Make EASY Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala, and enjoy this flavorful classic Indian dish! It’s a cinch, especially when made in a slow cooker!
If you’re searching for a delicious meal that can EASILY be made in a slow cooker, may I suggest this one for crockpot chicken tikka masala? In this recipe you will have the great flavor associated with tikka masala, but with very minimal effort! It’s a win-win dish.
I discovered this recipe using chicken thighs a while ago online, and heartily recommend it! It features several traditional spices often associated with Indian food, but this version is super simple to prepare, and still tastes GREAT!
The best part, besides the great flavor? Prep time is MINIMAL, then the crockpot (or slow cooker) does most of the work for you! How’s that for wonderful? Here’s how to make this delicious meal for 4.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
What Do I Need To Make The Sauce?
The tikka masala sauce is the star of this dish! For this version, you will need olive oil, garlic, chopped onion (not shown), and garam masala spice.
Other ingredients are salt, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, ground cumin and cayenne pepper. Coconut milk will be added to the sauce later, at the end of the cooking time.
Please don’t let the ingredient list scare you off. These ingredients will simply be mixed together, then poured over the chicken. Easy Peasy!
Make The Tikka Masala Sauce
Mix all the sauce ingredients (except for the coconut milk) together in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
Now the tikka masala sauce for the chicken is made… see how easy that was to prepare?
Time For The Crockpot!
Lightly season 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (usually 5-6 thighs) with salt and black pepper, and place them into a crockpot (slow cooker).
Pour the masala sauce evenly over the seasoned chicken, until the chicken thighs are covered. Again… EASY, right?
Put the lid on the crockpot, and cook the chicken and sauce on LOW HEAT for 6-7 hours (usually done around 6 hours!).
Let’s Do Some Shredding
When done cooking, the chicken will be completely “fall off the bone” tender (to coin a phrase).
Shred the chicken using two forks to tear the chicken into large shreds. Do this while the tender chicken thighs are still in the crockpot, so you won’t have to mess up another bowl.
NOTE: I use boneless thighs, but if you are using “bone-in” chicken thighs, you will need to retrieve/discard the bones at this point. Nobody wants to bite into a chicken bone, right?
Time To Add Coconut Milk
Open a can of unsweetened coconut milk, and stir it well. It’s a pretty thick mixture when the can is first opened, so stirring it is important!
Pour the coconut milk (**8 ounces) into the crockpot chicken tikka masala, and gently stir until the coconut milk is incorporated into the sauce. **See note in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page about the amount of coconut milk**
OPTIONAL: Add some chopped cilantro to the sauce at this point, if desired. **I prefer to add a few cilantro leaves to the top of each serving, but again, this is your choice.
Serve The Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala
For each serving, spoon the crockpot chicken tikka masala over hot, cooked, white rice (Basmati, long grain, etc.).
Garnish each portion with several cilantro leaves (or chopped cilantro), if desired. Serve hot, and enjoy!
The chicken is tender, the sauce is packed with flavor, and the (bland) white rice underneath is a wonderful counterbalance to the tikka masala sauce.
I hope you’ll have the chance to make this delicious dish, and trust you’ll enjoy it as much as we do. It’s a delicious slow cooker meal that’s perfect for a really busy day, or a really hot day (so you don’t heat up the kitchen).
Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!
Looking For More SLOW COOKER Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of slow cooker recipes to enjoy, including:
- Easy Crock Pot Refried Beans
- Crock Pot Mongolian Beef
- Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Crock Pot Parmesan Honey Pork Roast
- Chunky Crock Pot Apples
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Recipe adapted from (and with thanks to): Lauren Allen at https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/slow-cooker-chicken-tikka-masala/
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Make EASY Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala, and enjoy this flavorful classic Indian dish! It's a cinch, especially when made in a slow cooker!
- 16 ounces tomato sauce (canned) = two 8 oz. cans
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes (canned) including juice
- ¼ large yellow onion diced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon garam masala spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ medium fresh jalapeño pepper seeds discarded, pepper finely chopped
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- salt and pepper , enough to lightly season chicken
- 8 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (canned) *See note below about amount used*
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves or chopped
- Cooked basmati or long grain white rice, for serving
Stir to combine sauce ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Lightly season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; place them in crockpot.
Pour sauce evenly over seasoned chicken, to cover. Put lid on crockpot, and cook chicken and sauce on LOW HEAT for 6-7 hours without disturbing.
When done cooking, chicken will be very tender. Shred chicken using two forks, tearing it into large shreds. Do this while chicken thighs are still in the crockpot, so you won't mess up another bowl. NOTE: I use boneless thighs, but if you use "bone-in" chicken thighs, you need to retrieve/discard the bones at this point.
Stir coconut milk well. It's pretty thick while in the can, so stirring it is important! Pour coconut milk (**8 ounces) into the crockpot chicken tikka masala, and gently stir, until coconut milk is incorporated into the sauce. **See note section below about the amount of coconut milk** Optional: Also add chopped cilantro to the sauce at this point, if desired. **I prefer instead to add a few cilantro leaves to garnish each serving, but it's your choice.
For each serving, spoon chicken tikka masala over hot, cooked, white rice. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve hot, and enjoy!
NOTE: Recipe calls for 8 oz. unsweetened coconut milk. Most cans are about 13.5 ounces. If you don't have a use for the remaining coconut milk, just add it all in. It won't hurt this dish at all (other than the calorie count will be higher!)
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!