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5.0 from 12 votes

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

With minimal ingredients and very little prep time, you can have this authentic tasting Chicken Tikka Masala ready in your Crock-pot that is even better than a restaurant's! Also, with one simple ingredient swap you can easily make it dairy-free without sacrificing the incredible Indian flavor or creaminess.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 266 kcal
Course: Main Course , Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 small sweet onion finely diced
  • 16 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp. oil olive or avocado
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp. ginger paste or grated fresh
  • 1 ½ Tbsp. garam masala
  • 1 tsp. cumin ground
  • 2 tsp. Coriander ground
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. Turmeric
  • 1-1 ½ tsp. salt to taste
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk, full fat

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Make Tikka Masala Sauce: In a medium-sized bowl combine tomato sauce, tomato paste, oil, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
  2. Place cubes of chicken and chopped onion in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add tikka masala sauce to slow cooker, making sure to lift up the chicken cubes so the sauce coats the bottom of the slow cooker. Cook tikka masala on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
  3. Once tikka masala is done cooking, remove chicken from the slow cooker and add coconut milk. Puree the sauce with an immersion blender until smooth. (This step is not necessary but gives you the smoothest sauce!). You can also put the sauce in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  4. Add the chicken back to the slow cooker until it is heated through. Serve chicken tikka masala over basmati rice or cauliflower rice and enjoy!

Notes

  • *Nutrition facts are calculated without rice or cauliflower rice.
  • **This is a mild version of chicken tikka masala.  Add cayenne pepper or chili garlic paste to bump up the spice level in this recipe.
  • Prep-Ahead Instructions:
  • This tikka masala will last well in the fridge for a day or two, in fact it might even have better flavor. But you can also make up the sauce a day in advance.
  • Storage Directions:
  • Store any leftover Crockpot chicken tikka masala in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Freeze leftover tikka masala in a freezer-safe container for up to 4-6 months. Allow the tikka masala to thaw in the fridge for 1 to 2 days, then warm up in a skillet or the microwave.
  • Recipe Tips:
  • Add a kick. Make it spicy by adding in a bit of cayenne pepper or chili garlic paste.
  • Plus it up. Bump up the nutritional value by adding in cauliflower or carrots.
  • Rice or no? Serve the chicken tikka masala over cauliflower rice instead of regular rice to make it low-carb and ketogenic.
  • You choose. Either chicken breasts or thighs work, just be sure to cut them into 1-inch chunks.
  • Make it early. Prepped chicken tikka masala makes an easy dinner recipe for busy weeknights.

Nutrition Information

Calories 266kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 13g (4%) Protein 26g (52%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 72mg (24%) Sodium 1060mg (44%) Potassium 896mg (26%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 910IU (18%) Vitamin C 20.1mg (22%) Calcium 57mg (6%) Iron 3.1mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 266

% Daily Value*

Calories 266kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 13g 4%
Protein 26g 52%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 72mg 24%
Sodium 1060mg 44%
Potassium 896mg 19%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 910IU 18%
Vitamin C 20.1mg 22%
Calcium 57mg 6%
Iron 3.1mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.