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Skinny Chicken Tikka Masala

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Chicken Tikka Masala made with tender chunks of boneless chicken breast cooked in an aromatic creamy tomato sauce.

Tender chunks of boneless chicken breast cooked in an aromatic creamy tomato sauce. Chicken tikka masala, probably the most popular dish on the menu of any Indian restaurant here in the states, but ironically this dish is claimed to be originally from Britain and is actually Britain's national dish.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Probably the most popular dish on the menu of any Indian restaurant in the states is the chicken tikka masala. But ironically this dish is claimed to be originally from Britain and is actually Britain’s national dish. My healthier version uses yogurt in place of cream which is wonderful served over rice.

I’ve attempted a skinny version of this dish many times without all the cream and ghee (clarified butter) yet never felt quite satisfied with the results. I almost gave up figuring this is probably just one of those dishes that does not lighten up well. After all, it’s also known as Butter Chicken!

There is no standard recipe for chicken tikka masala; a survey found that of 48 different recipes, the only common ingredient was the chicken so I am sure we all have different ideas of what it should taste like. This week I stumbled on this recipe from a throw down with Bobby Flay from the restaurant Saffron on the Hudson. I gave it another shot using fat free yogurt and low fat milk in place of the cream and we felt for a lightened up version it was pretty darn good and not too complicated, my kind of recipe! I served this over a basmati medley but this would also be wonderful with naan.

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Skinny Chicken Tikka Masala

4.68 from 46 votes
1
Cals:190
Protein:24.5
Carbs:13
Fat:4.5
Tender chunks of boneless chicken breast cooked in an aromatic creamy tomato sauce. Chicken tikka masala, probably the most popular dish on the menu of any Indian restaurant here in the states, but ironically this dish is claimed to be originally from Britain and is actually Britain's national dish.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Tender chunks of boneless chicken breast cooked in an aromatic creamy tomato sauce. Chicken tikka masala, probably the most popular dish on the menu of any Indian restaurant here in the states, but ironically this dish is claimed to be originally from Britain and is actually Britain's national dish.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 3 oz chicken & sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp canola oil or you could use butter
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup 1% milk
  • 4 ounces plain yogurt, not Greek (full fat or low-fat)
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric, optional
  • 1/2 tbsp chili powder
  • salt to taste
  • 16 oz boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces, from 2
  • 4 tbsp fresh cilantro, or to taste

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until golden.
  • Add the crushed ginger, stir for a few minutes then add the garlic and cook another minute. Add cumin, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt; mix well until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in tomatoes and milk. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
  • Temper the yogurt: Place the yogurt in a bowl and add 1/2 cup of the sauce to the yogurt and stir. Add it to the sauce and mix well.
  • Add chicken and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Add a generous amount of chopped cilantro and serve with Bamati Rice or Naan.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 3 oz chicken & sauce, Calories: 190 kcal, Carbohydrates: 13 g, Protein: 24.5 g, Fat: 4.5 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 50 mg, Sodium: 99.5 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 5 g

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329 comments on “Skinny Chicken Tikka Masala”

  1. Excellent. Thanks for this, and all your recipes. Helps me stay on the WeightWatchers plan (down 80 pounds now!).

  2. Avatar photo
    Dianne Leibman

    Delicious. I had to laugh because I started watching older episodes of Bobby Flays Throwdown and saw this episode. Sounded good so I got what I needed to make it. I read the recipe and saw that you mentioned the episode. Easy enough to make and just the right amount of spice. Fussy Husband loved it!

  3. Wonderful! Will definitely be making this again! Thanks so much for paring down the calories and making this an easy recipe!!

  4. I rarely leave comments, but I’ve been making your recipe at least a few times a month for the past year. I wanted to tell you – I love it! Thank you for taking fattening recipes and turning them into healthy ones that are delicious!

  5. FYI.,:the restaurant link to Saffron on Hudson links to a porn site. Someone may want to fix that. 

    This is one of my go-to recipes. It’s so full of flavor & so easy. I usually coat my chicken in the spice mixture then brown, remove from pan, build sauce, then return chicken & simmer until sauce thickens & chicken is tender. I also use breast instead of thighs. 

  6. First, let me say that pretty much the first site I look at when trying to find a recipie is this one- so I really enjoy most of what I find here and usually get positive feedback from others who partake of my cooking. Normally a big fan of skinnytaste recipies but this one was a miss for me. I thought the flavors were good but somehow the gravy was grainy and the texture ended up less than appetizing. I may also have done better with chicken thighs (though the breast meat is leaner and “skinnier”) as the chicken ended up a bit drier than I would like by the time the gravy was thickened to the consistency I would prefer. However, I could have thickened the gravy more prior to adding the chicken so maybe that is on me. Regardless, I will likely not be making this particular recipe again. But I will be back for some of the other ones I have found here and will keep trying new ones for sure.

