Chicken Tikka Masala

Good grief! This recipe as written has WAY too much salt in it! My fiance and I couldn't even finish it, the salt was overpowering. 7 teaspoons in all. I am going to try it again with about 1/2 teaspoon for each sauce (the marinade and the tomato cream sauce.)

This is excellent, tastes just like at our local restaurant. I made the following changes: for the marinade I used 5 tsp of garam masala in place of the cumin/cinnamon/cayenne (it's a mixture of these spices and others.) I only used 1 tsp of pepper and 1 tsp of salt plus added two crushed garlic cloves. I marinated all day. For the sauce I added one chopped onion and my spice mixture was 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 2 tsp garam masala, no salt. I excluded the jalapeno but added a dash of cayenne. Wonderful! The second time I made it I doubled the sauce to have lots of extra to top our basmati rice.

This recipe was so delicious that my toes curled up, I fell over in a pleasure-induced coma, and floated to heaven! I will never have to go to an Indian restaurant again for my favorite dish! The other reviews are right, I used one teaspoon of salt for the marinade and one teaspoon of salt for the sauce, and that was plenty. I also added a teaspoon of garam masala to the sauce. Since it was rainy and dark outside, I couldn't use my grill, so I baked the chicken on a rack at 475 degrees until done, and it came out perfectly fine. I like extra sauce to soak my jasmine rice, so next time I will either add less chicken or more cream and tomato sauce. The Indian restaurant I used to frequent put some thinly sliced almonds for garnish so I may try that next time too. THIS RECIPE IS A KEEPER!

Minus the salt we absolutely loved this recipe! Added 2 tsp of garam masala to the yogurt marinade. Never made it to the tomato cream sauce as my boys were hovering around the grill eating the chicken as I removed it. Absolutely wonderful!

We loved this. I did change a few things after reading a few other reviews. I only added 1/2 the jalapeno pepper, I reduced the salt to 1 tsp in the marinade, and 1/2 tsp in the sauce. I used 1 tsp of garam masala instead of cinnamon in the marinade. I doubled the sauce recipe and added 3 teaspoons of the garam masala to what was already called for. I also marinated the chicken 30 hours; I was going to just marinate it all day, but something came up and we were unable to cook it that night, so I just cooked it the next night. It was tender and delicious. We grilled it on the barbecue and served it over rice with Naan. Thanks for sharing this recipe! 5 Stars with the changes!

Great recipe - TOO MUCH SALT! Reduce the salt at least by half in both the marinade and sauce. We are making this for the fourth time, so needless to say, it's a great recipe with that small change.

This was so salty, we couldn't even eat it! I should have salted to taste, but instead went by the recipe. I thought it would be okay since I like salt anyway. I really can't say how good it would be without all the salt, I can just tell you to definitely taste before you add!

My husband and I love this recipe. have made it 3 times in a month. I followed other suggestions and reduced salt to a 1/4th and used red chilli peppers instead of cayenne. I also used the fat free half and half and is great. After the first time, I went to the World Market and but garam masala per another review and substitued that for the cumin in the sauce. The first time I thought there was too much cumin and reduced it in in the marinade. At first, the sauce doesn't taste anything like the restaurant, but when you put the marinated chicken in it, it changes the flavor. I am making it regularly, especially since I can't find plain yogurt in anything but a large size. Thank you for this delicious easy recipe.

Excellent, except for the salt. Take heed of all the warnings and REDUCE the SALT. I used 1 teaspoon each for the marinade and then the sauce. Simmering the sauce will help concentrate the flavors and you can always add more later. I find using skinless thighs and breasts is a good combo. The dark meat adds a lot of flavor and variety to the dish. I always double the amount of the sauce since it's sooo good over rice. And pick up some naan bread from your local indian restaurant and to dip in the sauce. I do this when I have company - quite impressive. Definitely buy Garam Masala. It's the secret spice that the restaurants use that's not listed in this recipe. I exclude the cinnamon completely and use 1 teaspoon each in the marinade and sauce. It will make ALL the difference, trust me. I also sear my chicken on the stove top or broil in the oven. If using oven, I only brown the meat and finish the cooking in the sauce. This will be a regular for us. You can find Garam Masala spice in the spice section at the store. TIP - I also soak my chicken breast in plain yogurt or buttermilk for at leat 2 hrs. (overnight if you have time) to tenderize the lean breasts. It will produce tender, moist chicken.

