Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is the perfect meal for this time of year. You’re not standing over a stove in the late summer heat, but you’re enjoying all the cozy, warm spices of fall that are just around the corner.
Why is Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala the book-inspired recipe for Slow Productivity?
The book Slow Productivity is all about taking your time to produce really great results, and the slow cooker is a great example of why “slow” pays off.
When my husband’s not around and I need a quick dinner for one, I whip this Chicken Tikka Masala from Half-Baked Harvest. The flavor is pretty good for a meal that comes together in 30ish minutes.
However, my favorite way to make Chicken Tikka Masala is in the slow cooker. Cooking the chicken breasts low and slow for hours allows the meat to tenderize and infuse with all the spices thrown into the pot.
The best part about this meal is that I can so much done while the slow cooker does all the work. Work smarter, not harder.
What I love about Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
As is evident in my previous curry recipes, I adore Indian-influenced flavors in my cooking. Chicken Tikka Masala has a tomato base but contains spices that add warmth, heat, and light floral notes to the mix, much like my Sunday Night Chicken Dinner recipe. The coconut milk stirred into the sauce adds a decadent creaminess that cools off the dish.
The slow cooker leaves the chicken so tender that you can shred it using only two forks. I do exactly that, then dump the shredded chicken back into the pot to soak up all the sauce that’s collected while the dish cooked. Every single piece of meat gets covered in thick, delicious sauce. Which is exactly what you want since the sauce is really the star of the show.
This recipe makes a lot of food. When I flick on the slow cooker come Monday morning, I’ll have Chicken Tikka Masala for the entire week. I love meal prepping since it means I don’t have to worry about what to cook and/or eat every single day.
Like with most Indian-inspired dishes, the longer the tikka masala sits in the fridge, the more the flavors are coaxed out. Your lunch will be even more delicious on Friday than it was earlier in the week.
Go wild with your toppings
You might notice some unusual toppings in my Chicken Tikka Masala photos. I love the blend of savory and sweet, so I mix it up a bit in this dish. This is especially helpful in keeping lunch exciting by the end of the week.
I also added sliced mushrooms into my Chicken Tikka Masala. Because, I like mushrooms. You could also add in chickpeas or another kind of vegetable to the slow cooker as everything cooks.
My preferred toppings include shelled, lightly salted pistachios for a little color and crunch, as well as a sprinkle of raisins. This may seem odd, but there are raisins in my Curry Chicken Salad and they’re delicious.
Finally, I sprinkle the dish with some chopped cilantro and add a dollop of homemade tzatziki sauce, which is very similar to Indian raita sauce.
What can you serve with Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala?
I love serving Chicken Tikka Masala over a bed of steamed jasmine rice, but you could also serve it over couscous, quinoa, farro, or even pasta. If you want to avoid carbs, serve it over some crisp green kale. If you’ve tried my Shrimp Turmeric Curry, you know how well kale soaks up sauce.
A nice appetizer or side dish for this meal would be Mixed Berry Salad, Chickpea Shepherd’s Salad, or Citrus Quinoa Salad. Try finishing your night with a warm and richly spiced dessert like Red Wine Chocolate Cake, Cardamom Banana Cake, or Blueberry Molasses Cake.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 oz can of tomato paste
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup mild curry paste
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 14.5 oz can of coconut milk
- 10 oz sliced mushrooms
- chopped fresh cilantro, to taste (optional)
- salted pistachios, to taste (optional)
- raisins, to taste (optional)
- tzatziki sauce (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a large slow cooker, stir together the diced onion, tomato paste, chicken broth, curry paste, cardamom, and garam masala until combined.
- Nestle the chicken breasts into the mixture so they are covered with the sauce.
- Place the cover on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- During the last two hours of cooking, stir in the sliced mushrooms.
- Turn the slow cooker off. Remove the chicken to a large plate and shred with a fork.
- Stir the coconut milk into the tikka masala sauce until combined, then stir the shredded chicken into the slow cooker until it's completely covered with sauce.
- Serve immediately over cooked rice with, if desired, a sprinkling of fresh cilantro, pistachios, raisins, and tzatziki sauce.
