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By Sarah Rossi
on Oct 15, 2022, Updated Mar 19, 2024
5 from 186 votes
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An absolute classic fakeaway, this Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is an complete winner for a weekend (or weeknight) curry night. This creamy tomato curry is a comforting, tangy, rich dish that’s perfect for the whole family or when cooking for guests.
Everyone loves a Chicken Tikka Masala, and this slow cooker chicken recipe is so easy and tasty because it allows all those flavours to marinate over hours for a wonderful depth of flavour that disguises the fact that there isn’t an enormous ingredient list here.
This dish has been made in the UK for decades, becoming one of our most-loved dishes and a firm takeaway favourite too, and its many variations come with wildly different levels of difficulty and spices.
This one sits firmly between the two camps of ‘a jar will do’ and ‘this dish takes many careful hours and rare ingredients to perfect’.
Why you’ll love this Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala recipe
⭐️ Satisfying and low cost
⭐️ Super simple but impressive
⭐️ Perfect on its own or as part of a banquet
About this recipe
I love this article in The Culture Trip, which talks about the origins of ‘Britain’s unofficial national dish’ and its apparent links to Glasgow, for many believe that the Chicken Tikka Masala is actually a British version of a curry which perhaps never existed in South Asia, or at least is an adaptation of an authentic dish that travelled many miles.
One thing is for sure, and that’s that no matter what form it comes in and what recipe you use, it remains one of our very favourites. And that’s because it’s so bloomin’ delicious.
I feature plenty of curry recipes that are popular, but I couldn’t resist making my own version of a classic, and making it as easy as possible.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala Ingredientsn notes
- Chicken breasts – Chop this skinless, boneless meat into bite-sized pieces
- Onion – You’ll need one or about 160g if you’re using pre-chopped frozen from a pack
- Chopped tomatoes– Tinned ones are fine
- Garlic puree – Use about 3 cloves if you’re using fresh
- Tikka curry paste – Or tikka masala curry paste, but NOT regular curry sauce
- Mango chutney – I love the Geeta’s brand for lots of flavour
- Garam masala – We’re going to add this in before serving
- Creme fraiche – I used half fat in this. DO NOT overhead creme fraiche or it will curdle. I used around 100ml of creme fraiche, however if you want a more creamy sauce feel free to add more. If you don’t want to buy a whole pot you could leave this out, however it does give that classic Chicken Tikka Masala tang.
How to make Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
- Put all of the slow cook ingredients into the slow cooker pan and cook according to the recipe at the bottom of this page.
2. Just before serving, stir in garam masala, mango chutney and creme fraiche.
Substitutions
- Chicken – You could use chicken boneless skinless thighs instead here, but they may need additional cooking time.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully in the microwave or on the hob before serving.
In the freezer If you were making a batch of this, I would freeze without creme fraiche if possible. But if you’re just freezing leftovers this will be fine, it’s just dairy can be a little temperamental when frozen!
Chicken Tikka Masala serving suggestions:
- Rice
- Naan
- Raita
- Poppadoms
- Mango chutney
Curry Night: What else to make
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Easy Palak Paneer {Indian Spinach Curry}
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Easy Lamb Keema Curry
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Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry {Chana Saag}
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Easy Slow Cooker Beef Curry Recipe
FAQs
Is this a healthy fakeaway recipe?
Yes, this a great alternative to a takeaway because it’s nutritious and doesn’t have any additional hidden calories for the oil or cream.
The creme fraiche is also used pretty sparingly.
Can you recommend a good slow cooker?
The Morphy Richards Sear & Stew Slow Cooker is my all-time favourite because you can use it for initial browning on the hob and it’s really light.
For induction hobs, I recommend the Lakeland Digital 6.5l Slow Cooker instead.
Do you have any other easy slow cooker curry recipes?
I sure do! My high ⭐️ rated Slow Cooker Chicken Curry and Slow Cooker Beef Curry always go down a treat. There’s also my Slow Cooker Lamb Curry and Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dahl. For some this a little different, try my Chicken Curry Noodles.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
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5 from 186 votes
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala {SO EASY!}
By Sarah Rossi
This tomatoey, creamy-based curry is perfect for a family fakeaway. Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is not only simple, it's super tasty too.
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours hours
Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 700 g Chicken breast, Chopped into bitesize pieces
- 1 Onion, See notes
- 400 g Chopped tomatoes, 1x can
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Garlic puree, Or 3 cloves if using fresh
- 3 tbsp Tomato puree
- 150 g Tikka masala paste
Before serving:
- 4 tbsp Mango chutney
- 2 tsp Garam masala, Add before serving
- 100 ml Creme fraiche, I use half fat | See notes
Instructions
Put all of the slow cook ingredients into the slow cooker pan,cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours (or 6-8 hours on low). As always, check the meat is cooked through before serving.
Before serving, stir in garam masala, mango chutney and creme fraiche.
Notes
Onion: If you’re using frozen, use about 160g.
Creme fraiche:I used around 100ml of creme fraiche, however if you want a more creamy sauce feel free to add more, if you don’t want to buy a whole pot you could leave this out, however it does give that classic tang.
Chicken: You could use chicken boneless skinless thighs instead here, but they may need additional cooking time.
Freezing: If you were making a batch of this, I would freeze without creme fraiche if possible. But if you’re just freezing leftovers this will be fine, it’s just dairy can be a little temperamental when frozen!
Serving suggestions: Rice, naan, raita, poppadoms
Nutrition
Calories: 387kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 40gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 966mgPotassium: 974mgFiber: 4gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 6138IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 119mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
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Categorized as:
Chicken, Collections, Curry, High Protein, Main Courses, Recipes, Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker Chicken, Slow Cooker Curries
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34 Comments
Bloody brilliant recipe. 100% better than a take away and so easy to make!!! Thanks xxReply
The best chicken tikka recipe I’ve found! The family loved it, I think this will be one of the recipes we come back to often!Reply
Could you use yogurt instead of creme fraiche
Reply