Ok, so this recipe has the potenial to be amazing, but there were a couple of things that need adjustments...thus a rating of 4 stars. We've learned from other reviews that the first modification is to reduce the salt--I tried 1 tsp in sauce, but next time I will reduce to 1/2 tsp-- I followed a review of doubling recipe for sauce(so you have sauce for rice) and that was great suggestion. Here's how to double: 1 3/4 cups heavy cream, 2(8oz can) tomato sauce, 2 tsp paprika, 3-4 cloves garlic(I used 1 tbsp of minced garlic)2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp garam masala...follow other directions of sauce to suit your tastes. I would advise you add spice because the dish is soo much better with it! If a jalapeno pepper is too spicy, I would suggest a tsp of cayenne pepper or less! A great recipe and with a little tweeking, it will be A+

I am a HUGE fan of Indian food, and this was a delicious version of Chicken Tikka Masala. Not *quite* as good as my favourite Indian restaurant (which I wouldn't expect, since I don't have a tandoor), but definitely good enough to make again and again. Unfortunately, I can't give it a 5 since I made a few modifications. I used fat-free yogurt (had it in the fridge) for the marinade and only added 1 tsp of salt. To the sauce I added an extra clove of garlic, only a pinch of salt, and whole milk instead of heavy cream (again, using what I had in the fridge, but the sauce was plenty thick, so I really don't think it needed the cream). I also added 3 or so shakes of garam masala to the sauce after the 20 min simmer (For people who aren't familiar with garam masala, it's usually added near the end of the cooking time in indian cuisine, because it can take on a bitter taste if cooked too long). I served it with naan, and it was delicious! Thanks so much, Yakuta!

Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. It was really simple to make, and I had most of the ingredients on hand. After tasting this, my husband declared we didn't need to go out to an Indian restaurant when we could eat good Indian food at home. I did substitute half of the cream for evaporated nonfat milk to make it healthier. I'm so thankful for the previous reviews, which were right on the ball with the salt. I added none, and it was plenty seasoned from the tomato sauce. It was fabulous with garlic naan and grilled zucchini with curry spices.

The marinade is perfect, but when I tasted the sauce I knew something was missing. You MUST add 1 tbsp. Garam Masala to the sauce. Without it, it lacks depth. Otherwise, great recipe.

Great recipe but let the chicken marinate overnight for best flavor and tenderness. Also, although boneless chicken breasts are good, try the thighs and legs as well, bone-in. Much better texture and flavor. I always cut up a whole chicken and use everything. Grilling is the secret here, you'll lose a lot of flavor if you don't get the grills marks on the poultry. If you have an Indian Grocery near, try "Pataks" Tikka Masala, a lot less labor intensive and equally delicious. Great recipe!

Amazing!

I am going to give this 5 stars even if it needed to be changed a bit. First off, I added one teaspoon of salt to each the marinade and the sauce instead of the amount posted. I also sauteed onion in the butter with the jalapeno before adding the other ingredients. And, only added one teaspoon of the cayenne because I thought it would be to hot. We really enjoyed this dish. I will admit I did sprinkle a tad more salt on the finished product. We served with white rice and grilled flour tortillas. Highly recommend.

This dish was so salty that I could not even eat it. It called for a total of 7 teaspoons of salt and I only put in two teaspoons and it was still totally disgusting.

I hav emade this recipe a few times now and it jsut keeps getting better. I agree that you don;t need much salt at all and the red pepper is too much for my taste. This time I decided not to cut up the chicken into pieces; I just cut each breast in half. After I marinated it, I baked it in the oven at about 400-425 for 45 mins. It came out so tender!!! After that I sliced it up and put it in the sauce to simmer. It was better than on the grill and much easier!!!

Taking the advice of so many other reviewers, I eliminated the salt completely and gave the option to add at the dinner table. No one did. I also replaced the cinnamon with garam masala and kept all the other ingredients as written. One other review suggested doubling the sauce and using coconut milk in place of the whipping cream. I did do that and wasn't disappointed. The sauce had a nice creaminess to it and tasted very good. Topped w/ chopped green onions and cilantro and served over brown rice. Also, I'm happy to say that everyone eating tonight joined the clean plate club. Will make again.

Picky, curry-hating husband loved this. A friend prepared it for us, and I was nervous about his reaction. He took seconds, then thirds! We've made it at least three or four times since. Salt according to your taste rather than strictly to the measurements here. The only change I make is to cook the cilantro into the sauce rather than garnishing it fresh--we don't like the taste of fresh cilantro. Great recipe!

I have eaten chicken tikka masala in many cities. This bears no resemblance to the real thing other than the color of the sauce. Don't try this one if you want genuine chicken tikka masala.

