Chicken Tikka Masala (a Slow Cooker recipe)

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Delicious Indian inspired chicken tikka masala in the crockpot is a winner! Set and forget, except for the delicious smells coming from your kitchen! 

I love this Chicken Tikka Masala recipe. Indian food is a big favorite around here, but it is usually a bit of a time investment, so I REALLY love this recipe – because using a crockpot to make it gives me lots of hands-off time.

Of course, I could visit an Indian restaurant and save ALL the time, but when you can make this so easily at home, why WOULDN’T you?

If you’re a fan of Indian food (and if you’re new to it – this recipe is a great intro to the cuisine!! This is a mild to medium heat recipe), you’ll love how easy this is, and how amazing the flavors are with very minimal effort. Get on it!

This has a beautiful color, complex and delicious flavor and is now on the permanent “here’s the recipe to use for this” list. It DOES have a long ingredient list, but it’s really not that difficult to pull together.

Served with rice on the side, this is a great meal.

What is Garam Masala? It’s a special blend of spices (commonly these: Cumin, Coriander, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Bay leaves, Peppercorns, Fennel, Mace and dried Chilies).

I buy Garam Masala at the grocery store or on Amazon.

If you love this recipe, do what I do – and measure DOUBLE the amount of spices. Add one set to a bowl, and another to a ziplock baggie – that way, you can make this at a moment’s notice. Just pull together the other ingredients, and this Chicken Tikka Masala is almost yours!!

If you’re into Crockpot Meals – try my Cowboy Casserole, or my 15 Bean Soup!

What is in Chicken Tikka Masala?

• CHICKEN – I use chicken breasts, but thighs are AWESOME in this too.
• BABY POTATOES – these are optional. I add them to thicken the gravy at the end
• ONION
• TOMATO SAUCE
• GREEK YOGURT – you can use heavy cream if you’d prefer, but add it at the end, vs cooking with it.
• COCONUT MILK
• SPICES
  • GARLIC, GINGER, GARAM MASALA, CUMIN, PAPRIKA, SALT, BLACK PEPPER, CINNAMON, CAYENNE, CORIANDER
  • CORNSTARCH
• CILANTRO

How to make this recipe:

Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!

• PREP
  • Chop the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, yogurt, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, spices, and cornstarch until smooth.
  • Add the chicken pieces, potatoes, and onions to the crock-pot.
  • Pour the sauce over the top and mix well to combine.
• COOK
  • Cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is cooked.
  • Smash the potatoes against the side of the crock-pot (thickens the sauce).
  • Add fresh cilantro, and mix well.
• SERVE
  • Serve chicken over basmati rice topped with chopped cilantro.

FAQs and Kylee’s Notes

• If you’re REALLY not into heat – reduce the amount of cayenne pepper, or omit entirely. There will still be heat from the garam masala, but much less than if you add the cayenne!
• You may opt to use heavy cream in place of the yogurt. Add it at the end instead of cooking with it, so it doesn’t curdle.
• MORE INDIAN FOOD?
  • Coconut Chicken Curry
  • Spiced Red Lentil Dhal

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Chicken Tikka Masala (a slow cooker recipe)

5 from 1 vote

Delicious Indian inspired chicken tikka masala in the crockpot is a winner! Set and forget, except for the delicious smells coming from your kitchen!

Author: Kylee Ayotte

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours hours

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Recommended Equipment

• Slow Cooker

Yield: 6

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Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 15 oz whole potatoes (canned, drained and rinsed)
• 1/2 large onion (finely diced)
• 29 oz tomato sauce   ( canned)
• 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 Tbs fresh ginger (finely grated )
• 2 Tbs Garam Masala
• 1 Tbs ground cumin
• 1/2 Tbs smoked paprika
• 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp cracked pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 Tbs cornstarch

Directions

• Chop the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces, then add with the potatoes and onions to the crock-pot.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, yogurt, coconut milk, spices, and corn starch until smooth.
• Pour over chicken and potatoes in the crock-pot and combine.
• Cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is tender and fully cooked. Smash the potatoes against the side of the crock-pot (thickens the sauce)
• Serve chicken over prepared rice topped with chopped cilantro.

Tried this recipe? Tag me!Mention @kyleecooks or tag #kyleecooks!

Notes

FAQs and Kylee’s Notes

• If you’re REALLY not into heat – reduce the amount of cayenne pepper, or omit entirely. There will still be heat from the garam masala, but much less than if you add the cayenne!
• You may opt to use heavy cream in place of the yogurt. Add it at the end instead of cooking with it, so it doesn’t curdle. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 1607mg | Potassium: 953mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 985IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 4mg

Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Update: This recipe was originally published in 2014 – and has been updated with new photos and rewritten with better step by step instructions.