    1. You could probably add the yogurt after the chicken. I’ve noticed that cooking yogurt can result in this grainy texture—almost like an emulsion that broke.

  7. This recipe from your cookbook is alot more delicious as it includes additional spices that are a MUST – cayenne, coriander, cardamon (a must). It also recommends chicken thighs and full fat coconut milk (I use full fat yoghurt). Finally, as an Indian, I do not agree that Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken are the same thing. They are completely different recipes (trust me – look on the internet!). With the cardamon, this is a perfectly light and delicious chicken tikka masala – definitely not a butter chicken.

  8. Made this and LOVED it. Feels luxurious, has depth of flavor, and is simple! But, the perfectionist in me is confused about the serving size: does “3oz chicken & sauce” mean: 1) 3 oz of chicken, plus 3 oz sauce? 2) 3 oz chicken and sauce combined? Or 3) 3 oz chicken and some unknown amount of sauce? I ask as 3 oz cooked chicken breast is somewhere around 100 calories depending on the site used, so this allows for about 90 calories of sauce/serving? Thank you!

  9. We made this with chick peas and cauliflower for a vegetarian night. It was really good. We did add some chili flakes to spice it up a bit. 

  10. This is how I made it today. Turned out great!
    [ ] 1 tsp coconut oil and 2 tsp butter
    – [ ] 1 small onion, minced
    – [ ] 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
    – [ ] 3 cloves garlic, crushed
    – [ ] 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes (or 1 14.5oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed)
    – [ ] 1 cup coconut milk (half a can)
    – [ ] 1 tbsp cumin
    – [ ] 1 tbsp garam masala
    – [ ] 1 tsp turmeric, optional
    – [ ] 1/2 tbsp chili powder
    – [ ] 1/2 tbsp Thai curry paste
    – [ ] 1/2 tsp salt
    – [ ] 16 oz 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
    – [ ] 4 tbsp fresh cilantro (half a bunch), or to taste

    1. Heat coconut oil and butter  in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the minced onions and cook until golden.
    2. Add the crushed ginger (I use a zester for ease), stir for a few minutes then add the garlic and cook another minute. Add cumin, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder,  and salt; mix well until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
    3. Stir in tomatoes, coconut milk, and thai curry paste. Add can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained). 
    4. Remove 1 cup of soup and add to blender until smooth. Add blended soup back to skillet. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro.
    5. In separate skillet, cook chicken about 5-8 min. Remove from skillet, chop in bite sized pieces and add to curry.
    6. **Alternatively, Add chicken and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes or until cooked through.
    7. Simmer 5-10 min and serve with middle eastern or white  rice.

  11. Skinny? This is not what skinny tastes like, this is decadence which through some sort of miracle is actually quite healthy. I am extremely impressed and will be making this again!

  12. 5/5!!! I followed this recipe exactly and it turned out as good as what I would get in a restaurant! Now I know what to make if I’m craving a more healthy alternative.

  13. Another delicious meal! I made this with skim milk and without the tomatoes. Crowd pleaser. Will make it again.

  14. Avatar photo
    Jennifer Plourde

    This is so so good!!! The flavor is rich and delicious. Thanks Gina for another great recipe. 

  15. This was delicious! I doubled it and made the below modifications:
    1) Used butter instead of oil. Would use ghee next time.
    2) Used 2/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 skim.
    3) After simmering the sauce, I realized I wanted it to be smoother. So, I blended it in the Vitamix, after which I moved it back to the pan and added the chicken.
    4) I added a couple tablespoons of butter at the end 🙂
    5) Served with Basmati rice cooked in chicken bouillon.
    6) I undersalted during cooking and added Maldon sea salt to each serving.

  16. This was just okay. I am usually a big fan of all the skinny taste stuff so I fully expected it would be a bit but I did find it grainy in appearance and the taste was just okay. I tossed the leftovers because I didn’t want to eat them again.

  17. Love this recipe. So easy and so good.  I cooked the chicken in an Instant Pot first. Used butter instead of oil and I, too, needed to add an additional tablespoon of butter after stirring in all the spices.  I made the sauce early in the day, up to adding tomatoes. Measured out the milk and yogurt in a bowl and put in the fridge. Shredded half of the cooked chicken and put that in the fridge. When it was time for dinner, I took out the refrigerated ingredients, let them come to room temperature, added them to the sauce, and heated. No problem with curdling. Can’t wait to make this again. Thank you for a great recipe, Gina!

  18. Hi there! My son is allergic to dairy- I am wondering if anyone has tried making this with coconut milk instead of yogurt. If so, how did it turn out and would you recommend it? Thank you!

    1. Have you looked at this one? https://www.skinnytaste.com/instant-pot-chicken-tikka-masala-with-cauliflower-and-peas/

    2. I have not made this recipe with coconut milk but I have made another tikka masala recipe listed on allrecipes.com that used coconut milk and it was delicious. That recipe was just a little higher in fat

  19. Recipe turned out great. I used other reviewers advice and warmed crushed tomatoes, milk (I used plain unsweetened almond milk), and yogurt in small sauce pan before adding it to the rest of the recipe. It turned out really well. 