Inedible as written due to salt

I LOVE THIS RECIPE! It can be done much easier than it is written: marinade the chicken as the recipe states. While it is marinading, cook the rice. Remove rice from heat and cook the marinated chicken in a large skillet alongside the sauce. Based on other reviewers suggestions, I cut out most of the salt and skip the cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne in favor of 3 tsp. of garam masala. When the chicken is cooked through, transfer with tongs into the sauce and let simmer for 15 minutes until thicker. This tikka masala is actually even better the second day, when the spices have a chance to meld together and the sauce can thicken. Serve over basmati rice and it is sooooo delicious!

The tikka marinade part was dead on for flavor (minus all the salt and add garam masala), but the sauce was nothing like authentic Indian tikka masala sauce. It didn't taste bad, but it's not what you'd get from a true Indian restaurant. I don't know where all these people have been eating their Indian food to review the recipe as exactly or even close to what authentic chicken tikka masala is.

Followed this recipe EXACTLY-except less salt. Very dissapointing- Didn't taste anything like what I've had at several Indian Restaraunts. I really wanted to be able make this at home as it's usually $10 a pop at the local places. This recipe has so much cinnamon in it-it gives the dish a weird flavor, in fact I ordered it from my local place and really tried to taste the spices and I don't think there's any cinnamon in their dish. In fact, all of the spices seem to be off, it's missing something (or maybe it's the cinnamon or that covers up all the other spices.) Also, the texture of the sauce was too creamy-the consistancy of melted icecream, not at all like what I'm used to. I can't belive this had so many postive reviews-that's why I made it in the first place. If you're still determined to try it maybe make half the batch with cinnamon and half without and see what it does.

I only gave this 4 stars because of the amount of salt in the recipe. I only ended up adding 2 tsp (one in the marinade and one in the sauce) and it was more than enough. I hope that the member who originally posted the recipe made an error, and that it's not the actual amount of salt they would put in this type of dish! The dish itself (after the salt modification) was excellent, both hubby and I enjoyed it and will make it again.

LOVE this- so good. I added some Garam Masala when I made it (over a year ago). I really need to make it again. The whole fam loved it too, even my young children. I decreased the cayenne to just a sprinkle. We had it with rice, fresh grilled naan bread, and asparagus.

This recipe has so much potential but its ruined by the ridiculous amount of salt. it was really spicy too, anyways, advice... half the cumin in the sauce, omit all the salt in the sauce and beware of the jalapeno. if you are not a fan of really spicy food, i don't recommend putting the jalapeno, also use double the amount of garlic for a more pronounced flavor.. a good basic recipe but needs changes..

i made this recipe without the salt, per other reviews, and added garam masala, which seems an indispensable ingredient in making chicken tikka masala. the chicken was tender but the flavor of this dish is completely off. i lived in England for a year and ate Indian curry all the time and have had a lot of Indian food in Artesia, Ca (which is known as Little India) and never did the tikka masala taste like this. if you're looking for a good authentic recipe, this is not it. this ended up tasting more like a tomato-cream curry. i really wanted to like this recipe but i am disappointed.

It tastes NOTHING like the delicious Chicken Tikka Masala that I get at my local indian restaurant. Sorry folks, I can't say one nice thing about this version.

EXCELLENT DISH! I reduced the cumin (in both the marinade and the sauce) to 1 tsp and the cayene to 1 tsp. Also, I only used 2 tsp of salt in the marinade and none in the sauce, which was perfect. Finally, I used green bell peppers instead of jalapenos. Served over rice and a side of pita bread...wonderful! My roommate, who is sensative to spicy foods for medical reasons, LOVED it but could only eat one bowl (understandably). However, it was perfect for me...with the changes made, it was the right amt of heat. This is my first attempt at making Indian food and I am so pleased with the result! Thanks Yakuta!

Great recipe, but everyone's comments re: salt are correct. My advice - halve it for the marinade, and omit it entirely for the sauce. That said, I've played with it a number of times and it never fails to impress.

This was good. Not nearly as wonderful as what I've had at Indian restaurants, but a very tasty make at home version. As per other reviewers' suggestions, I only used about 1/4 tsp salt for the entire recipe and that was plenty. I broiled the chicken, but next time will probably just bake it. The fresh chopped cilantro on top really added to the dish and I wouldn't make it without. Over all, very good!

I make this five or six times a year, grilling the chicken in the summer and broiling in the winter. It is a must have when I am craving Indian food but I need to stay at home. PLEASE do not ruin the dish by using the amount of salt listed. It will not be edible. It is fabulous with a little aromatic rice and a side of spiced lentils.

