Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

If you’re craving a comforting and tasty curry that’s easy to prepare with minimal ingredients, this slow cooker chicken tikka masala is perfect!

With tender chicken cooked in a rich, spiced tomato sauce, it’s an ideal make-ahead meal for busy days. Just throw everything in your slow cooker, and let it work its magic while you get on with your day.

What You Need

For more concise intructions, or to print this recipe out, head to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Boneless chicken thighs – I used 1 kg because I wanted enough for leftovers, but you can adjust the quantity depending on how many people you’re serving. Chicken thighs are great for a richer flavor, but you can use chicken breasts if you prefer.
• 1 onion – Finely chopped to blend well into the sauce.
• 4 cloves garlic – Freshly minced, or use frozen chopped garlic to save time.
• 1 tbsp grated ginger – Fresh ginger works best, but frozen ginger is a convenient alternative.
• 5 tbsp chicken tikka curry paste – You may want to add more depending on the brand of paste you use, some have more intense flavour than others.
• 400 g passata or chopped tomatoes – I prefer to use chopped tomatoes but you can use passata instead. My favourite brand to use is Mutti, the flavour is great!
• Tomato puree
• Garam masala – stir in 1 or 2 tsp at the end
• 150 ml single or double cream – You can use single cream for a lighter sauce or double cream for a richer, creamier finish. Alternatively, crème fraîche works well.

Side Note: With any leftover curry paste you can make my soup maker chicken tikka soup, my tikka butternut squash soup or rub them over some chicken and air fry them, they taste great!

Making It

Grab the chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, curry paste, and chopped tomatoes, and pop them all into the slow cooker. Give it a good stir so the chicken gets nicely coated.

Put the lid on and cook it on low for 5 to 7 hours if you’ve got the time, or if you’re in more of a rush, go for high for 3 to 4 hours. Either way, you’ll end up with tender, juicy chicken that’s packed with flavour.

When the cooking time is up, stir in the garam masala and then the cream or crème fraîche to make the sauce beautifully rich and creamy.

Optionally add some fresh coriander for a garnish.

Serve the chicken tikka masala over some fluffy rice or grab a warm naan to mop up all that sauce. It’s comfort food at its best!

I hope you enjoy this chicken tikka masala recipe for the slow cooker. You might also like my slow cooker Thai green curry, slow cooker beef keema, slow cooker beef curry, slow cooker sweet potato and lentil curry or slow cooker lamb curry.