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Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

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LIZ DELLA CROCE

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This slow cooker chicken tikka masala utilizes lean chicken breasts that are slowly cooked in a flavorful sauce. A lightened up version of the Indian dish.

Chicken Tikka Masala with pita bread

Why is Indian food so delicious? They say it is because of the lack of overlapping flavors. It has a mix of spices that is loved all over the globe.

I’ve found a way to boost up the flavor with low calorie, high impact ingredients such as fresh ginger, garam masala (an Indian spice blend) and light coconut milk.

While chicken tikka masala is often made with chicken thighs, I find that slow cooking the lean chicken breasts makes them completely juicy and tender.

Plain yogurt is added for added tenderization and tanginess (plus a hefty boost of protein and calcium!)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can this be made dairy free?

If you’re not able to eat yogurt that’s not a problem. You can just use the coconut milk no need to add anything or substitute yogurt with soy yogurt.

What type of coconut milk should be used?

I like to use Thai style light coconut milk in a can. You can also use full-fat Thai style coconut milk. Just be sure you’re using Thai style coconut milk not the processed coconut milk in the vegan milk section.

Can this be made on the stovetop instead?

Yes absolutely! The entire dish should cook in about 45-60 minutes.

Is this dish more of a tomato-based masala or creamy based dish?

It’s more tomato-based than creamy
Cucumber Raita Recipe Indian


To serve, be sure to whip up a quick batch of Cucumber Yogurt Raita, a cool and delicious cucumber yogurt sauce that helps balance the richness of the dish.

Fun Fact: if you used the full amount of cayenne to make the dish a bit spicy, the yogurt sauce in the cucumber raita will help combat the heat, unlike water which only exacerbates the burn.

Of course, if cilantro isn’t your thing, simply leave it out at the end but I am 100% team cilantro so there is never enough garnish on my dish.

Your fork is waiting.

Have you tried my
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala?

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

4.40 stars average
Liz Della Croce
This slow cooker chicken tikka masala utilizes lean chicken breasts that are slowly cooked in a flavorful sauce. A lightened up version of the Indian dish. 
PREP: 10 minutes
COOK: 8 hours
TOTAL: 8 hours 10 minutes
Pin
Servings4

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound boneless (skinless chicken breasts – cubed)
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 15 ounces coconut milk (Thai Style – light)
  • 1 cup low fat plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons grated ginger root
  • 2 cloves garlic (grated)
  • 2 tablespoons garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
  • ¼ cup minced cilantro (optional garnish)
  • cucumber raita and brown rice (to serve yogurt sauce)

Instructions
 

  • Place cubed chicken breasts and diced onion in the bottom of a slow cooker.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, yogurt, tomato paste, ginger, garlic, garam masala, cornstarch, salt and cayenne. Pour mixture over the chicken and onion and stir well.
  • Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours. Serve with brown rice and cucumber raita on the side.

Last Step:

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Liz’s Notes

To lower sodium content, simply cut the salt amount in half.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.8g | Protein: 25.9g | Fat: 9.2g | Saturated Fat: 5.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.6g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 880mg | Fiber: 3.5g | Sugar: 7.8g

Find more healthy slow cooker recipes on my Pinterest board!


4.40 from 82 votes (67 ratings without comment)

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147 responses to “Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala”

  1. Nicola Avatar
    Nicola

    My family loves this recipe! We served it to a large crowd at my daughter’s baptism and it was a hit. So many people asked to shared the recipe with them. Thanks again!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad to hear it thank you so much for letting me know!

  2. Emma Avatar
    Emma

    Is this tikka masala quite creamy? We love tikka masala but prefer it to be more tomatoey than creamy! Cant wait to try it though!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      No it’s more tomatoey than creamy! :)

  3. Angie Avatar
    Angie

    I tried this recipe. I’m Indian so I adjusted the recipe to try mimic the non crock pot one.I added 1 tsp Cumin powder and 1 tsp paprika for an extra kick!Oh and also a little extra garlic and ginger. Chicken was moist and came out amazing! Very close to the real stuff!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I’m so glad you liked it and honored it was even remotely close to authentic!! Thank you so much!

  4. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    Thanks for this great recipe! I made it today. The heat level is absolutely perfect. :)

  5. adam Avatar
    adam

    Can I cook for two hours in the slow cooker on high and then finish it off in the oven for 30-45 mins? I was a bit late getting it into the slow cooker lol
    Cheers.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I would actually finish it on the stove top! Let me know how it turns out!

  6. Debby Avatar
    Debby

    Remember that slow cookers do not cook at the same speed – some of the overcooking/undercooking, burnt comments can be related to using a slow cooker that is too large for the amount of ingredients or has a different cooking heat than another., is a different material, has a different venting system etc.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Great point Debby!!

  7. Kristen Avatar
    Kristen

    Is it possible to use frozen chicken breast in this recipe?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Absolutely!

  8. Mahendra Avatar
    Mahendra

    Liz, I tried your recipe last night as I recently bought a slow cooker and wanted to try this out. As a Desi (someone from India), I have to say it was awesome! I have sent the link to your recipe to both my daughter and her mom (now I am sharing recipes with the women in my life!)

    I made a couple of small changes. Firstly, I used 2-3 Tbl spoons of ginger-garlic paste (we use these in a lot of Indian recipes and so had that around) instead of the fresh grated stuff and secondly, I added a few strands of Saforn after reading some of the comments just to make sure it was red/orange in color. Oh, and I doubled your suggested cayanne with 1 Tbl spoon of chilli powder. :-)

    Lastly, I used store bought garam masala. But next time I will try our home made garam masala (which consists of cloves, cardamom and cinnamon).

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh my goodness I am so truly honored that you enjoyed my Americanized version of a classic!! Love your tips and substitutions. I have used ginger/garlic paste before but can’t always find it. Sounds delicious!! Thank you so much!

  9. Ashley Avatar
    Ashley

    I’m so excited to try this tomorrow! I make tikka often for the fam but started working for a family in the evenings and don’t have time to cook and am relying on crock pot meals! I’m happy to be able to do one of our favorite dishes without it being time consuming!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I so hope you enjoy it!!!

  10. Pravallika Avatar
    Pravallika

    Can I replace the milk products with anything? I am on a diet that doesn’t allow me to eat any dairy.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Coconut milk!