I made this recipe exactly as written, and my husband was literally speechless throughout dinner--aside from the yummy noises and moans of appreciation. This beat any dish we've had in a restaraunt hands down, and it was so incredibly easy. I also made the Naan by Mic (excellent) and some basmati rice with peas, and it was just . . . so . . . good. Thanks for a perfect recipe!

This recipe was fantastic! As good as in any authentic Indian restaurant ... I used one tsp salt for the marinade and another for the cream sauce ... will make again, many times!

I loved this recipe. My first time making Indian food and it was great with Naan bread. I doubled the sauce and used almost no salt per others suggestions. I even used 2% milk instad of cream and just added about a tsp. of flour to the butter to make sure the sauce was thick enough. Used 1 tsp of cayenne in the marinade and no jalapenos because kids where eating it. Even they loved it. Thanks for the great dinner!!

I fixed this recipe last night. My first attempt at Chicken Tikka Masala. I had read some of the reviews and changed the original recipe, making it with less cayenne pepper and I added no salt. It was absolutely delicious. My dinner guest, who loves Indian food, could not stop raving about it. So, I will definitely make it again.

YUM! My family is very picky but loved this. I used fat free yogurt, and fat free half and half instead of the cream. I didn't have any cayenne pepper so I used curry powder in place of the cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne, but still added the black pepper. I used no salt because curry powder contains salt.

This was very good! I used Greek yogurt, and made two versions. One vegetarian with Tofu and one with Chicken. Also, we added mushrooms to the skewers. In place of heavy cream I used skim milk and little bit of fat free cream cheese to thicken up the sauce.

This is such a great recipe! The only thing I changed was that I put only 1 tsp of salt in the marinade and 1 tsp in the sauce. I used my indoor grill and the chicken turned out great. Excellent recipe that tastes as good as my favorite restaurant's!

Didn't include the final 3 tsp of salt and it was delicious. Creamy and potently spicy. Baked the chicken at 350F for 25 minutes instead of grilling. Marinated the chicken overnight.

It really doesn't taste authentic at all, even though it is a very good chicken dish in Indianish flavors.

I made this tonight and REALLY improvised and decreased the time by hours!!!! I am all for quick and easy but yummy. Believe it or not, I skipped the entire Marinade and it still tasted just like ALL Indian Restaurants I have been to. Instead of marinating the chicken I braised the chicken breasts in a skillet till the outside was crisp but still tender and juicy. I seasoned them with Paprika, garlic salt, and ginger and added a little butter in the skillet. Honestly, I think the sauce is so rich that you could probably add plain chicken to this dish and you would never know the difference except for maybe texture. I made the sauce almost exactly as listed but instead of cilantro I used Garam Masala which I found at Wegmans but can be found at any Asian grocery store. I eliminated the salt entirely. I also did not have a jalepeno so I used about a teaspoon of red chili peppers. THE DISH WAS AWESOME and so good I think my husband thought I bought it. It took me all of an hour and a half to make. I would love to know what others think of my improvisation.

Like other reviewers, I decreased the salt A LOT, and found that it was plenty salty. 4 tsp of salt is way too much - that's 1/4 cup!! I used 1 tsp salt in the marinade and 1/2 tsp in the sauce, and that was perfect for us. I also used 1 1/2 tsp garam masala instead of the cinnamon in the marinade and then added 3 tsp of garam masala to the sauce recipe. With these changes I would give it 5 stars. It's the closest I've found to restaurant quality! We used shrimp instead of chicken and it was delicious. You could use sea scallops or paneer too. Serve with basmati rice, plain yogurt or raita, and naan. YUM!

This was delicious! I used fat free vanilla yogurt and fat free half-and-half (instead of cream) but I swear it's not missing a thing. It was served on Coriander and Herbs Naan. I doubled the cream sauce and plan on making rice to go with the leftovers. I also used 5 small chicken breasts and sautéed them, then drained the marinade off. Don't worry about the strong cinnamon smell, it blends in beautifully.

Very good food!! It actually wasn't as hot as I thought/hoped it would be. Next time I will let the tomato sauce simmer for a lot longer before adding the cream to it. It was very very good the way it was; I just like things hot and spicy most of the time! 7 teaspoons of salt was a little scary to me and my heart, so I only used 1 tsp (1/2 in each the sauce and marinade). My husband loved this too. I will definitely make this again and again and again. Thanks for posting.

Sooo good!!! Not too spicy at all. I let the chicken marinate for over 24 hours- only change.

This recipe has so much potential- but the amount of salt just RUINS the entire thing and is impossible to fix. I even tried doubling the sauce recipe (with no salt in the second batch) during our meal, and we all dumped our old chicken back into it and it was STILL TOO SALTY. I will make it again, but I will not follow directions this time.