  20. Delish! I used light sour cream and put it in at the end like others suggested with the Greek yogurt!  I am thrilled that I found skinnytaste and this is my 5th recipe I have tried and they have all been great! Even husband approved !  Thank you ! 

  21. Avatar photo
    Marlene Fernhout

    Made this for dinner tonight with the  exact ingredients as the recipe with one exception.  I did not use the oil.  It was delicious-so glad I have 3 servings as leftovers.   I have never used Garam masala but it makes the dish.   I browned the chicken breast and then added the onions, ginger, and garlic.   Cooked just until the slightly browned.   Put the crushed tomatoes in a bowl and added the spices.  Whisked good and poured into the pot with chicken.   Simmered for about 30 minutes.  Took out about a cup of the tomato chicken mixture and tempered it with the yogurt.  Poured all back into the pot.  Cook on low until mixture was warmed through.  I had it with naan bread made from two ingredient dough.  It was yummy and I’ll definitely be making this again.   I’m on the blue plan in WW and there were no points in the chicken tikka masala.  

  22. This was absolutely FANTASTIC! I did wait and put in the yogurt towards the end like others had posted and added a little more milk at the end as my husband prefers it a little more runny. My kids are so picky and went back for more! Will be making again and again! 

  23. Yum, Yum, Yum! This one is definitely a keeper! I had to substitute sour cream for the yogurt, duh, left it off the shopping list!. This is one that I’ll be returning to again and again, sper flavorfl and a very easy weekday dinner.

  24. Eh, it’s okay. My Chobani yogurt turned grainy after just five minutes simmering on low heat, which really reduces the creaminess factor. If I make it again, I’ll add the yogurt last.

  25. Going to make this recipe this week. I see a lot of people mention sauce curdles. I am going to add yogurt at very end of cooking. Like you would do sour cream to beef stroganoff.  Hope this dies the trick. 

  26. So, I too had a problem with my yogurt curling, but I realized it before I put the chicken in and started over.  Second time around, I put the yogurt, tomatoes and milk in a separate pan and slowly heated it to room temperature.  I then added it to the onions and it was just fine.  The dish was great.  

  27. I’ve made a lot of tikka masala recipes and this one is a winner. I love that I don’t have to marinate the chicken, but it still packs flavor. I used a 15oz can of plain tomato sauce instead of the diced and added a minced jalepeño. Turned out great!

  28. I too had the trouble with the yogurt/tomato mixture curdling. I tried to blend the sauce before adding the chicken but it went kind of grainy and separated. Not sure if it was because i used regular plain yogurt, not greek style. Nice flavor but unappetizing texture. I love skinnytaste though and I’m not deterred with one fail on my part. 🙂 🙂

  29. Avatar photo
    Nicole Schwartz

    Did this recipe originally call for coconut milk instead of the yogurt? I thought I had made it before and loved it but now I’m confused 

  30. Delicious and super filling! My only subs were .25 tsp of ginger powder rather than fresh(didn’t have it on hand) and unsweetened cashew milk instead of fat free. Thanks for sharing 😃

  31. Unfortunately my sauce curdled when I put in the Greek yoghurt 🙁 how do I stop this from
    Happening?!

  32. This was very delicious and enjoyed by all my family. My son asked for potatoes and peppers to be added next time I make it.
    I normally make a Tikka Masala which asks for the chicken to be marinaded for 24 hours and the sauce cooks for about 1 1/2 hours. This recipe was fairly close to that one with a lot less effort. 

  33. This is so delicious! Thank you for posting. I don’t have an Indian restaurant anywhere near me, so this not only satisfies my craving, it also is far lighter than the original dish.

  34. Avatar photo
    Nancy Gregoire

    Chicken Tikka Masala is one of my favorite Indian dishes but with being on Weight Watcher it is hard to fit this high-calorie dish into my meals. I made this yesterday and it is delicious! I don’t feel denied and don’t have to waste points on the higher calorie and fat take out version. I served it over cauliflower rice and it was amazing! So flavorful!

  35. This was a fantastic recipe. Lightened on fat and calories but remained rich and tasty. I added 1/4 tsp cayenne and snap peas for more veggies. 
    Easy to prep. Will be on my weekly rotation

  36. I absolutely loved this recipe

    I didn’t have crushed tomatoes, but I had some roman tomatoes that were on their way out. So, I chopped, saute, cooled and pureed them. Added some raisins…and frozen peas and dinner was set.

    My wife and I really enjoyed it. It was perfect for a Thursday evening!

  37. Avatar photo
    Carol A Montgomery

    I made this recipe for dinner tonight. It was amazing.

    I used the 2 ingredient bagel recipe and made Naan. So good.

