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Crockpot Creamy Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala. The perfect bowl of warming comfort food that’s incredibly delicious. Indian-inspired tikka masala made with plenty of spice and creamy coconut milk. It’s perfectly spicy, creamy, and filled with warming Indian-inspired flavors. Making the dish in the crockpot leaves you with an even more flavorful sauce and tender chicken. Serve this creamy masala chicken over bowls of rice with spicy sesame chili butter. You’ll have the perfect dinner that can be enjoyed any night of the week. And the leftovers are even more delicious the next day.
It’s almost Thanksgiving! I’m so excited for the next few days ahead. Lots of holiday prep will be underway. I always have so much fun getting to see what everyone is preparing for their holiday meal!
I feel so fortunate to be able to be a part of your homes and your families on such a special day. It’s so cool to me!! Very excited to see what recipes you all will be making this Thanksgiving!
But until then, we still have to eat dinner!
I always find this week so odd. A lot of us are prepping for Thursday, but regardless of whether we’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner or attending, we also need to eat dinner every night before then.
Most of the time, my family is in town so I love to share easy dinner ideas like this yummy tikka masala. It’s one of those amazing dinners that tastes and looks amazing without effort.
The crockpot really has been my go-to for the last few months!
Must-Have Ingredients for slow cooker chicken tikka masala
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 shallot
- 2 garlic cloves
- fresh ginger
- garam masala
- ground turmeric
- kosher salt
- full-fat plain Greek Yogurt
- tomato paste
- full-fat unsweetened coconut milk or plain greek yogurt
- cilantro
- salted butter
- sesame seeds
- chili flakes
- paprika
Here are the details
Some crockpot recipes are easier than others. This is one of those glorious crockpot dinners that really is just a few simple steps!
First, you’ll add the chicken to the bowl of your crockpot, then in goes pretty much all of the seasonings. The onion, shallot, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, and salt. I then add yogurt and instead of marinating the chicken for hours, I just let it sit on the spiced yogurt for 10 or so minutes.
I found that since this chicken cooks all day, the quick marinating time is all you need.
From here, add a can of tomato paste and a bit of water. Then cover and slow cook.
Just before you’re ready to serve, mix in a can of creamy coconut milk. Let the sauce cook until just slightly thickened and steaming warm.
Stir in lots of cilantro.
Per usual, I love to give my crockpot recipes something fresh to add color and flavor. Plus, I wanted to switch up the classic tikka masala recipe.
I did a quick sesame chili butter and it really is the secret to this dish. It makes it just a touch more special than other recipes. Trust me, the butter is key. Do not skip.
As this cooks, the aroma in the kitchen is truly incredible. It’s just like your favorite Indian spot in town, but maybe just a touch better. I always find anything made at home to be even more delicious.
I like to serve my tikka masala over steamed rice with some fresh naan for scooping up the creamy, coconutty sauce. Absolutely DELICIOUS.
Looking for other Indian-inspired dinners? Here are my favorites:
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 Crockpot Creamy 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, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
What can replace coconut milk in this curry dish?
If you’re not sensitive to dairy, you can use heavy cream. Other coconut substitutes include other plant milks like soy/almond/ almond/cashew milk. You could even use Greek Yogurt if you’re in a pinch.
Is it OK to put coconut milk in the slow cooker?
Yes, you can put coconut milk in the slow cooker, but be sure to only add it at the end of the recipe. Just before you’re ready to serve, mix in the can of creamy coconut milk or substitute of your choice.
What exactly is tikka masala?
Tikka masala is a classic Indian dish. The word “tikka” means piece or chunk. And the masala is the sauce that the tikkas derive their delicious flavor. This flavorful dish has its origin in Indian cuisine and is said to have first been made popular in Britain by Indian Chefs living and working in Britain.