This recipe was a HUGE hit in my home! I get requests for it on a daily basis! I served it with the Jeera (cumin) rice recipe on this site and it was absolutely perfect! So much fun to prepare also!

This recipe wouldn’t get four stars on its own merits. It might not even get three. However, it’s structural helpfulness was a great guide to making a fantastic (meatless) tikka masala. I made a lot of substitutions and additions, most importantly subbing Quorn cutlets in for chicken. I followed the marinade recipe as-is (except I scaled the salt content WAY back, because 4 teaspoons?? Seriously?), then added shallots, fresh ginger, more garlic, and a lot of spices (more cumin, tumeric, coriander, garam masala) to the cream sauce. I omitted the jalapeno because the flavor is incorrect for Indian cooking, but kept the heat with cayenne. Also, I used fire roasted crushed tomatoes instead of canned sauce and added finely shredded baby spinach at the very end (cooked until just wilted, then served over steaming basmati rice!) So remember to taste as you go, and if you love real Indian food, you’re going to need to add a lot more flavor to this.

I give this a four not because it isnt deserving of a five but because I had such high expectations and it didnt quite meet them. Certainly not authentic but it was tasty nonetheless. I would give it a go if youre interested in this recipe.

This was amazing!! I am a first time Indian food maker, although I've read about it for YEARS. I have to say, I loved it! I made way too much sauce, but I'll just make more rice to mop it up with! I didn't have enough cumin to finish up the sauce, so i added one teaspoon of curry powder. I loved it!!! I will totally make this again!!

Good, but I'll keep salt on the low side, just adding 1/2 teaspoon for the marinade, and adding some to taste when making the sauce - if needed. Couldn't get garam masala, but I'd recommend throwing a couple of cardamom seeds when frying the garlic cloves and taking them away after 5 - 7 secs. It would perfume the sauce and give it a special taste. I also didn't include the jalapeño pepper since that would give more of a mexican touch to the recipe, which is really far away from what you want it to be. Definitely add 1/2 chopped onion to the sauce. Thanks for posting!

Chicken tikka masala is supposed to be light, creamy, and zesty. This stuff was thick, heavy, salty (even though I drastically cut down the salt), and way over spiced. I should have known something was wrong when it called for tomato sauce instead of actual tomatoes. Big disappointment.

This is a great basic recipe for chicken tikka masala. My one suggestion for the sauce would be to buy some garam masala, the Indian spice mixture used in many Indian dishes, and add 2-3 teaspoons of it to the sauce. This made it absolutely delectable!

As an Indian, I loved this recipe. The salt does, however, need to be reduced for this recipe.

O-M-G-ravy!!! This is some good stuff! Other than cutting the salt (1 t in marinade & 1 t in sauce) and using dried cilatnro (about 1 T) in sauce rather than fresh at the end, I followed recipe exactly. No, not true, I pan fried my chicken, because rain prevented me from grilling. This was de-lish-ous!!!! Loved the kick from the jalapeno & cayenne! Exactly what I was hoping for. This is a KEEPER! Thanks, Yakuta!!

My advice is to use salt only to taste. I think I will use two jalepenos & 2 cups of cream next time. I am used to a slightly spicier and creamier dish. However, it was very good!

This was so good, only thing i did different was i cooked the chicken in a skillet instead of using the grill, will double the sauce next time

Here's the situation with this great recipe: it's almost perfect. The amount of salt suggested seemes a bit much, though. I added half the amount to both the yogurt marinade and masala sauce, and still it was too salty. Maybe I was using industrial strength mutated super-salt, which could alter the taste slightly. My suggestion: when making this dish, add salt to taste, not to full measure.

Great Recipe .. tasted better adding a little more yogurt at end tho ... will defiantly pass along this recipe

Tasted pretty good... WAAAAYYYYY too much salt though, would also put less cumin and a bit more cream, tastes good on long rice.

HOLY SALT - wish i would have read the reviews before spending soooo much time making this recipe. what a complete disappointment. i like salt but wow. maybe i'll try it again with 1/4 of the salt.

Lower the salt and it will make a huge difference and a better one. I doubled the sauce for the rice and followed the advice from someone on here on how to grill if you don't have one. Which I set the oven on broil. I took out my top rack of oven cleaned it, oiled, and put the skewered chicken on. I also put a couple large rectangular pans (didn't have cookies sheet) and lined with foil to catch the juice and sauce on the second rack. Five minutes per side and they come out beautifully. Thank again to who gave the advice on how to grill. My boyfriend and I loved this meal! We have made it a few times already. He is in love with the sauce.

