Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala

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I’m gonna be real with you. For years, I was TERRIFIED of making Indian food at home. All those spices! The toasting! The grinding! It felt like a whole production. Then I discovered you could cheat. Beautifully, wonderfully, deliciously cheat… with a crockpot. This Chicken Tikka Masala is my proudest kitchen hack. It’s the dish I make when I want to feel fancy and accomplished, but I also want to take a nap while it cooks. The chicken marinates in a crazy-easy yogurt blend right in the pot, and the slow, gentle cooking makes it impossibly tender. The sauce starts out looking a little… separated. But then you stir in the cream at the end, and BAM. It transforms into this luxuriously smooth, complex, and downright magical sauce that you will want to eat with a spoon. (I may or may not have done that. No witnesses.)

🎯 QUICK FACTS TABLE

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time	Servings	Difficulty
15 minutes	4-6 hours Low	4-6 hours + 15 min	4-6	Surprisingly Simple

📝 INGREDIENTS SECTION

For the Chicken & Marinade:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks (thighs are a MUST, they won’t dry out!)
• 1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt (Greek yogurt is fine too, it’ll just be thicker)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or 4 cloves garlic minced + 1 tbsp ginger grated)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (bottled is fine, we’re not snobs here)
• 2 tsp garam masala (the star of the show!)
• 1 tsp turmeric (for that gorgeous golden color)
• 1 tsp paprika (for a little smoky sweetness)
• 1 tsp salt

For the Sauce:

• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (sauce makes a smoother gravy)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (for that deep, concentrated flavor)
• 1-2 tsp cayenne pepper or Kashmiri chili powder (start with ½ tsp if you’re heat-shy!)
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk (coconut milk is a delicious dairy-free option!)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (to balance the tomatoes, don’t skip it!)

For Serving:

• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Cooked basmati rice
• Warm naan bread (absolutely essential for sauce-mopping)

👩‍🍳 HOW TO COOK!

1. The Dump & Marinate (Kind Of): In the bottom of your crockpot, whisk together the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, 2 tsp garam masala, turmeric, paprika, and salt. It’ll be a beautiful yellow paste. Toss in the chicken chunks and stir until every piece is coated. Honestly, I just let it sit right there while I chop the onion. That’s enough marinating for me!
2. The Saucy Base: Scatter the diced onion over the yogurt-covered chicken. In a separate bowl, mix the tomato sauce, tomato paste, the remaining 1 tbsp garam masala, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Pour this evenly over the chicken and onions. DO NOT STIR. I know it’s weird, but just let it sit on top.
3. The Slow Cook: Lid on. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. The chicken should be incredibly tender. Your house will smell like your favorite Indian restaurant.
4. The Creamy Transformation: When the chicken is cooked, turn the crockpot off. Stir in the brown sugar. Now, slowly pour in the heavy cream or coconut milk while stirring. This is the magic moment where it all comes together into that classic orangey-pink, creamy gravy. Taste it! Need more salt? A pinch more cayenne? Now’s the time.
5. The Grand Finale: Let it sit for 10 minutes to warm through gently (don’t boil it after adding the cream!). Serve it over a mountain of fluffy basmati rice, garnish with a generous handful of fresh cilantro, and don’t you dare forget the warm, buttery naan for scooping up every last drop of that incredible sauce.

📊 NUTRITION & TIPS

Pro-Tips Section: Little Tweaks, Big Results:

• [Time Saver] You can dump everything (except the cream and cilantro) in the crockpot insert the night before and keep it in the fridge. In the morning, just pop the whole thing into the base and turn it on. Easy.
• [Essential Technique Tip] The two biggest secrets: 1) Use full-fat yogurt and cream. Low-fat dairy is much more likely to curdle and separate. 2) Stir in the cream after you turn off the heat. This keeps it silky smooth and prevents it from breaking. Also, toasting your spices for 30 seconds in a dry pan before adding them will blow your mind, but it’s totally optional for a busy day.

❓ READERS ASKED, WE ANSWERED

Q: My sauce looks a little oily on top. What happened?
A: Don’t sweat it! That’s just natural fat rendering from the chicken thighs (which is why they’re so flavorful!). You can either skim a little off the top with a spoon, or just give it a good stir—it’ll emulsify right back into the sauce. It’s a sign of a good, flavorful dish, not a mistake