It’s been one of those weeks here where dinner is a struggle every night. All too often, I’ve found myself scrambling at 4:30 pm to dig something out of our freezer, get it defrosted and come up with a plan. In case you’re wondering, my favorite last-minute dinner is roasted chicken thighs – I just set them in a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet, drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over them and season with salt and pepper before cooking (which, at 425 F, happens pretty darn quickly). While they’re in the oven I can prepare the sides, and dinner usually comes together in less than an hour. I’ve never heard Shane say disappointedly “chicken thighs, again??” but it goes without saying that we’d both benefit from some menu planning. Maybe I’ll start slowly, with just one or two meals a week, as 5 seems a bit overwhelming. Under that theory, this week was a success, as I did plan for this chicken tikka masala ahead of time!
As I mentioned last week, I’ve only made chicken tikka masala once before (about 3 years ago). I tried a different recipe this time, one from the folks at Cook’s Illustrated, and while I obviously don’t have much basis for comparison, we loved it – a definite repeat! It was surprisingly easy to put together too. The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated, which is always a bonus. As for the chicken, it’s actually cooked under the broiler, which I was admittedly skeptical about, but it worked like a charm. A yogurt mixture coats the chicken and protects it from the heat of the broiler so the inside can cook before the outside is burned. I’d just note that if your chicken pieces are really thick, as mine were, you might need to broil them a few minutes longer than the recipe suggests. The sauce had just a slight kick to it; if you like more heat include some (or all) of the ribs and seeds from your chile. We made homemade naan again to accompany the chicken, and it was the perfect tool for scooping the extra sauce from our plates.
Chicken Tikka Masala
from Cook’s Illustrated
Chicken
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain yogurt (I used nonfat but the recipe suggests whole milk yogurt)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 serrano chile, minced (ribs and seeds removed)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I used parsley instead)
To prep the chicken: Mix the cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken. Put the chicken on a plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Whisk the yogurt, vegetable oil, garlic and ginger together in a wide bowl. You’ll use this to coat the chicken later before cooking – set aside for now.
To make the sauce: Meanwhile, pour the oil into a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, serrano chile, tomato paste and garam malasa. Cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar and salt then bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat so your sauce is simmering and cover the pan. Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the heavy cream, stir to combine and bring the sauce back to a simmer (uncovered). Take the pan off of the heat and cover to keep warm. (You can also make the sauce ahead – just refrigerate it once it cools slightly then rewarm when you want to serve.)
To cook the chicken: Position an oven rack about 6 inches from your broiler and preheat the broiler. Set a wire rack inside of a foil-lined baking sheet. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and dip each piece in the yogurt mixture. You want a relatively thick layer coating the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the wire rack. Broil the chicken until it is cooked through (to an internal temperature of 160 F), about 10-18 minutes, flipping the chicken over halfway through the cooking time. (The cooking time will depend in large part on the thickness of your chicken pieces.) Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes, then cut it into 1-inch pieces and add to the warm sauce. Add the cilantro to the sauce as well and season to taste before serving.
Isn’t Cooks Illustrated the best source for recipes? I love chicken tikka masala and cannot wait to try this one!
Yum. This is what I always order in indian restaurants so it would be cool to be able to make it at home too.
This was a great dinner, the sauce went really well with the naan!
That looks fabulous, Tracey! I totally hear you on the dinner struggle. Even when I have a plan for the week, stuff seems to happen to derail it. I really need to come up with more quick or make-ahead meals.
As I understand it, tikka masala isn’t an authentic Indian dish – rather something the Brits have been fond of. That’s not a criticism … I’ve made it, and it’s GOOD!
Outstanding! This is one of our all-time favorites – in fact my husband is supposed to be making it for dinner tonight (but we’ll see, looks like a busy day) – if not I’m sure we’ll have it soon and we’d better because you have my mouth all set for it now!
Isn’t it funny, though, how one dish can have so many variations? 🙂
@Stephen C – You’re completely right, I heard the same thing recently.
That looks so delicious. I love chicken Tikka Masala. Perhaps one of the mildest Indian dish to order in the restaurant. Thanks for sharing. I a going to try that.
Yum – one of my favorites, but I’ve never tried it at home. Go team chicken thigh! I can’t stand boneless skinless breasts, but thighs work so well, especially simply prepared.
I’ve been trying to be good about planning four dinners per week and it really does save a lot of time and money. Speaking of CI, I just got a copy of their new Slow Cooker Revolution book – I’ll have to try something and post it soon.
@Jessica – I picked up a copy of that book recently too! I haven’t had much time to flip through it yet, definitely let me know if you try anything.
Never made this myself, yours looks like perfection
This looks really great. I love chicken…this would be so good with Naan bread.
OMG Tracey! I think you were on the same wave length as I last week. I, too, made the Naan Jessica posted and turned to Cooks Illustrated for the Tikka Masala. I’m so behind on posts and photo editing so I won’t get to posting for a bit. But Great minds think alike–lol!
This chicken was delish!
Happy Weekend!
this has been on my to-make list forever! must try soon!
wow that looks so delicious, colorful and creamy! Yumm!
It’s funny – I actually only plan 3-4 meals a week, and leftovers or quick risottos get us through the remaining days. I’m excited to try making chicken tikka masala from scratch though, since we’ve been hitting up the local Indian takeout a bit too frequently lately!
sigh, I do the exact same thing at dinnertime. Wait until you have a bunch of kids added the mix. 😉
This dinner looks great. Too bad my boys won’t eat rice at all.
That looks really good Tracey, and surprisingly authentic. A lot of other dishes are called Chicken Tikka Masala in many cookbooks, hate when that happens.
That looks like a great dinner! I made that recipe once a long time ago and it was a bit spicy for me (I think I used a super-hot pepper).
Thanks for your tips on roasting chicken thighs for quick dinner! I try to make a schedule and plan in advance, but there are always those nights when you need something quick and easy.
Paneer tikka masala (the same just with chunks of a soft cheese – paneer) is one of my favorite Indian dishes, and I’ve always wanted to try to make it at home. Yours looks really good so I’m definitely going to try this recipe, but substitute in paneer for chicken. Great pictures also!
I absolutely need to try this.
And, I can totally relate to your dinner struggles… I’ve been doing a lot of the same lately. Trying to break out of my rut, and this looks like it might just be the perfect way to start!
Hi Tracey.
I just happened to come by your site and was really impressed. I’ve never commented on anyone’s site before but I just had to tell you how impressed I am… and I’ve only seen your March 2011 posts!!! I’m definitely going to make the chocolate banana cupcakes after supper.
BTW… this is to Stephen C. Being of Indian origin, I can assure that Chicken Tikka / Chicken Tikka Masala is definitely Indian. The British loved it so much. In fact, it is the number one food in England… it has surpassed Fish and Chips as the national food.
HELLLLLPPPPP!! I am currently making it and am wondering if I am supposed to puree the sauce?? Whenever I order it in the restaraunt the sauce is smooth and one color…. this sauce is chunky like a stew with the tomatoes and stuff…. WHAT DO I DO??
@Angela – Did you use crushed tomatoes? If so, the sauce shouldn’t be overly chunky. I’ve never had to puree mine, it’s usually pretty smooth. That said, if yours isn’t smooth you could definitely use an immersion blender (or regular blender) to achieve the consistency you want.
anyone able to tell me the yeild?
@Anonymous – I’d say the recipe serves about 4 people, though of course it depends on who you’re serving and how hungry they are 🙂
I made this today and added two more tablespoons of tomato paste for a stronger tomato flavor – so delicious! Never gonna eat anything other than home made tikka masala again, I tell you. Thank you! 😀