Yum! I made this and served it over jasmine rice. So good! I reduced the amount of salt to about 2 teaspoons (1 for the marinade and 1 for the sauce), and it worked out great. Also, I cooked the chicken on skewers in the oven (400 degrees for about 15 minutes). I had never had chicken tikka masala before, but my boyfriend said it tasted just like the restaurant version. Thanks for a great recipe!

YUM!! this recipe is absolutely to die for! i did what a lot of other reviewers said to do and doubled to sauce, this was plenty to coat the rice and dip my naan bread into. i also marinated the chicken over night and i think it added to the delicious flavor! we don't have a grill, so i did what another reviewer had suggested and made my own makeshift grill: covered a cookie sheet with foil, put the skewered chicken on a cookie rack on top of this and broiled it for 10 minutes, turning the skewers once - turned out beautiful and delicious! i would totally recommend this to anyone who loves chicken tikka marsala, as it tastes just as good (if not better) than anything you can find in a restaurant! :)

Best recipe for this I have found so far. I used half the salt and really should have used only 1/4. I also used hot paprika so this dish was extra spicy too. Yum!

I put this together quickly without realizing it had to be grilled. Instead, I stir fried the chicken in butter with its marinade and then added the sauce. It came out absolutely to die for (after omitting most of the salt)!

This may be a good recipe, but DO NOT USE 3 TSP OF SALT! It's waaaaay too much. I had to throw out the whole pot of sauce.

I've made this recipe at least a dozen times. The recipe is perfect, except the salt, please, please, use your judgment on this, or you will be eating salt for dinner.

Even with the OBVIOUS ERROR OF SALT CALLED FOR I'm still giving this 5 stars. I tried Tikka Masala for the first time last week and liked it so much I wanted to try to make it myself. And while it didn't taste exactly like what I had it was pretty close. I really really liked it. It was just the right amount of spicy and creamy. Now for the tweaks, obviously didn't follow the amounts for salt (I don't know if that is someone's idea of a joke or what). I tossed a few pinches of salt into the marinade and sauce and that's it. I also cut the cayenne down to 1 tsp as I was afraid 2 might be a bit much. I'm glad I did. I like spicy food and it was a bit spicy, but the heat was in the back so you could actually taste the other ingredients. 2 tsps would have overpowered it for me. Served with Asian Coconut Rice and Chapati (both recipes on this site) and roasted sweet potatoes (peel, chunk, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, roast 45 at 400). I will defnitely make this meal again.

I am constantly asked when I'll be making this tikka masala again, so that friends can wrangle an invitation to dinner! Love this recipe! So easy to adjust the "burn" level for friends or newbies to Indian food. We generally double the chicken and triple the sauce, and serve over basmati rice. *Drool!*

Amazing recipe! I made it with organic non-fat milk in place of the heavy cream and it still turned out perfect.

Delicious! I took LisaDee's advice: substituted 5 tsp of garam masala in place of cumin/cinnamon/cayenne in the marinade. Marinaded overnight for a day. And for the sauce I added 1/2 chopped onion and 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 2 tsp garam masala, no salt. I didn't use Jalepeno and added dried chiles de arbol instead so it wasn't too spicy. The sauce was great (my friends loved it) and fairly thick (esp with the added onion). Next time (and there will be a next time), I will double the sauce for the given amount of chicken. PS. my house and clothes smelled like indian food for awhile after....

My husband and I tried this dish on our recent honeymoon, and we couldn't wait to try making it ourselves at home. This recipe was delicious. I used about 1 teaspoon of salt in the marinade and maybe a quarter teaspoon in the sauce because other reviewers said it was too salty as written. I used chicken tenderloins becasue they are quicker to cut into bite-size pieces of uniform size. We do not have a grill, so I baked the skewered chicken at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or so. I put it on a cooling rack that I placed on top of a baking sheet so that it didn't get soggy. I did not put the chicken in the sauce at the end because I was worried it would soak up too much of the sauce and I couldn't wait anymore to try it! I served it over basmati rice and with naan that I purchased at the store and heated in the oven. My husband said it was the best thing I have ever made :) Thanks for a great recipe! EDIT: I also used about 2 tbsp of garam masala in place of the cumin, cinnamon and cayenne in the marinade per other reviewers' suggestions. I used the cumin and paprika in the sauce still.

I got married in June to an Indian man and have been trying to expand my Indian recipes list. He absolutely loves this dish. I do use WAY less salt than what's listed, and I cut the cayenne in half (even my husband thought it was on the hot side). Even my in-laws enjoyed this!

