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Baked Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala. Indian-inspired tikka masala made with a variety of spices and creamy coconut milk. This dish has just the right amount of spice and cream, plus itโs filled with warming Indian-inspired flavors. Made in the oven, in just one pan, in under an hour. It has a rich and creamy butter sauce that is so flavorful. Serve this creamy masala chicken over bowls of basmati rice with golden turmeric chili butter and cucumber ginger salad.
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When I have family Iโm cooking for, an Indian-inspired dish is always on the table as an option. I learned a few years ago that my brothers adore butter chicken, chicken curry, and anything with harissa sauce.
They love a little spicy! I make my butter chicken recipe all of the time, but Chicken Tikka Masala is always forgotten. Honestly, the two dishes are very similar. Generally butter chicken is sweeter with less spice and less tomato. Chicken Tikka is usually is a bit spicy with a chunkier sauce and more tomato.
I make my butter chicken pretty spicy, so they end up being similar. But this Chicken Tikka is unique; itโs not traditional.
I bake the chicken and the sauce in the oven. Itโs completely no fuss. In return, you get a rich, creamy sauce. This could not be easier!
I love to serve this Chicken Tikka Masala over rice with naan, a cucumber salad, and homemade turmeric chili butter. Itโs all so good!
These are the details
Chicken Ingredientsย
- small chicken breast or thighs
- plain Greek Yogurt
fresh grated ginger, or use pickled ginger
garam masala, turmeric, cayenne pepper
tomato paste
salted butter
onions
canned coconut milk
sesame seeds
steamed rice and naan, for serving
Cucumber Salad Ingredients
Persian cucumbers
pickled sushi-style ginger
ย cilantro or mint
sliced jalapeรฑos
lemon juice
Turmeric Butter Ingredients
- salted butter
- chili flakes
- turmeric
I know this feels like a lot of ingredients, but I promise it will come together quickly!
Special Tools
Just a great baking dish, bowl, and small skillet.
Steps
Step 1:ย season the chicken
I use a mix of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts. Make sure the chicken is evenly sized to prevent different cooking times.
In a baking dish, toss the chicken with Greek yogurt and all of these spices: garam masala, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, garlic, and ginger.
You can marinate the chicken for 30 minutes, or if you have time, overnight in the fridge. Ideally, overnight, but I pretty much never do and the chicken is still great!
Step 2: โ add everything else
Now add the onions, the tomato paste, and the coconut milk. Arrange the cold butter slices over the chicken and add the sesame seeds.
Start baking. I donโt usually stir the chicken during the baking process. Just bake for 30 minutes, and it should be just perfect!
Step 3: the cucumber salad
This is pretty straightforward but so delicious. Cucumbers with sushi-style ginger, cilantro, jalapeรฑos, and lemon juice.
Step 4: the turmeric butter
I mixed up a quick turmeric butter using butter, chili flakes, and turmeric. It makes the dish just a touch more special. Plus extra sauce and spice are always welcome with my family.
Step 5: serve
First, I make rice, then the chicken tikka, and then the sauce. Next comes the cucumber salad. I then spoon over extra tikka sauce and add that turmeric butter.
And I always finish with naan. I like to squish it into the rice and add a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. Oh, lemon juice can be great too.
Absolutely DELICIOUS!
Looking for other Indian-inspired dinners? Here are my favorites:ย
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs
Super Simple Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala
Gingery Coconut Sweet Potato and Rice Stew with Chili Oil
Lastly, if you make this Baked Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
ย
Baked Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredientsย
- 2 pounds small boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, use to your taste
- salt and black pepper
- 1 can or packet tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 can (14 once) full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup pickled sushi style ginger
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro or mint, chopped
- 1 jalapeรฑo, sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- steamed rice and naan, for serving
Golden Turmeric Butter
- 2 tablespoons cold salted butter, sliced
- 1-2 teaspoons chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Instructionsย
- 1. In a baking dish, toss together the chicken, yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Let sit for 5 minutes.2. Preheat the oven to 400ยฐ F.3. To the chicken, add the onion, then pour over the coconut milk. Add the tomato paste. Stir until creamy and well mixed. Arrange the butter slices over the chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Top with cilantro.4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss the cucumbers with the ginger and 1-2 tablespoons of the ginger juice from the jar. Add the cilantro, jalapeรฑo, and lemon juice โ season with salt. 5. For the golden butter, melt all ingredients together in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the butter is browning.6. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of rice with the cucumber salad, golden butter, and naan. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi Tieghan, I get your recipes sent every day and have saved many. However, this is the first one that I have actually made! We had company coming and so I took the risk and doubled it. It was so delicious!
Thank you for sharing your yummy recipes that you create! I will be trying more!
PS, I never would have thought to pair this with a salad that had pickled ginger in it! It was the perfect compliment!
Hey Dawn,
I’m grateful you tried this recipe and took the time to comment. Delighted it turned out!
I absolutely love this recipe! Itโs now my husbandโs go-to birthday meal. It does take me a bit longer to pull everything together, but thatโs just because Iโm still getting the hang of things in the kitchen. But if I can make this dish so delicious that my husband prefers it over going out to eat on his birthday, then you know itโs a total winner!
Hey Jessica,
Happy Friday!๐ Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, Iโm so glad it was enjoyed!
I’m sorry to speak negatively about this recipe but the result and the execution steps are sorely lacking.
First, why would you put the chicken in the dish, pour the coconut milk THEN add paste and stir. What a clumsy mess.
The recipe did not come together in the oven. The sauce was watery and the spices had a powdery essence to them that is not at all Indian.
I understand the desire to make this a one pot dish but I just don’t think Indian works that way unless you’re cooking a stew.
Hi Janet,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
I took a chance and made this for my 90 year old father-in-law whoโs never had Indian food. He thought it was delicious. I did not have boneless chicken thighs, so I baked it a little longer. I also did what someone else did and added garbanzo beans and chopped carrots. So easy and delicious. Will make again.
Hey Rachel,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well! xx
Delicious and super easy to make. Great if youโre having a big group of people over and donโt have a ton of time to cook. Definitely adding this one to the rotation!
Hey Robyn,
Wonderful! So glad to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for making it! Happy Weekend!!
Really amazing! I added chick peas and sliced carrots with the onions. Served over some basmati with cilantro anc sour cream. So yum! The flavors were perfection!
Hey Margot,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and your comment! XxT