Tikka Masala is a classic Indian dish that combines chicken, tomatoes, chili peppers, and includes tangy yogurt to cool it all down. Typically the chicken is marinated in that yogurt for hours to tenderize it and infuse it with all that flavor. But follow the recipe below, and you can get all that tenderness without lots of planning ahead or having a marinating dish taking up all that space in your fridge.
Chicken breasts are often the choice when making Tikka Masala, but they can turn a bit rubbery in the slow cooker. Instead, place chicken thighs in there and they'll still be fall-apart tender.
Slow cooker chicken tikka masalaServings: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 mins
Ingredients1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon paprika
1 onion, chopped in a medium dice
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can tomatoes, with juices
2 tablespoons tomato juice
Salt, to taste
1 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons green onions, sliced thinly
Directions1. In a large bowl combine all-purpose flour and salt. Dredge chicken thighs in flour, coating on both sides.
Place them in a single layer on the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. In a separate large bowl combine garam masala, turmeric, paprika, onion, garlic, chili pepper flakes, canned tomatoes, and tomato juice. Season with salt to taste. Stir ingredients to combine well.
Then pour over the chicken.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and turn to high. Cook for 3 hours.
3. At the end of cooking time, remove chicken thighs and place them on a large platter. Stir the yogurt into the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker.
4. Immediately pour or spoon the tomato mixture over the chicken thighs on the platter and garnish with the green onions.
5. Serve chicken thighs in sauce over rice while hot.
