2poundsof skinlessboneless chicken breast, uncooked (cut into small bite sized pieces)
1cupplain Greek yogurt
1 ½tablespoonsminced garlic
1teaspoonground ginger
2teaspoonsgaram masala
1teaspoonturmeric
1teaspoonground cumin
1teaspoonkashmiri chiliyou can substitute regular chili powder too
teaspoonsalt
Sauce:
2tablespoonsoil
2tablespoonsbutter
1large oniondiced
1 ½tablespoonsminced garlic
1teaspoonground ginger
1 ½teaspoonsgaram masala
1 ½teaspoonsground cumin
1teaspoonground corianderyou can substitute for ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
14ouncescanned tomato sauce
1teaspoonkashmiri chilican substitute regular chili powder
1teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonbrown sugar
1 ¼cupsheavy creamyou can substitute canned coconut milk to make paleo
chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
In a large bowl or a gallon sized bag add in the yogurt and seasonings for the marinade. Mix together and then add chicken. Cover chicken in marinade completely. Chicken should sit in marinade for at least 15 minutes up to overnight.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook marinated chicken in small batches. You just want to sear the chicken for 2 minutes on each side, it’s okay if the chicken isn’t cooked all the way through, it will finish cooking in the sauce later. Repeat until all chicken is seared. Set chicken aside for now.
Add butter, minced garlic, onion, and ground ginger to saucepan. Fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir so that the garlic doesn’t burn.
Add in tomato sauce, spices, and sugar. Let simmer for 10 minutes until thick, stirring occasionally.
Add in cream and chicken. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Sauce should be thick and chicken should be cooked all the way through.
If sauce is too thick you can add a little bit of water or more cream to thin it out. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice (or cauliflower rice for a low carb alternative)
Notes
Sometimes I like to add extra vegetables to this (ex: diced bell pepper, diced tomatoes, etc.) though this is not traditional to chicken tikka masala. Make it Keto or Low-carb--swap the rice for cauliflower riceMake it Paleo or Whole30--swap the yogurt in the marinade for coconut or almond yogurt or coconut cream. Swap the heavy cream for full fat canned coconut milk