Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala (No Base Gravy)

Name: How to make | Chicken Tikka Masala | Without base gravy
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 medium onion, roughly chopped; 3 whole tomatoes, roughly chopped; green chillies; 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste; 3 tbsp tomato puree; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 handful fresh coriander; 1 handful cashew nuts; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp cooking oil; 500 ml boiling water; 2 tbsp ghee; 1 tbsp ground almonds; 1 tbsp sugar; 500 g cooked chicken tikka, pre-marinated and cooked; 2 tbsp Greek yogurt; 120 ml double cream

Source video by Latifs Inspired on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This is a slow cooker version of Latif's homemade chicken tikka masala, a British favourite known for its mild, sweet, tomato and cream sauce. The recipe builds a fresh gravy from onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and warm spices, then finishes with marinated chicken tikka, Greek yogurt and cream. No food colouring is used, so the colour comes from Kashmiri chilli and tomato puree alone. Serve with naan or basmati rice for a comforting weeknight curry.

Slow cooker notes: Original is a hob recipe. Adapted by simmering the onion and tomato gravy directly in the slow cooker until soft, then blending. The pre-cooked chicken tikka, ground almonds, sugar and ghee are added with the gravy and cooked low and slow to bring everything together. Yogurt and cream are stirred in at the end to prevent splitting. Liquid reduced slightly because slow cookers retain moisture.

Ingredients

Gravy base

1 mediumonion, roughly chopped
3 wholetomatoes, roughly chopped
green chillies
1 tbspgarlic and ginger paste
3 tbsptomato puree
1 tspground turmeric
1 tspground cumin
1 tspKashmiri chilli powder
1 tspground coriander
1 handfulfresh coriander
1 handfulcashew nuts
1 tspsalt
2 tbspcooking oil
500 mlboiling water

Curry

2 tbspghee
1 tbspground almonds
1 tbspsugar
500 gcooked chicken tikka, pre-marinated and cooked

Finish

2 tbspGreek yogurt (add late)
120 mldouble cream (add late)

Method

Add the chopped onion, tomatoes, green chillies, garlic and ginger paste, tomato puree, turmeric, cumin, Kashmiri chilli powder, ground coriander, fresh coriander, cashews, salt, oil and boiling water to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
~10 min
Cook on High for around 2 hours, or until the onion and tomato are completely soft and tender. Add a splash more water if it looks too thick.
~120 min
Turn off the slow cooker and let the gravy cool slightly. Blitz with a stick blender (or transfer to a jug blender) until smooth.
~5 min
Return the blended gravy to the slow cooker. Stir in the ghee, ground almonds and sugar, then add the cooked chicken tikka pieces and stir gently to coat.
~5 min
Cook on Low for 1.5 to 2 hours (or High for 1 hour) so the chicken absorbs the sauce and the flavours come together.
~90 min
Stir through the Greek yogurt and double cream, cover and cook for a further 20 to 30 minutes on Low until heated through and the sauce reaches a creamy, custard-like consistency with the oil starting to separate.
~25 min
Taste, adjust salt if needed, and serve with naan bread or basmati rice. Garnish with extra fresh coriander.
~2 min

Frequently asked

Do I need to brown the chicken tikka first?

The chicken tikka should already be marinated and cooked (grilled or oven-roasted) before it goes in. That char from the initial cook is where a lot of the flavour comes from, so don't skip it.

Why is my sauce not bright red like a takeaway?

Restaurants typically add food colouring. This recipe uses only Kashmiri chilli powder and tomato puree for colour, so expect a natural orange-red rather than the vivid red of a takeaway.

Can I stop the yogurt and cream from splitting?

Yes. Add them at the end, stir well, and keep the slow cooker on Low. Avoid letting the curry boil hard once dairy is in.

Can I make this milder?

Leave out the green chillies. Kashmiri chilli powder is mild on its own, so the dish will be very gentle without them.

Can I freeze the leftover gravy?

Yes. The blended gravy freezes well for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before reheating with the chicken and finishing with yogurt and cream.

Extraction notes (transparency): Chicken tikka quantity not stated, the chef refers only to 'one portion'; assumed around 500g of pre-marinated chicken tikka for 4 servings. Water quantity adapted (2 mugs in original, reduced for slow cooker). Adapted from a hob method, so timings are estimated for slow cooker conversion. Cream quantity given as 'about half a cup'.