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Overhead picture of Chicken Tikka Masala recipe with rice in a white bowl.
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5 from 5 votes

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

With minimal ingredients and very little prep time, you can have this authentic tasting Chicken Tikka Masala ready in your Crock-pot that is even better than a restaurant's! Also, with one simple ingredient swap you can easily make it dairy-free without sacrificing the incredible Indian flavor or creaminess.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 small sweet onion finely diced
  • 16 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp. oil olive or avocado
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp. ginger paste or grated fresh
  • 1 ½ Tbsp. Garam masala
  • 1 tsp. cumin ground
  • 2 tsp. coriander ground
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1-1 ½ tsp. salt to taste
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk, full fat

Instructions

  • Make Tikka Masala Sauce: In a medium-sized bowl combine tomato sauce, tomato paste, oil, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
    16 oz. can tomato sauce, 1 Tbsp. tomato paste, 2 Tbsp. oil, 3 cloves garlic, 1 Tbsp. ginger paste, 1 ½ Tbsp. Garam masala, 1 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. coriander, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. turmeric, 1-1 ½ tsp. salt, Pinch of cinnamon
  • Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker: Place cubes of chicken and chopped onion in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add tikka masala sauce to slow cooker, making sure to lift up the chicken cubes so the sauce coats the bottom of the slow cooker. Cook tikka masala on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
    1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, 1 small sweet onion
  • Shred Chicken and Puree Sauce: Once tikka masala is done cooking, remove chicken from the slow cooker and add coconut milk. Puree the sauce with an immersion blender until smooth. (This step is not necessary but gives you the smoothest sauce!). You can also put the sauce in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
    1 cup heavy cream
  • Serve the Chicken Tikka Masala: Add the chicken back to the slow cooker until it is heated through. Serve chicken tikka masala over basmati rice or cauliflower rice and enjoy!

Notes

*Nutrition facts are calculated without rice or cauliflower rice.
**This is a mild version of chicken tikka masala.  Add cayenne pepper or chili garlic paste to bump up the spice level in this recipe.
Prep-Ahead Instructions:
This tikka masala will last well in the fridge for a day or two, in fact it might even have better flavor. But you can also make up the sauce a day in advance.
Storage Directions:
Store any leftover Crockpot chicken tikka masala in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Freeze leftover tikka masala in a freezer-safe container for up to 4-6 months. Allow the tikka masala to thaw in the fridge for 1 to 2 days, then warm up in a skillet or the microwave.
Recipe Tips:
  • Add a kick. Make it spicy by adding in a bit of cayenne pepper or chili garlic paste.
  • Plus it up. Bump up the nutritional value by adding in cauliflower or carrots.
  • Rice or no? Serve the chicken tikka masala over cauliflower rice instead of regular rice to make it low-carb and ketogenic.
  • You choose. Either chicken breasts or thighs work, just be sure to cut them into 1-inch chunks.
  • Make it early. Prepped chicken tikka masala makes an easy dinner recipe for busy weeknights.

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1060mg | Potassium: 896mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 910IU | Vitamin C: 20.1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3.1mg