  38. Is the chili powder in this recipe cayenne or the Mexican-ish stuff you buy labeled as chili powder? Thx!

    1. You can try this one https://www.skinnytaste.com/instant-pot-chicken-tikka-masala-with-cauliflower-and-peas/

  39. In the Nutrition Information section, there is no number for sat. fat and cholesterol. Are these numbers available?

  40. Followed this recipe exact or and it was so easy and so good! My boyfriend said it tasted like he was eating at a restaurant:)

  41. Very yummy — loved the flavors, though I thought there was too much sauce compared to chicken. Next time I will add a bit more chicken, I think.

  42. My girlfriend and I made this recipe for dinner to try something new and it was AMAZING. We put it over couscous , which was OK, but the tikka masala was flavorful and not too hot. We did not use the cilantro and followed the recipe otherwise. We will be making this again!

  43. I just made this, leaving out the turmeric based on other comments. I also only used 1/2 the Greek yogurt as I find it can make sauces sour, and fat free half and half instead of 1% (same points value!) It came out delicious, though I agree with an older comment that said the spices are a little gritty. Next time I’ll purée the sauce before adding the chicken. 

  44. I have never been disappointed with a recipe from Skinnytaste! This one was awesome as well – I took an idea from the Instant Pot Tikka recipe by adding cauliflower and peas. Delish.

  45. i LOVE this recipe! Me and my husband are avid fans of Tikki Masala (he can eat it almost every day) but I have a hard time eating it because its so heavy. I tried this recipe last night and we loved it! it is so flavorful and delicious and surprisingly light. He even said he likes it just as much as the Tikki we order out! I will definitely be making this again, thank you Skinny Taste!

  46. Excellent. A healthy Tikka masala that you can make a lot of and eat throughout the week. Pair with some basmati rice and naan. I skipped the cilantro since it’s basically just a garnish.

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  48. This came out great! Not spicy at all and full of flavor. I ended up using half and half instead of the 1% milk and it added an extra smart point but it was worth it. I also added a half cup of frozen peas near the end for color.

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  50. Avatar photo
    Jennifer Rohacik

    I loved this!  I served it over rice as pictured. Sooo yummy!  I made it with boneless chicken thighs because that is just what I had on hand that day. My husband (who used to not venture out at all) went back for seconds. I LOVE to eat good food as a weight watcher  and will never be a grilled chicken breast/broccoli sort of gal. I am SO thankful for skinnytaste. This recipe falls right in line to what I’m used to from skinnytaste…. healthful, real ingredients, flavorful, and lots of variety! I will make this again and again. 

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  53. You absolutely crushed it with this recipe! I’ve had this dish in India as well as homemade and in Indian restaurants here in the US; I must admit I didn’t think it was possible to make a healthier version of chicken tikka that’s every bit as flavorful and satisfying as the original, but you hit it out of the park! If you can part ways with the thickness normally provided by heavy cream, then this version will not disappoint. I’ll be making it again and again. Also for those who don’t tolerate spice too well, you might want to decrease the chili powder. Good to know the sauce freezes well!

  54. I’ve been making this recipe for years and love it. This week we have a ton of leafy greens in our CSA box to get through, so I added some rainbow chard to the recipe and it was an amazing addition!

  55. The sauce freezes beautifully! I make a quadruple batch (no chicken) and freeze in quart-sized mason jars for busy nights.

  56. This recipe was a bit of a miss at our house. The sauce was grainy and too harsh. I ended up adding a tablespoon of butter to get the sauce a little silkier. Also, there was not enough salt for our taste. As the recipe is written, it is easy and a one pan meal. However, I compared this to another recipe that manages not to use much fat and the big difference was that the chicken breast was broiled and then added to the sauce. I think that could add a great tandoori flavor. This recipe has great bones and should be revisited for tweaks. 

  57. I made this for dinner this evening. First I want to say it was incredibly tasty. I will be making this again and again. However, it didn’t really taste like the tikka masala I was yearning for. I’m guessing it’s because of the lack of cream. This is an every day food and the Indian restaurant down the street is a sometimes food. 
    Thank you for your wonderful recipes. I enjoy many of them! 

  58. Any thoughts on how to convert this to an Instant Pot recipe? Love your recipes and trying to use my Instant Pot more for cooking.

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  60. I just made this and was wondering why it looked like you can see the ingredients individually instead of that smooth look. I don’t know if this makes sense. I’m not sure what I did wrong 

  61. Avatar photo
    Amy Lawrence

    My son and I just returned from a tea trip to India. I was hoping you had some Indian dishes on your site, and yes yo u did! I was so excited! I made it tonight. It was absolutely delicious! My husband loved it! Thanks so much! I actually liked it better than the version I had in India. Well done!

  62. This looks unreal! Indian food is my guilty pleasure and I wanted a version of tikka masala without all the extra fat. can't wait to try this out on the weekend!

  63. Holy wow. This is fantastic. A godsend really. I had a hankering for a creamy indian-inspired dish, but with my diet it was a fleeting wish. Now a reality. I'm excited to eat the leftovers when I get home..

