in your home as well!
I recently posted to the @Whole30Recipes page, and this chicken tikka masala recipe was probably my most popular recipe of all 21! SO many of you have made it and love it! If you make it, be sure to take a pic, post it to instagram, and tag me @oliveyouwhole!
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Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 teaspoons ginger, peeled and minced
- 4 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 cups full fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
- Prepared cauliflower rice, for serving
Instructions
- Mix garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl.
- Whisk 1 cup of the full fat coconut milk, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl. Add this mixture to a gallon plastic bag (or storage container of choice), add chicken, and ensure it’s fully submerged in the mixture. Cover and chill 4-6 hours. Cover and chill remaining spice mixture.
- Heat ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and red pepper flakes. Stir often for 5 minutes, until the onion becomes soft. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook, continuing to stir, about 4 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes with juices. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring often until sauce thickens, 8-10 minutes.
- Add the entire sauce that’s in the pot to a blender. Add remaining 2 cups coconut milk and chopped cilantro. Blend until smooth.
- Return sauce back to the pot and add chicken and remaining marinade. Coat the chicken in the sauce, and simmer undisturbed until the chicken is fully cook and the sauce has thickened, about 20-30 minutes.
- Serve chicken and sauce over prepared cauliflower rice, and top with sprigs of cilantro.
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Can I marinate this over night instead of just 4-6 hours? What would happen if I marinated it for 24 hours? That would fit my schedule better.
Absolutely! I’m sure the flavor would be delicious!! I’m just impatient 😉
Hello! This looks delicious. How many servings does it make? Also, do you think once the sauce is blended and the raw chicken is cut up that you could add it all to the crockpot and cook until finished?
Thanks!
Hey Lauren! I’d say about 4-6 servings! I actually made this again last night and added a TON more chicken!! There’s lots of extra sauce (which I love), but to extend it even farther you can add a lot more chicken if you’d like!
I blended everything without cooking (not chicken or cauliflower rice). Put in crockpot, Add chicken, and cook on low until chicken can be shredded. Add rice for an hour or so. Makes a perfect soup
Amazing recipe.
★★★★★
Wow that sounds AMAZING!! Thanks for sharing! ?
We made this tonight and it was off the charts delish. I don’t even think it was because I have been deprived for a week. I would make this when I wasn’t doing whole 30!!
★★★★★
Loved this! It makes a ton of sauce- you can double the meat. Even my 12 year old son loved this meal!
★★★★★
Out. Of. This. World. Recipe. Think this is just as good or better than my “regular” non-whole30″ version. Just excellent. Made the sauce while the chicken was marinating, which saves some time. Also used an immersion blender instead of the regular blender for reduced mess and dishwashing. FYI, if you cut the chicken before marinating it needs only 2-3 hours. If you’re in a hurry, that is. Once again, kudos for this. We have 11 days left on the Whole30 and we’ll be making this at least one more time.
★★★★★
Excellent! I did use thighs instead of breasts (they’re tastier) and I didn’t run the sauce through a blender. Quite good! I’m eating it as I type. I’ll make it again. I’d been planning to be on a Whole30, but things came up, so not this time… but I made it Paleo/Whole30 anyway. This will be a repeat here.