The easiest ever recipe for a tasty and creamy Chicken Tikka Masala, cooked in the slow cooker to make it soft and tender. Super mild and kid friendly.
This time of year is ideal for getting out the slow cooker. There’s nothing better than coming home after a day of working or a cold and rainy school run, to a warm and comforting meal ready to eat!
Slow cooking is usually super easy as you simply chuck all the ingredients into the pot and let it do it’s thing. Come back a few hours later and you have a delicious meal ready to serve up that’s taken minimal effort.
Curry recipes are always popular on my blog and so I thought it was time to make one in my slow cooker. Aoife is a massive fan of tikka masala so it was a no brainer!
The ingredients are all super simple and include:
- chicken breast (you can use thigh meat if you prefer)
- onion, garlic and ginger (I use frozen for ease!)
- tinned tomatoes
- tikka masala paste (you can get this in most shops and supermarkets)
- mango chutney (gives a very subtle sweetness to the curry)
- single cream for that signature tikka masala creaminess
All the ingredients except the cream are popped into the slow cooker and left for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. The cream is then added for the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Tips for making Chicken Tikka Masala in the Slow Cooker:
1. This curry recipe is very mild so that it is suitable for kids. I like my curries spicier so I simply splash on a bit of chilli or hot sauce to my portion once served up.
2. I really like the creaminess the single cream gives but if you’d prefer to use another ingredient then you can add yogurt instead. Just be aware that yogurt is more likely to split so make sure its room temperature before you add it and only mix it in at the very end when the slow cooker is turned off.
3. For a dairy-free version use a couple of tablespoons of coconut cream instead of single cream.
4. This recipe will serve about 5 adults/older kids. If that’s too much for your family then simply reduce the quantities of ingredients or pop the leftovers in the freezer. Allow the curry to cool and then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or containers. To defrost, leave in the fridge overnight until it has thawed completely and then reheat gently in a saucepan on the hob.
To serve you can add whatever accompaniments you like. I like boiled rice, naan bread, coriander and some plain yogurt.
If you try my Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala recipe please do leave me a comment and a star rating below. You can also share your pictures with me on Instagram. I always love to see your creations!
If you liked this recipe you may also enjoy this roundup of 20 Delicious Family Friendly Recipes, all of which can be cooked in the slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Prep Time: 5 mins- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Yield: 5 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Slow Cooker
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Pin RecipeDescription
The easiest ever recipe for a tasty and creamy Chicken Tikka Masala, cooked in the slow cooker to make it soft and tender. Super mild and kid friendly.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 tsp chopped ginger
- 650g diced chicken breasts
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tikka masala paste
- 1 tbsp mango chutney
- 100ml single cream
- To serve: boiled rice, naan bread, yogurt and fresh coriander
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except the cream to the slow cooker and mix well. Pop on the lid and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Add the cream for the last 15 minutes of cooking.
- Serve immediately with boiled rice and other accompaniments such as naan bread, yogurt and fresh coriander.
Notes
This recipe can be batch cooked and frozen. Leave it to cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe bag or container. To defrost leave in the fridge overnight until thawed completely then reheat on the hob.
Sarah Jackson says
Flavour was there but chicken turned out so dry 4 hours on high
Mel says
Hello,
Could the cream be substituted for coconut milk or coconut cream?
Thanks!
Lou says
What would be the best way to make this on the stove? Thanks
Vicky says
We have never made this particular recipe on a stove, but if you precook the chicken breasts until fully cooked through, while these are cooking/frying make up the Tikka sauce as the recipe instructs, then add to the cooked chicken and maybe simmer for 15-20 until fully cooked through. Please let us know if you do try this as i’m sure it will be helpful for others.
Anonymous says
Thank you. I will try it out. My 16 year old doesn’t like how chicken taste in the slow cooker and often my husband will say sauces are too thin. They’re worse than the 2 year old! 😂
Vicky says
Its hard work isn’t ? Please do let us know how it works out, as i’m sure it will be useful for others.
Joyce says
Can you leave the chutney out? If so what difference would it make?
Thanks.
Vicky says
Hi Joyce, thank you for taking the time to come back to us. All the mango chutney does is add a very subtle sweetness to the curry, so could be left out if you prefer. Please let us know how it goes, we love to hear your feedback.
Lindsey Hillman says
Adults and kids loved this. Used passata rather than chopped tomatoes as my two don’t like tomato lumps! Maybe a bit too much sauce for us in the finished product but mixed in nicely with the rice 🙂
★★★★
Vicky says
Great idea Lindsey! Glad the whole family enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for coming back to us to leave a review. Happy cooking.
Coco says
Quite good but could have done without the yoghurt
★★★★
Anna says
I made this for the family today. My husband and I ate it quite happily but my fussy 6yo and 3yo’s didn’t like it at all. A 5 for us and a 1 for them, I suppose.
★★★
Sara says
YUM!!! We had this for tea yesterday and it was absolutely lovely and the best bit was that it was super easy to make. Definitely a new favourite in our house.
★★★★★
Megan says
This looks amazing!