Crockpot Creamy Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 316 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- kosher salt
- 1/4 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 can (14 ounces) full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1-2 teaspoons chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
Crockpot Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the chicken, yogurt, onion, shallot, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch of chili flakes. Let sit 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and 1/3 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.2. Crank the heat to high. Stir in the coconut milk and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes until warmed. Stir in the cilantro. 3. Meanwhile, melt together the butter, sesame seeds, chili flakes, and paprika. Cook until the butter is browning. Remove from the heat. 4. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan. Enjoy!
Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the chicken, yogurt, onion, shallot, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch of chili flakes. Let sit 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and 1/3 cup water. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 8-10 minutes.2. Once done cooking, release the steam. Set the Instant pot to sauté. Stir in the coconut milk and cook, uncovered, 5- 10 minutes, until warmed. Stir in the cilantro. 3. Meanwhile, melt together the butter, sesame seeds, chili flakes, and paprika. Cook until the butter is browning. Remove from the heat. 4. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan. Enjoy!
Notes
Stove-Top: use my super simple tikka masala recipe.
I made this in my crockpot today and it was delicious. I have made many of your recipes and they always come out so flavorful and good! Thank you!
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit!⛄️ xT
Omg. So good. Loved this so much and ate all the leftovers. While I don’t think it’s like a traditional tikka masala at all, it’s still so so good! Paired it with coconut rice and loved it. I would add some peanut sauce or something!
Hey Mollie,
Thank you so much for giving this dish a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great Thursday:)
Hi there! Curious if this can be adjusted without the yogurt? I just realized we don’t have any left and I can’t make it to the store today. 🙃 Still would love to give this a go but wanted to hear your opinion!
Hey Brittany,
You could use sour cream in place of the yogurt, that would work well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Made this tonight in the instant pot and unfortunately was not a fan. Felt like the dish lacked a lot of flavor.
Hi Samantha,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
This was so so bland. I followed the directions precisely and used quality seasonings/ingredients. I wish I read all the reviews before as seems like several people felt the same.
Hi Maci,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
Excellent, great flavor! Will make again. Super easy in instapot.
Hey Judy,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
When using an instant pot you’ll probably want to add more like a cup of water. I got a food burn warning since the yogurt marinade was so thick, but adding more liquid and scrapping up the bottom did the trick.
The flavors seemed a bit flat on the fist night but the next day when everything had time to meld were incredible. I wonder if using a slow cooker over an instant pot would’ve been beneficial there.
Hey Stacy,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Sorry about the burn notice! Let me know if you give this another try! xT
Hi! Can I use coconut cream instead of coconut milk? Thanks!
Hi Leah,
Yes, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
i think the instant pot instructions need to be amended. This recipe causes the bottom of the instant pot bowl to burn and prevents the pot from reaching pressure… tried adding more water, but continue to get the food burn message before the timer even starts. Do you have any suggestions!?
Hi Brittany,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear about the burn notice. I’ve never experienced this but some other readers said that adding more water or milk will help with that! xx
Can you make this with frozen chicken? If so, how do you adjust the timing?
Hi Jenny,
I would recommend thawing the chicken first:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Tieghan, this is amazing! So flavorful, easy to make and super delicious! I’ll make this again and again for my family. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Mary,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! xx
Can you use regular cream instead of coconut?
Hi Katrina,
Sure, that would be fine for you to do! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Another great recipe! I followed the recipe to a t and My family loved it. The only issue I ran into was the amount of water needed in the instapot. I doubled the recipe and I ended up using about 3 cups of water vs the 2/3 cup.
Thank you!!
Hey Andrea,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
Hi ! In order to make it not spicy, do I just not use chili flakes? (I cannot eat spicy).
Hey Michelle,
You bet, that should work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
This turned out great! Used thighs in the instant pot. I’ve had a horrible run with chicken in the instant pot, but I had no time and no other choice. Redeemed! It was so easy to make dairy free also, just omitted the yogurt all together. I also used Penzeys now curry, which was delicious per always. Sauce was perfect, and there was lots of it, perfect for topping steamed veggies with rice. I didn’t make the butter sauce because time and effort, so I tossed in a tablespoon of vegan butter to the chicken and sauce.
Hey there,
Happy Holidays!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! 🎄❄️