  64. It can be tough to find the right ingredients for this blend in my area so I actually purchase the garam masala spice blend from  RawSpiceBar’s and it was great!

  65. This looks delicious! The only thing I noticed though is that you use 16oz of chicken and say it serves 4 people – but the serves are based on 3oz of chicken. Is this because the chicken loses weight while cooking, or is there a sneaky 5th serve?

  66. The recipe calls for 16oz of chicken and 4 servings (which would mean 4oz per serving). But you go on to say a serving is 3oz plus sauce. That's not adding up!

  67. This was really good. I made it for a friend yesterday for lunch. I ended up using 3 chicken breasts and towards the end added some more cumin, garam masala and added cayenne for a bit more spice. I cook Indian and pakistani dishes a lot as a native from Pakistan and this was better then the heavy cream version. My husband loves tikka shrimp so today I am going to make this version and see what he thinks. He also loves butter chicken so, I may try the Greek yogurt for that recipe as well. Have you experimented with tandoori chicken? I would love a skinny taste version of that, not that it's that unhealthy to begin with but a creamy version would be great! Thank you for a healthier kick to this tikka recipe!

  68. This was pretty good, but I don't think it tasted like chicken tikka masala. I took another reviewer's advice on the yogurt (I used 0% Fage) and let it sit at room temperature while I was prepping. I added 1/2 tsp flour, and tempered it with 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce, and then blended briefly with my immersion blender, and it didn't curdle. I'll probably make this again, but I do feel like it's missing something… but I'm not sure what. 🙂

  69. Great recipe! I made it tonight with tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes (I didn't have them), and it turned out great. I also substituted chicken with Beyond Meat "chicken" (vegetable protein) strips and they worked just fine. I'm definitely making this again!

  70. This was great, thanks! Two notes from me:
    1. It was even better the second day, so I highly recommend doubling for leftovers.
    2. I skipped turmeric and still got a touch of that 'bitter' that others were noting, maybe it was just bad quality spices. I countered it with *maybe* a teaspoon of brown sugar in the whole thing, which I can't imagine affected calories that much, but helped to sweeten it up just a touch.

    Thank you!

  71. Made this tonight and served with some brown rice and homemade naan. I used diced tomatoes and loved the bites with the tomato best, so maybe next time some tomato puree, not quite sure. But we did enjoy it and will make it again sometime. So now we have a yogurt based curry dish we love, and a tikka masala dish and naan. 🙂 We are getting there. Now I need to try a baked samosa recipe, but that seems like a lot of work!

  72. I must have done something wrong. The dish turned out with the perfect consistency, but aggressively seasoned vs what I'm used to. My husband and I love Indian food. Maybe I didn't heat the spices/onion/ginger combination for long enough?

  73. This was awesome. I was debating on whether to try this recipe or one on another blog that was made entirely in the crockpot, so glad I chose this one. I substituted lite coconut milk for the 1%. I also browned the chicken in a very small amount of organic virgin coconut oil and some of the spices, I removed the chicken from heat. Then did the onions, garlic, spices on medium and put the chicken back in. I was kind of afraid that it would not cook all the way through in with all the tomatoes and the yogurt or milk would curdle. This was a great way around that! Also instead of crushed tomatoes I used diced fire roasted tomatoes and some tomato paste to equal one cup.

    1. I made a crock pot tikka masala from a blog and it turned out terrible, the chicken was way over cooked and so was the sauce. I'll try this recipe next 🙂

      Monica

  74. This was great!! So flavorful and easy! Thank you for another great recipe! I used 0% Fage and had no issues with the curdling (I did add about 1/2 T of flour, mixed in with the yogurt, and spooned in a bit of the warmed tomatoes to temper it). Will definitely make again! 🙂

  75. I really enjoyed this recipe–I love Indian spices. My husband devoured it and immediately asked me to make it again. 😉

  76. How many points would this be if you used Chicken thighs? I love chicken thighs because they are just so flavourful.

  77. Hi everyone, just reading all the comments about the cream curdling..just mix a tablespoon or so of cornstarch with some water to make a slurry…add that to the yogurt and it won't break….can't wait to try this skinny version!

  78. Avatar photo
    Erin Pfannenstiel

    Completely delicious! I used chicken stock instead of the milk b/c I was out of milk and it was just as creamy as I wanted it to be! Thank you!

  79. Have you ever thought of making a skinny version of korma? It is my favourite Indian dish while my stepdad's is vindaloo.

    Thanks for your site Gina!

  80. just made this for my mother who loves skinnytaste…it was a hit! i had no ginger so i just left it out but it ended up tasting really good!

  81. Avatar photo
    Jessica Ramirez

    i would not recommend using greek yogurt as it curdled badly! however it was pretty flavorful. i used almond milk.

    i am definitely making it again, but with regular yogurt.

