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An absolute classic fakeaway, this Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is an complete winner for a weekend (or weeknight) curry night. This creamy tomato curry is a comforting, tangy, rich dish that’s perfect for the whole family or when cooking for guests.
Everyone loves a Chicken Tikka Masala, and this slow cooker chicken recipe is so easy and tasty because it allows all those flavours to marinate over hours for a wonderful depth of flavour that disguises the fact that there isn’t an enormous ingredient list here.
This dish has been made in the UK for decades, becoming one of our most-loved dishes and a firm takeaway favourite too, and its many variations come with wildly different levels of difficulty and spices.
This one sits firmly between the two camps of ‘a jar will do’ and ‘this dish takes many careful hours and rare ingredients to perfect’.
MOre Tikka Recipes…
Air Fryer
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Under 30 minutes
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Under 30 minutes
Tasty Chicken Tikka Burgers {20 Minute Dinner}
Why you’ll love this Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala recipe
⭐️ Satisfying and low cost
⭐️ Super simple but impressive
⭐️ Perfect on its own or as part of a banquet
About this recipe
I love this article in The Culture Trip, which talks about the origins of ‘Britain’s unofficial national dish’ and its apparent links to Glasgow, for many believe that the Chicken Tikka Masala is actually a British version of a curry which perhaps never existed in South Asia, or at least is an adaptation of an authentic dish that travelled many miles.
One thing is for sure, and that’s that no matter what form it comes in and what recipe you use, it remains one of our very favourites. And that’s because it’s so bloomin’ delicious.
I feature plenty of curry recipes that are popular, but I couldn’t resist making my own version of a classic, and making it as easy as possible.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala Ingredients notes
- Chicken breasts – Chop this skinless, boneless meat into bite-sized pieces
- Onion – You’ll need one or about 160g/6oz if you’re using pre-chopped frozen from a pack
- Chopped tomatoes – Tinned ones are fine
- Garlic puree – Use about 3 cloves if you’re using fresh
- Tikka curry paste – Or tikka masala curry paste, but NOT regular curry sauce
- Mango chutney – I love the Geeta’s brand for lots of flavour
- Garam masala – We’re going to add this in before serving
- Creme fraiche – I used half fat in this. DO NOT overheat the creme fraiche or it will curdle. I used around 100ml, however if you want a more creamy sauce feel free to add more. If you don’t want to buy a whole pot you could leave this out, however it does give that classic Chicken Tikka Masala tang
How to make Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
1. Put all of the slow cook ingredients into the slow cooker pan and cook according to the recipe at the bottom of this page.
2. Just before serving, stir in garam masala, mango chutney and creme fraiche.
Substitutions
- Chicken – You could use chicken boneless skinless thighs instead here, but they may need additional cooking time.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully in the microwave or on the hob before serving.
In the freezer If you were making a batch of this, I would freeze without creme fraiche if possible. But if you’re just freezing leftovers this will be fine, it’s just dairy can be a little temperamental when frozen!
Chicken Tikka Masala serving suggestions:
- Pilau Rice
- Naan
- Raita
- Poppadoms
- Mango chutney
Curry Night: What else to make
Vegetarian
Easy Palak Paneer {Indian Spinach Curry}
Under 30 minutes
Easy Lamb Keema Curry
Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry {Chana Saag}
Slow Cooker Curries
Easy Slow Cooker Beef Curry Recipe
FAQs
Yes! One of my favourite hacks is to prepare a few nights’ worth of slow cooker meals on a Sunday and keep them in the fridge for the ultimate easy dinner. Follow my Fridge Dump Bag Recipes guide here to see how!
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala {SO EASY!}
Ingredients
For the Slow Cook:
- 700 g (1.5 lb) Skinless, boneless chicken breast, Chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 Onion, See notes
- 400 g (14.5 oz) Chopped tomatoes, 1x can
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Garlic puree, Or 3 cloves if using fresh
- 3 tbsp Tomato puree
- 150 g (5 oz) Tikka masala paste
To Serve:
- 4 tbsp Mango chutney
- 2 tsp Garam masala, Add before serving
- 100 ml (0.5 cups) Creme fraiche, I use half fat | See notes
Instructions
- Put all of the slow cook ingredients into the slow cooker pan, cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours (or 6-8 hours on low). As always, check the meat is cooked through before serving.
- Before serving, stir in garam masala, mango chutney and creme fraiche.
Did you make this recipe? Click here to let us know how it went and give it a ⭐️ rating! Your feedback helps us to make more recipes you really want.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
This post was originally published on October 15, 2022 and updated later to make improvements.
I could only find balti paste, is that ok to use instead of masala paste?
Every single person that has eaten this curry has asked for the recipe – which says it all really! Our favourite slow cooker dinner as a family.
We’ve just had this for dinner. It was gorgeous! Tasted so lovely and really hits the spot. So much cheaper than getting a takeaway too!
Could I use cooked chicken from a roast?
Hello. Can I make this into a Korma?
I prepared a couple of bags but halfed the amounts so that they would be for 2 people – I tried cooking it today and it cooked dry in just a few hours and burnt to the bottom.
Any idea why?
I have a couple more bags in the freezer that I would love to be able to actually eat.
I don’t have a slow cooker, how do I cook it in a normal pot?
I’m a busy Foster carer of 3 children 5 and under plus 3 children myself…. You have saved me soooo much time, I can’t Thank you enough!!! These dump bags are amazing The chicken tikka is amazing hands down the best I have ever made full of flavour and so easy to do so Thank you x
Hi can I ask if you froze your dump bag? If so did you just throw it all in apart from the items to add last and freeze? Sorry I’m trying to prep family meals before an op and never made dump bags before 🙂
This is a winner! So very easy to make. Followed instructions and the result was fabulous. I will definitely do this again – thank you! X
Do you have to brown the chicken before putting into the slow cooker?
Nope!