Slow Cooker Tikka Masala that even the kids will like. And if they don’t, more for you.

Sometimes my kids say, “Hey mom, why don’t we try some new foods for dinner– something ethnic, maybe?” (never). But that doesn’t stop me from forcing it on them, because that’s what good moms do. Especially when a recipe is THIS GOOD.

Even if you think you “don’t like Indian food,” I think you’ll like this. It’s chicken with an amazing tangy, tomato-based sauce with some delish rice and bread to sop it up with. You can also tailor the heat index to your family’s preference. I personally like it spicy and so does my son, but my daughter apparently missed that gene so we keep this recipe on the mild side as to appease everyone.

Serve this with store-bought Garlic Naan (you can find this in the Tastes Better than Heaven section of the store, because it does), white rice and a side of veggies. SO GOOD.

A couple of my personal cooking notes and helpful hints:

  1. The list of ingredients looks daunting, and expensive, but you probably already have quite a few of these items in your pantry already. I bought all my spices from the Taj Mahal Grocery on 2800 Lafayette Road in Portsmouth (in the Papa Gino’s and Beach Plum Plaza). They are SUPER helpful there and you can get a pound of spices for like $2 bucks. It’s crazy, you’ll have them forever.
  2. The recipe cook time says 4-8 hours. I’ve cooked this on low for 2.5 hours and it was done, so prepare yourself for less cook time.
  3. I omitted some of the ingredients (noted below) because I either don’t like them, didn’t have them, or was asked not to include them, and it STILL came out fantastic.

Ingredients

  • 5 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch pieces (about 3 lbs)
  • 1⁄2 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced (I buy those herbs in the squeezable tubes in the produce section, they’re great)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger (Ditto here on the squeezable tubes)
  • 1 jalapeno, stemmed, sliced in half and seeds removed (I omitted this)
  • 1 (29 ounce) can tomato puree (Contadina Brand recommended)
  • 1 1⁄2 cups plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1⁄2 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
  • 3⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 -3 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used 1.5 once and I thought that was pretty spicy, other times I’ve omitted it completely)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1⁄2 tablespoon cornstarch
  • chopped cilantro, for serving (totally not necessary)

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl combine chopped onions, minced garlic, grated ginger, sliced jalapeno, tomato puree, plain yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, Garam Masala, cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until combine.
  2. Pour the sauce mixture into a large slow cooker then add in diced chicken. Add in 2 bay leaves. Stir to combine.
  3. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low heat for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).
  4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together heavy cream and cornstarch, pour mixture into slow cooker and gently stir. Allow mixture to cook 20 minutes while you prepare the rice and garlic naan.
  5. Remove bay leaves and sliced jalapeno and serve warm over rice and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

If you try this recipe, let us know how it came out for you!

Related Posts

Inside Activity: Green Bowling, more fun with recyclables.
Rainbow Cake in a jar. Clever little leprechauns.
Soup’s On! Try this four-ingredient recipe that warms our heart.

Leave a Reply