Chicken · Slow cooker adaptation

The BEST Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken thighs marinated in yogurt and garam masala, browned until golden, then simmered into a silky tomato-based curry: this is the Indian-British classic done properly. V uses ghee, caramelised onions, and those precious brown bits stuck to the pan to build layers of flavour that turn a weeknight dinner into something special.

R By Richard · Adapted from Vijaya Selvaraju · Published 8 May 2026
👁 4.4M source views ❤️ 70.4k source likes
⏱Prep 25 min
🍲Slow cook 5 hr (Low) / 3 hr (High)
🍽Serves 6
✓Confidence 82%
The BEST Chicken Tikka Masala

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

Chicken tikka masala is one of the most loved Indian dishes, with its origins in Britain. This version uses yogurt-marinated chicken thighs cooked low and slow in a fragrant tomato gravy spiked with garam masala, cumin, coriander and chilli. A swirl of cream at the end gives it that signature glossy, luscious finish. Serve over basmati rice with naan or chapatis.

Slow cooker notes: The original recipe is a hob curry. For the slow cooker, the chicken is still browned and the tomato base is built in a pan to bloom the spices and reduce the tomato sauce, then transferred to the slow cooker to finish cooking the chicken gently. Cream is added in the final 20-30 minutes to prevent splitting. Tomato sauce quantity kept the same since slow cookers retain liquid but a thick base is wanted; no extra stock added.

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade
  • 240 mlplain natural yogurt
  • 0.5 lemonlemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 3 clovesgarlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1 tbspfresh ginger, finely grated
  • 2 tspgaram masala
  • 0.5 tspsalt
  • 6 thighsboneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
Sauce
  • 2 tbspvegetable oil
  • 2 tbspbutter
  • 2 mediumonions, finely diced
  • 3 clovesgarlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1 tbspfresh ginger, finely grated
  • 0.5 tspground turmeric
  • 1 tspground coriander
  • 1 tspground cumin
  • 1 tspgaram masala
  • 1 tspground red chilli powder
  • 480 mlpassata (strained tomato sauce)
  • salt
  • 240 mldouble cream (add late)
To Serve
  • fresh coriander, chopped (add late)

Method

  1. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, grated garlic, grated ginger, garam masala and salt. Add the chicken pieces and mix well so every piece is coated. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight if possible.

    ~10 min

  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, brown the chicken pieces for 2 to 3 minutes per side until they have a good golden colour. The chicken does not need to be cooked through. Transfer to the slow cooker.

    ~12 min

  3. In the same pan, add the butter and the diced onions. Cook over medium heat until soft and golden, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

    ~8 min

  4. Add the grated garlic and ginger and stir for 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant. Add the turmeric, ground coriander, cumin and garam masala and fry for a further 15 to 20 seconds.

    ~2 min

  5. Pour in the passata and add the chilli powder and a good pinch of salt. Simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and turns a deep reddish brown.

    ~18 min

  6. Pour the thickened tomato sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 4 to 4.5 hours or on High for 2 to 2.5 hours, until the chicken is tender.

    ~5 min

  7. Stir in the double cream, cover and cook for a further 20 to 30 minutes on Low until the sauce is glossy, bubbling and heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning.

    ~25 min

  8. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with hot basmati rice, naan or chapatis.

    ~2 min

Frequently asked

Can I skip browning the chicken?
You can, but you'll lose a lot of the flavour. Slow cookers don't brown meat, so the colour and depth come from searing the chicken and building the spiced tomato base in a pan first.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes, but thighs stay juicier in the slow cooker. If using breast, reduce the cooking time slightly so it doesn't dry out, around 3 to 4 hours on Low.
Why add the cream at the end?
Dairy can split if cooked for too long at low temperatures. Stirring it in during the final 20 to 30 minutes keeps the sauce smooth and glossy.
Can I make this milder?
Yes. Reduce or leave out the chilli powder, and you can also stir in a little extra cream at the end to soften the heat.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
Yes, this curry freezes well for up to 3 months. Cool fully, then freeze in portions. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the hob.
Extraction notes (transparency): Slow cooker timings inferred from typical chicken thigh curry behaviour as the source is hob. Description specifies tomato sauce, cream and spice quantities clearly. Transcript mentions ghee in the pan stage while description lists butter; butter retained per description with ghee noted as alternative.