  82. Just read the comment from 'Amhogan' above my last post — my husband is also from the UK and knows his Indian food. He loved it so much too!!!

  83. My step-daughter made this for us the other night, and it was FANTASTIC. Every recipe we make from Skinnytaste is WONDERFUL. Thank you for keeping us healthy and eating yummy!

  84. Just made this tonight for dinner. My husband is from the UK and he knows his Indian food…it passed the test! It's definitely not as rich and creamy as the full fat version from the restaurant down the street, but it doesn't taste "diet" either. It's a happy medium and satisfies his craving for Indian without busting a weeks worth of WW points. This is now a household favorite!

  85. Avatar photo
    Anjali Naidu Whiteley

    Very good recipe! Only thing I would change is in your description calling Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) and Tikka Masala the same thing. They've got similar ingredients but are quite different in that Tikka Masala (the traditional Indian recipe) has no butter in it. Tikka is known for its tomato gravy where as Makhani is known for the butter/cream mixture. Again, very similar ingredients but the traditional preparation of each dish varies greatly.

  86. Avatar photo
    Jennifer Moeller

    Okay, seriously, I just got stupid happy. I just said recently to my husband that I needed to figure out how to make my own chicken tikka masala, and I am on WW Online. Will definitely make this soon!

  87. Avatar photo
    Jillian Bonner

    This is a fabulous recipe!! Loved it, and will make it again. What constitutes a serving? 1/2 cup?

  88. Seriously? Skinny Tikki? I've been making tikki from Entice with Spice book couple times and it turns out close to authentic. For shortcuts and busy nights, I'll have to try this.

  89. OMG strugled for years to get the perfect Marsala chicken and I just pulled it of.. Great recipe Tina thanks so much it is delicious. I made a few changes because I wanted to save another trip to the store and it came out GREAT,
    I had diced tomatoes in a can so I put them in the blender. I did not have Greek yoghurt but Mountain High non-fat vanilla..so I substituted. Yeah a little sugar but could not taste it.. My local Indian store did not have the Graham by Shan so I bought the 'Spice Mix for Chicken Curry' instead. It had similar ingredients and tasted just like it.. Not sure if Shan changed the packaging but my local store had one that was Graham by Shan but the packaging seamed different and it mentioned spicy so I did not want to ruin a whole batch of chicken and this one came out just the same and the same ingredients as the other.. so if you local store is out or does not have it get this one.. Can't wait to start dinner now..

  90. This is fantastic!! Just made this for dinner – definitely a winner and will be in the regular rotation.

  91. Made this for dinner today. It was tasty, but not high on my list. I kind of messed up on the spices so that is probably why. Might try it again one day.

  92. I love chicken tikka masala, but I'm not sure how it needed to be skinnied up–it's already healthy to begin with!

    1. Avatar photo
      The Aging Bulimic

      Traditional recipes use heavy cream and ghee; over half of the calories usually come from fat, and at least half of the fat calories from saturated fat. Delicious and fillng, but I don't think most people would call it healthy in its original form!

  93. Gina – This recipe was wonderful. I love Indian food and it beats going to the Indian Restaurant and spending $40.00 a week!

    Thanks so much for all of the great ideas and yummy recipes!

    Denise

  94. My sauce turned a tad "grainy." The meal was still enjoyable, but I'm not sure this is one I would make again. I did have the heat on medium after adding the tomatoes, milk, and yogurt … then I saw to simmer on low. Do you think the heat did something to the dairy? What spice is added to Indian dishes to increase intensity? Cayenne?

  95. I apologize if this has already been asked/answered, but is there 4 servings of 3oz of chicken each, but 16 oz. chicken total? It makes me wonder if there should be 4oz per serving or 12 oz of chicken total?…
    Thanks for another awesome recipe!

  96. OMG!! You are seriously AMAZING. I love chicken tikka masala and when I found this recipe, I was extremely skeptical. I made it the other night and it was so good, I didn't miss the cream or the butter. My boyfriend loved it. The only problem with this recipe is that it's so good, you go back for 2nds and 3rds, so you're probably consuming the same amount of calories..At least they're healthier calories. I discovered your site looking for this recipe, then the next night made another one of your recipes. I think you are my go to girl from now on Gina! Keep them coming!

  97. This was very good. Mine was a bit bitter but I didn't use turmeric so it had to be either the Chobani yogurt or cheap cumin. I added a bit of sea salt and some more chili powder and it toned it down a bit.

    I had it with your Indian Spiced Cauliflower and ended up string them together. I made this the night before and had some out of the fridge while I was making the Masala and I think it would be great as a cold lunch.

  98. Gina, this was so delicious. Thank you for helping us keep our meals so delicious AND healthy!

  99. Avatar photo
    1MadScientist

    Gina, my mother and grandmother are Indian and I made this for them. Funny story, it was post-Sandy so we put the pot on the grill and cooked it that way, and we all LOVED IT! I did add a 1/2 tsp of ground coriander and 1/4 tsp of cayenne but you nailed the flavors perfectly!

