Hairy Bikers Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

Grilling the chicken on skewers until it chars at the edges is what separates this Hairy Bikers chicken tikka masala from every shortcut version. The spices get toasted whole and ground fresh, and the sauce is blitzed smooth so it coats like a restaurant dish.

The Great Curries cookbook calls this “by far the best home-made chicken tikka masala we’ve ever cooked.” They also say it is “truly a national treasure of a dish,” and after cooking it I can see why.

Both parts can be prepped ahead. The chicken sits in spiced yoghurt overnight, and the sauce can be made, blitzed, and fridged until you are ready to grill. That turns a Friday night curry into 15 minutes of actual cooking.

Hairy Bikers Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Grilling Cuisine:British Indian Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 15 minutesRest time:4 hours Total time:4 hours 45 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:375 kcal Best Season:Winter

Description

Whole spices toasted and ground fresh, mixed with yoghurt to marinade chicken breasts overnight. The masala sauce is built from ghee, onions, and the remaining spice mix, blitzed smooth with cream. Chicken grills on skewers until charred, then slides into the hot sauce.

Ingredients

For the spice mix

• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• Small piece of cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp ground fenugreek
• 1½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground paprika
• ½ to 1 tsp hot chilli powder
• 1 tsp flaked sea salt

For the chicken tikka

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 20g chunk of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
• 4 tbsp plain natural yoghurt
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 7 or 8 pieces
• Sunflower oil, for greasing skewers

For the masala sauce

• 4 tbsp ghee, or 2 tbsp softened butter and 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 25g chunk of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp flaked sea salt
• 400ml cold water
• 2 tbsp double cream

Instructions

1. Toast and grind the spices: Put the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until you smell the aroma. Tip into a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, add the fenugreek, turmeric, paprika, chilli powder, and salt, then grind to a fine powder.
2. Marinade the chicken: Spoon 3 tablespoons of the spice mix into a bowl with the garlic, ginger, and yoghurt. Add the chicken, mix well, cover, and fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
3. Make the masala sauce: Heat the ghee in a large pan, add the onions, garlic, and ginger, then cover and cook on low for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, turn up the heat, and stir in the remaining spice mix plus the extra turmeric. Fry for 3 minutes.
4. Finish the sauce: Stir in the tomato purée, sugar, and salt. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, add the water, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cream in the last 30 seconds, then blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Cover and set aside.
5. Grill the chicken: Thread the chicken onto greased metal skewers with a small gap between each piece. Grill under the highest setting for 5 minutes, turn, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more until charred and cooked through.
6. Combine and serve: Heat the sauce in a large frying pan until simmering. Slide the chicken off the skewers into the sauce, stir, and bubble for a few seconds. Serve with rice.

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FAQs

Is there a simpler version without grinding whole spices?

Yes. The British Classics cookbook has a tikka masala that uses pre-ground spices stirred together instead. It calls for ground cumin, ground coriander, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, cinnamon, fenugreek, and a pinch of cloves.

The method follows the same steps: marinade in yoghurt, grill, blitz the sauce, combine. The difference is flavour depth, because toasting whole seeds releases oils that pre-ground jars lost months ago. If you are short on time though, that version still makes a proper tikka masala.

Is there a healthy low-fat diet chicken tikka masala?

Yes, and the Eat for Life cookbook brings it down to 302 kcal per serving. It swaps ghee for 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil and uses fat-free yoghurt instead of full-fat. Curry powder and smoked paprika replace the toasted whole spices.

The chicken gets stir-fried rather than grilled, and only 2 tablespoons of cream go in at the end. The sauce still gets blitzed smooth, so the texture holds up even with less fat. If you want a low-fat diet chicken tikka masala that does not taste like a compromise, that 302 kcal version delivers.

Why grill the chicken on skewers instead of frying?

Because the char from the grill gives the chicken a smoky tandoori edge you cannot get in a frying pan. Frying just browns it evenly, which tastes fine but misses that slightly burnt flavour that makes tikka masala what it is.

The lamb kebab on this site uses the same skewer and grill method with cumin and coriander in the mix. If you enjoy this charring technique, those kebabs make a good starter alongside.

How far ahead can I prep everything?

The chicken can marinade for up to 24 hours, and the sauce keeps in the fridge for several days. Prep on Wednesday, grill on Friday, and the actual cooking takes about 15 minutes.

The Great Curries book also has a “Cheat’s Chicken Tikka Masala” scaled for 8 to 10 people. That version says to make the sauce the day before and grill the chicken on the night so it stays tender. The lamb pasanda uses the same yoghurt, cumin, coriander, and turmeric marinade, and it benefits from an overnight soak too.

What should I serve alongside?

Plain basmati rice and warm naan are the classics, and between them they catch every drop of sauce. A cucumber raita cools things down if you went heavy on the chilli, and a few poppadoms fill the table.

The lamb kofta curry makes a good second dish if you are feeding a crowd. It shares garam masala and ginger in the sauce base, and the two sit well on the same table without tasting the same.