Chicken · Slow cooker adaptation

SHOCKING Cheat Code Tikka Masala In 20 Minutes!! Heinz Tomato Soup Hack

Chicken tikka masala supposedly began when a Scottish chef grabbed a tin of soup to rescue a dry curry. Here, we're leaning into that legend, using Heinz tomato soup as the secret shortcut to a proper masala in twenty minutes flat, no faffing about.

R By Richard · Adapted from Al's Kitchen · Published 8 May 2026
👁 186.5k source views ❤️ 4k source likes
⏱Prep 10 min
🍲Slow cook 5 hr (Low) / 3 hr (High)
🍽Serves 4
✓Confidence 78% (review pending)
SHOCKING Cheat Code Tikka Masala In 20 Minutes!! Heinz Tomato Soup Hack

Source video by Al's Kitchen on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

Al's Kitchen's cheat code tikka masala leans on a tin of Heinz cream of tomato soup to deliver that familiar sweet, creamy restaurant-style sauce in record time. The original recipe is a 20 minute hob job, but it translates beautifully to the slow cooker: the spices, ginger garlic paste, tomatoes and soup go in with the chicken and bubble away gently, with mango chutney, sugar and cream stirred in at the end for body. It feeds a family of four and needs barely any prep. Serve with rice or naan.

Slow cooker notes: Original is a 20 minute hob recipe. For the slow cooker: fry the ginger garlic paste and spices in a pan first to remove rawness (slow cookers cannot bloom spices), then transfer with the chicken, chopped tomatoes and tomato soup to the slow cooker. Cook on Low 5 hours or High 3 hours so the chicken stays tender. Stir in salt, mango chutney, sugar and cream in the final 15 to 30 minutes (cream flagged addLater to prevent splitting). No extra liquid added because slow cookers retain moisture.

Ingredients

Main
  • 600 gboneless chicken thighs or breast, diced
  • 4 tbspvegetable oil
  • 2 tbspginger garlic paste
Spices
  • 1 tbspgaram masala
  • 1 tbspcurry powder
  • 1 tspground cumin
Sauce
  • 400 gtinned chopped tomatoes
  • 400 gHeinz cream of tomato soup
To finish
  • 2 tbspmango chutney (add late)
  • 2 tbspsugar (add late)
  • 1 tspsalt (add late)
  • 2 tbspdouble cream (add late)

Method

  1. Warm the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute until fragrant.

    ~2 min

  2. Add the garam masala, curry powder and cumin. Fry briefly to take out the rawness and bitterness, around 30 to 60 seconds.

    ~1 min

  3. Add the diced chicken to the pan and stir to coat in the spice mixture.

    ~2 min

  4. Tip the chicken and spice mixture into the slow cooker. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the tin of Heinz cream of tomato soup. Stir thoroughly.

    ~2 min

  5. Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours or High for 3 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

    ~300 min

  6. Stir in the salt, mango chutney and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Taste and add the second tablespoon of sugar if needed; tikka masala should be noticeably sweet.

    ~5 min

  7. If the sauce looks thin, leave the lid off on High for 15 to 20 minutes to reduce.

    ~20 min

  8. Stir in the double cream in the final 10 to 15 minutes for that silky tikka masala body. Serve with rice or naan.

    ~10 min

Frequently asked

Can I use single cream instead of double?
Yes, but double cream is less likely to split in the slow cooker. If using single, stir it in right at the end with the heat off.
Do I have to fry the spices first?
Yes. Slow cookers steam rather than fry, so blooming the spices and ginger garlic paste in oil first is what stops the finished sauce tasting raw and bitter.
Can I use pre-cooked chicken tikka pieces?
Absolutely. Make the sauce in the slow cooker without chicken, then stir in pre-cooked tikka pieces in the final 30 to 45 minutes just to warm through.
Why Heinz tomato soup?
It is the cheat code in this recipe. The soup brings a smooth, slightly sweet, creamy tomato base that mimics a restaurant-style tikka masala sauce without needing cashew paste or long reductions.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
Yes, but freeze before adding the cream if possible, as cream-based sauces can separate slightly on thawing. Reheat thoroughly and stir well.
Extraction notes (transparency): Chicken quantity is not stated in the transcript (presenter says 'family of three or four' and 'dice some chicken'); estimated 600g based on 4 servings. Curry powder, garam masala, cumin and ginger garlic paste quantities are not specified beyond the ginger garlic paste (2 tbsp); spice quantities estimated to typical levels and flagged. Tin sizes for chopped tomatoes and tomato soup not stated; standard UK tin sizes assumed (400g and 400g). Times converted from hob to slow cooker.