  100. Three words – Oh. My. Goodness. and Wow! I guess that is four. Me, my husband and my skinny jeans that fit again all love you, Gina – thanks again for another jewel!!

  101. I made this tonight and LOVE it! Thank you! Such a wonderful flavor. We eat out at a local Indian place almost weekly and I'm happy that now maybe from time to time I can just make us a skinny meal at home!

  102. Thank you a very successful dish, surprisingly using fat free ingredient. I tried it today for dinner and It is a WINNER. Thank you. so far all the recipes I have tried from your website are winners. Thank you.

  103. Avatar photo
    LisaK@CanNeBodyHearMe

    Doubled the recipe and can already tell this is going to be amazing! It smells SO GOOD in here!

  104. Made this tonight, the family absolutely loved it. I did make one modification and added some Cayenne Pepper for some heat. I added a 1/2 tsp which was a bit too much. Next time I will add just a 1/4 tsp which should be perfect.

  105. This was WONDERFUL. Very flavorful, but not overly so. If you don't like spice, really watch the chili powder and cayenne.
    I used coconut oil instead of canola oil. I wished I'd had some Naan bread to go with it. Thanks, Gina!

  106. I hate to take away from making something homemade but if you are looking for a quick easy way to achieve almost the same fat/cal content trader joes also makes a Masala simmer sauce that is unbelievable (If you have Trader Joes in your area) My Indian Roomie in College used to have his mother send it to us by the case and it is wonderful thankfully they have opened in our area and I can get it for myself now.

  107. Just found your site from Run DMT… your recipes look so healthy and delicious I subscribed immediately. I would love it if you would share a few on my foodie friday party today.

  108. I like mine pretty mild, besides the chili powder can anyone suggest what other spices I might use sparingly?

  109. Tried this last night and despite curdling (I had no clue what tempering means..)it turned out great. I left out the turmeric and substituted generic curry powder for garam masala for which was nearly the same when I looked at the ingredients on the jar and added in a red jalapeno for bite. I also added diced pepper and ended up adding more tomatoes to give it a richer texture as it did go quite runny and I didn't have anything on hand to thicken it up.

    I served it with Gina's brown coconut and cilantro rice (but didn't put the dessicated coconut in) steamed spinach, and low fat raita. My bf was v impressed and didn't believe they were WW recipes!

  110. Another winner Gina!!!! I used low fat sour cream and it "broke" after I put it in…no big deal. I think I will add it right at the end next time and see how it goes. Still tasted fab!
    BTW we never said curdled in my house…always broke or did it "break". It sounds so funny now….
    Margaret

  111. Looks delish! Does "chili powder" mean the red chili powder available in Indian markets, or the regular chili powder blend available almost anywhere? Thanks!

      1. Same question.

        Anyone have an answer? Always confused when recipes call for ‘chili powder’. Do they want a commercial mix or a particular ground chili? Since commercial mixes are all different it would be helpful to know which brand is preferred.

  112. This was so yummy! To keep the yogurt from curdling, I did this: I put the yogurt in a mixing bowl while prepping everything else (got to about room temperature). I added the tomatoes and the milk and then turned off the heat. I stirred a half a teaspoon of all purpose flour and a spoon full of the warm sauce into the yogurt. Then my husband slowly poured in the yogurt mixture while I stirred quickly (with just a wooden spoon). I turned the heat back on and let it simmer. Not a single white lump and the sauce was thick.

    Also, I served it with steamed ginger cauliflower on the side and everyone at dinner suggested I just mix the cauliflower in next time. The flavors were great together.

    Thanks for an awesome recipe!

  113. Just made this, yummy! I've never had chicken masala before, never even heard of it. A friend and her daughter were over for lunch/dinner. I made the chicken and she said it tasted like the real thing!

  114. Second time making this and I just wanted to say how amazing it was :))))!!! So delicious and easy!! I'm so glad I found this website! It's going to make my life so much easier. Thank you!

  115. PS I just read the comments about "curdling." Hmm.. no problem for me. I did use a whisk to stir and blend when I added the yogurt and milk; probably just stirring with a spoon wouldn't work as well.

  116. Made this for the first time tonight and loved it! We love Indian food and found this to be very authentic. I did not use onions (hubby can't eat them) and did not have any tumeric (so added a tad more garam masala and cumin.) It was great, and really easy. Thanks so much!

  117. Avatar photo
    Michele Kohler-Ho

    I just made this last night and was so disappointed. I LOVE chicken tikka masala so I made a double batch. I found this to be almost flavorless. I followed the recipe exactly and it was very bland. I would love to try it again – any suggestions on improvements?

  118. I just tried this again last night and it seems to come out too 'grainy'. The spices don't seem to be merging with the sauce well and it's not coming out as a nice, smooth tikka masala sauce. Am I doing something wrong or is that the price you pay for not using heavy cream?