A little salty, so I will probably cut the measurement in half next time. Otherwise, it was a big hit.

This was a good recipe to build upon. You should reduce the salt and cayenne (if you don't like it too spicey!) by more than half. I didn't have all the spices or jalapeno pepper so I bought a small bag of Garam Masala and used 1 tsp in the marinade and 2 tsp in the sauce. To the marinade, add 1 clove of minced garlic. To the sauce double all the ingredients and add a can of coconut milk, 1 tbs of sugar, sauteed chopped onion and 2 tbs of sauteed minced ginger. I used half and half instead of heavy cream, trying to be a little health conscious. I didn't have tomato sauce so I used a can of whole peeled tomatoes. The final dish was served over a plate of hot Jasmine rice. My Aunt said it tasted better than what's served in the restaurants and asked for the recipe.

I make this at least twice a month lol. My bf and I Liberace this. Better than the Indian restaurant he says. If I'm feeling vegetarian,I'll use eggplant instead of chicken. Excellent vegetarian dish as well!

If you love spices and seasonings, you'll love this dish! Make sure you pick up a pack of naan bread with this dish. If you can't find naan bread, supplement it with some type of pita or flat bread.

Well, this was pretty easy, but probably more difficult for the novice than for great, experienced chefs! That said, I really liked this. Again, it was way to salty, and I would stress the importance of seasoning to taste, and tasting as you go. For many, using cumin and paprika and cayanne (or chili, not sure if the same but all I could find) together will produce a taste that is intense. For a first time creator of Indian cuisine, I added and tasted as I went to be sure that what was being created was what I like. One thing I did different, partially because I wanted a lot of sauce, and partially because the sauce was too salty was this: I made the marinade and used it as a simmer sauce for the chicken, because I didnt want to wait an hour. Once the chicken was cooked, I added all of the marinade (which thinned out considerably) to the sauce, and continued to simmer on low for a while longer. The flavors in the marinade were great, and I didnt want to discard them, plus it lightened up the sauce. I loved it. I had spent a fortune on Indian delivery recently, and this was comparable. My boyfriend could not tell the difference between mine and the the local restaurant. Also, I used 26.5 oz of sauce and 2 6oz servings of ff plain yogurt. And I used 1 c of half & half. Sorry for the long review, just very thrilled with this recipe.

I fell in love with Tikka Masala living in Spain, and this recipe is amazing (especially since I know exactly what's going in it - something that always bothers me going out to eat)! I read plenty of reviews before making the dish, and significantly cut back on the salt... I use only about a half a teaspoon or so in the marinate and then add a tiny bit to the sauce, being sure to taste before considering adding more. Being health-conscious, I never use as much butter as the recipe calls for and always use low-fat coconut milk instead of cream. The results are always amazing. Recently, after FINALLY tracking down Garam Masala at (gasp) Jewel of all places, I've used that in addition to the other spices in the marinate and the sauce. I am extremely generous with all the spices, and have never managed to "ruin" or overpower the dish. I highly recommend this recipe!! And if you are feeling fancy (and have a lot of time) this site's garlic naan compliments the Tikka soooo well. Yum-me!

Great recipe. I used tofu instead of chicken and didn't discard all of the marinade (since it probably didn't soak as well into the tofu as it would have for chicken). There was definitely too much salt - even when I made the marinade with just 2 tsp. and the sauce with just 2 tsp.

This was spicy, with just 1 tsp of cayenne! I have had Chicken Tikka Masala in Indian Resturaunts and it is NOT as spicy as this one is. We could barely eat it. Probably won't bother to make it again. I'll go out for my Indian food.

I was in a hurry when I made this (my husband notified me his friend from out of town was coming over in less than an hour), so I didn't take time to read all the reviews. This stuff was great, but WAY TOO MUCH SALT!!! I felt strange putting so much salt in to begin with, but I normally follow a recipe to the T the first time I try it out. I'll make this again - without ANY salt - then add a little and taste to adjust.

just like my favorite Indian restaurant! i didnt have cayenne, so i used 1 tsp of chili powder. also, i took the advice of others and only put in 1 tsp of salt in the marinade and 3/4 tsp in the sauce. i upped the cilantro to 1/2 c because i LOVE cilantro. i paired it with this site's garlic cilantro potatoes recipe and their roti one (which was more like a naan recipe because it lacked the flaky layers). it was a knockout with my guests--even the ones that dont normally like Indian food!

i made this, as I was on a diet and my husband had Tikka Masala from the grocery store - his was good, but this was better.

