Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala – a flavorful, lightened-up version of this classic Indian dish. With aromatic Indian spices, chicken, tomato sauce, and coconut milk, it has become one of my favorite slow cooker meals.
This Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is a beautiful, flavorful, go-to slow cooker recipe! It’s creamy and delicious, perfect for a cold wintery day during the holiday season!
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I love Indian food, especially chicken tikka masala, but, sadly, I never really had Indian food until late in life and so I had to make up for it. This slow cooker tikka masala is so cozy, comforting and so easy to make you’ll want to include it in your favorite weeknight dinner recipe collection.
I didn’t have much experience with Indian food until my early 20’s when I traveled for my IT job. It was the first time I ventured out to new cities on my own and tried foods I had never experienced before. My favorite foodie city was Boston and my first very vivid memory of trying Indian food was there. Looking back I think how silly I was to be intimidated by all the spices I didn’t recognize but to impress a boy and a client, I decided to give it a go.
And it was in that place, a little hole in the wall in Boston, I fell in the love with the spices and naan. I mean who wouldn’t?!
I ordered several dishes just so that I could sample them all and hands down my favorite of the night was Tikka Masala. The color was vibrant; sometimes chicken can be bland but this was far from that, it was loaded with flavor.
Since then, I’ve experimented with making Indian dishes at home and my favorite is still chicken tikka masala.
What is Chicken Tikka Masala?
Chicken Tikka Masala is a dish of chunks of roasted marinated chicken in a spiced curry sauce made with a variety of spices. It is usually creamy and orange in color, and originates in the Indian subcontinent. It’s absolutely delicious and one of my favorite Indian dishes.
Tikka Masala Recipe Tips/Facts
Easiest Way to Make Chicken Tikka Masala
Although the ingredient list seems a little long, it’s not a complicated dish to make. In fact, with a slow cooker you literally just place all of the ingredients in the pot, turn it on and leave it to simmer. There are no pre-cooking steps, which I appreciate when it’s busy and I don’t have time for lengthy prep work.
I’ll admit, my family was skeptical the first time I made this but they ended up loving it! It’s so easy to make and packed with flavor. I’ve made it many times since, and it’s always a hit.
This Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala has become a regular on our dinner table, and I think once you try it, it will be on yours too. Here’s to flavorful, easy meals and trying dishes we didn’t grow up with.
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Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Video
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed boneless skinless thighs work too
- 30 ounces tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
- 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Add the onion to the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the chicken right on top of the onion. Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken.
- Top the sauce with garlic, ginger and all of the seasonings: 1 tablespoon of the garam masala, paprika, turmeric, curry and salt.Gently stir together the sauce with the seasonings.Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on high (or 6-8 hours on low).
- Once it is finished cooking, using tongs remove the chicken thighs from the sauce and transfer them to a plate or cutting board. Remove the bones from the chicken and then shred all of the chicken meat. I do this using two forks and just pull the meat apart.
- Once the chicken is shredded add it back to the sauce.Stir together the 3/4 cup coconut milk and the remaining teaspoon of garam masala. Pour coconut milk into chicken and sauce.
- Serve over rice or with flat bread and top with fresh cilantro.
Notes
This looks super yummy! And as a bonus, it’s Whole30 compliant. And I could also do this in my Instant Pot! Definitely will add this into the rotation this month!
Can you use boneless/skinless chicken breasts rather than the thighs?
I did this, and it was tasty! Two thumbs up.
This is a super yummy and easy recipe. My kids LOVE it.
How much sour cream do you use?
I am allergic to coconut, so I can’t try with coconut milk 🙁
Shoot, I am sorry. You could try something else, but I have no idea what it would taste like. Sorry maybe like an almond of cashew milk?
She mention she used heavy cream first.
Love a dinner that I can set it and forget about it.
It is great! I hope you enjoy!
This is such a great weeknight meal!
It’s definitely an easy but delicious one for weeknights. Enjoy!
Going to be honest, I double all the spices other than salt and pepper, but I find after doing so it’s perfect. Not sure if I have poor quality spices or what but I often have to do this for Indian and Thai food. I also like to add a scant 1/4 cup brown sugar. I often swap out chicken for canned chickpeas, potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots, really whatever veggies I have on hand and its delicious every time.
What brand of spices do you use and I love the idea of the sweet potatoes, I am going to have to try that.
Looks so easy and super flavorful!
Thank you!
My type of dinner! Easy and delicious
Thank you, I hope you enjoy!
I made this last night using boneless skinless thighs and heavy cream instead of the coconut milk (allergy in family), and it was DELICIOUS! (I also used a 28 oz jar Rao’s Marinara sauce for the tomato sauce as I wasn’t sure what else to use.) LOTS of leftover sauce that I’m going to use for another meal. This is definitely something I’ll make again. Thank you for a quick, easy dinner! (I didn’t shred the chicken, just cut it into pieces.)
Heavy cream is the perfect sub for the coconut milk! I’m so glad your family enjoyed it. For the tomato sauce we usually just use canned sauce, something like this, any brand will do. Thanks for the rating!
The sodium content in the dish is pretty high. What would you recommend to cut down the sodium?
Thanks!
Hi Jan! The majority of the sodium in the ingredients seems to be from the tomato sauce. You can use a no added salt or low sodium tomato sauce to lower the sodium by about 600 mg. There is also some sodium naturally in the chicken thighs. Using chicken breast would slightly lower the amount as dark meat tends to have more sodium than white meat. I hope this helps! Let us know if you give it a try and enjoy!
How long would you cook it if you’re using boneless, skinless thighs?
We’ve totally used boneless skinless thighs and it doesn’t need any time adjustment. Just be sure to check with a thermometer to make sure it is at 165°F internally before shredding and serving!
I’ve made this twice and it’s so easy and delicious, thank you!
The best and easiest recipe!
Thank you!