This was really really good. My wife said it was better than the local Indian restaurant which is supposed to have the best Tikka Masala in the city. I did find that it was too hot for my liking so I will probably decrease the amount of cayenne pepper and jalapenos next time (call me a wimp).

Recently had chicken tikka masala at an Indian restaurant & I loved it so I decided I would try it at home. I made only slight changes, started my marinate at lunch time. I also used the amount of salt that seemed appropriate it, also added some curry powder and used less cayenne but after making it I think I would add more spice. Great either way

WOW, this was soooo good. We did make some changes though. First, we only used 2t salt in the whole recipe (one in sauce and one in marinade). Second, we added 2t garam masala in the tomato/cream sauce. Third, we used 1/2 coconut milk for the cream. I think next time we will use all coconut milk instead of the cream. We also doubled the recipe for the tomato cream sauce to dip naan and for our rice. Thank you so much for this recipe, it will definately be added to our family favorites!!!!

Amazing! I was sooo very skeptical about making this myself because I didn't think the result would taste anywhere near as great as when I order this dish in restaurants. Boy was I wrong! I also made adjustments to the recipe, simply because a) that much salt is a death sentence (a pinch will do the trick for the marinade and for the sauce); b) my family likes things more on the mild side. I used half a jalepino and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper instead. If you're worried about fat intake, use milk instead of heavy cream (just add a little flour to the butter once the onions are sauteed and the sauce will thicken beautifully). I made vegetable korma and rice to go with it and it was perfect! Will make this recipe again and again. :)

THE CATS PAJAMAS!!! I served this over basmati rice and it was yummy. The spices are perfect although like many others I did omit the salt. -Big Jesse

I loved this recipe! I added some extra vegetables and it came out great! Very easy to make....definately adding it to my recipe box!

It might have been foolhardy to serve a six-course Indian feast to guests when I had zero experience with Indian cuisine, but the experience was well worth it when this Chicken Tikka Masala was presented. This dish is absolutely scrumptious, and if you're craving Indian food, this will definitely hit the spot! I followed a lot of the other reviewers' suggestions when preparing this dish: I used about 1 to 1.5 tsp of salt between the marinade and the sauce, rather than the 7 tsp called for in the recipe; as I had sensitive guests, I "cut down" the heat and only used half of a jalapeno, but if I were cooking for only myself and my partner, I'd use a whole one; I used garam masala and black pepper in the marinade, rather than the cumin/cinnamon/cayenne combo; I broiled the chicken rather than grilling it; I sensed that I'd want more sauce than the recipe quantities would provide, so I increased the quantity of all of the ingredients (except the jalapeno), and used half-and-half for any additional dairy beyond the 1c of cream. One thing I did that I haven't read of others trying is bypassing purchasing a large container of plain yogurt to simply get the 1c needed for the recipe- I instead picked up a 6oz single-serving cup of honey-flavored, high-quality Greek yogurt; I supplemented the 'missing' 2oz with sour cream. My impression that this would freeze particularly well, and would be very good reheated for, say, an office lunch. I can't wait to make this again!

Based on reviews, I halved the salt and this was absolutely incredible! I had 12 guests over the other night and made 18 servings hoping for some left overs. It was so good that when the chicken was gone people were scraping their dishes with naan to get up every last bit of the sauce! I used greek yogurt to get a thicker and creamier sauce and I think the results were worth it. Next time, I'm going to coat the chicken then put it on skewers before returning it to the marinade and placing it in the fridge. Putting the chicken on skewers after sitting in the marinade in the fridge overnight was making my fingers go numb. The recipe isn't very specific but make sure your chicken breasts are about 1/2 lb each. So, for the standard 4 servings I would try to get a 1 1/2 lbs package. I love spicy foods and this was very spicy. If you don't like a lot of heat, make sure you halve the cayenne and jalapeno. Also, instead of breasts, I think this would be even BETTER with thighs. It's cheaper but more flavorful. AND - if you don't have a grill or it's too cold out, you can cook the chicken in a broiler. Preheat the broiler and position a rack about 8 inches from the heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade; scrape off as much of the marinade as possible. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and spread the pieces on a baking sheet. Broil the chicken, turning once or twice, until just cooked through and browned in spots, about 12 minutes

Excellent...BUT USE COCONUT MILK INSTEAD OF HEAVY CREAM!!!!

I loved it! I cut back on the salt as per raters suggestions. I also froze some for later and it tasted just as good the next time.

I agree regarding the salt - use it to taste. Otherwise, we were all really surprised with how great tasting and easy this recipe is. I used my G. Foreman grill and they browned up perfectly. We also made a big batch of wings only using the marinade. Excellent.