    We really want this recipe to work for us!
    Thank you!

  119. I made this last night and after reading everyone's comments made the following preparation changes. Sauteed the chicken with the onions, then added the spices (no tumeric..worried about the bitterness) to toast for a couple minutes (also added a bit of crushed red pepper flakes for heat). Add pureed tomato (store didn't have any crushed). Let simmer 5 mins. (at this point I let sit for one hour until we were ready to eat). Add milk, let simmer about 5 mins. until warm. Add 1 tsp. flour to yogurt; add to pot and simmer on low for about 5 minutes until heated through. It was nice and thick and didn't curdle. I had more than enough sauce so might cut back some last time or add some veggies or more chicken and eat leftovers. If I wasn't watching what I eat, a big hunk of bread or naan would have been great to soak up all the sauce 🙂

  120. This was soo good! I found an awesome Indian grocery only a couple of miles away from my house, so we will be making this often. I served it with brown basmati rice and homemade naan.

    Next time, I'm going to try adding more vegetables to the sauce.

  121. I'm making this tonight, I will let you know how it works out. A comment on curdling: I found a recommendation to add a little flour to the yogurt to keep it from curdling from site about Indian cooking. I don't know how much, exactly. It said chickpea flour is recommended for authenticity, but any kind will work.

  122. Doubled the recipe (20-y-home from college) used Greek yogurt and a Dutch oven.
    Family loved it. I had it over spaghetti squash; they had it with rice and naan.
    Thanks so much for sharing your hard work.

  123. Put everything minus the yogurt and milk in the crock pot! I sauteed the onions first and I am using chicken thighs. I will keep you posted!

  124. I just made this. It was so damned delicious! I skipped the cilantro, because I just don't like it, but it was great to have indian food without the guilt, and it doesn't taste "skinny" at all! Thank you for sharing!

    Helena

  125. OMG, I make my paneer tikka masala with the exact same recipe except that I use ginger-garlic paste and add kasoori methi(another indian spice), makes it so flavorful:)

  126. A comment on curdling: I used fat free Strauss Farms yogurt–no curdling. And I was cooking in my dutch oven, would that make a difference? Just a thought.

  127. This was my first Skinnytaste recipe, I loved it! It was so easy to make and fun too. Thanks Gina, I'll be seeing a lot of you I think 😉

  128. This looks so great! I'm really excited to make it, especially since it gives me another excuse to use the Garam Masala I made last week for another dish! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

  129. Hi, my yogurt curdled too. Just used the hand mixer and blitzed it before adding the chicken. Perfect!

  130. Hi Gina, just finished my tikka masala lunch! Fantastic! I had been making it with loads of cream and butter. So happy I found your site. I've tried quite a few of your recipes and they've all been great.

  131. I made this evening and found it to be sour tasting. It could have been the yogurt I used. If I made it again, I would substitute the yogurt with a light sour cream. A little disappointed I'm afraid.

  132. Hi Gina,

    What would the points be for using chicken thighs instead of breast?

    Sorry if you have already listed this information above. Your site gets such positive feedback I get a headache from trying to read all the comments (but I try to, I'm nosy!) Ha 😉

    Sarah

  133. I've been dying to try this recipe! It's been on my meal plan for the past month but I forgot to order the garam masala on my last Amazon order –doh!

    Just wanted to mention I found it at Williams Sonoma! Woot! Guess what's for dinner?!

  134. I made this last week for dinner! AMAZING! SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! We love Indian food and my husband's comment was – I think this is the best meal you have EVER cooked… and added: "We don't need to go to our indian restaurant anymore!"

    ahhhh, wait a minute…. what did i Just do?

  135. I made this tonight for me & my hubby & we loved it!! I added more spices cause we like it hot 😉 Thanks for the great recipe!!

  136. I made this last night, followed the recipe except for using chicken thighs, not breasts. I included the turmeric and it still turned out well. I think its a good quality brand though. i tried to temper my yogurt/milk but it was still a little curdl-y. Totally didn't affect the taste though, it was great!!! Will definitely be making this again. So much better than using the premade simmer sauces!

  137. Avatar photo
    LeslieCompton

    I started this recipe and then read the reviews, so I was a little wary. I didn't have any tumeric, so I didn't have to worry about that. Turned out great!! I've never made Indian food at home, much less a healthy version. Everyone in the house loved it!!

  138. Avatar photo
    Cuppycake and Co.

    I usually use a little light coconut milk as a fat replacement. It doesn't add much of a coconut flavor either.

  139. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I love fat free sour cream as a cream replacement, it never curdles. Next time I make this will try that.

    Jill – I will work on the naan!!

  140. Gina, I was wondering if you may have a way to make skinny naan bread?!?! I think it would be so great with this!!

  141. I have never eaten Indian in my life, but I really wanted to try this. It was absolutely wonderful! My husband loved it, too (quite a surprise) as did my 16 month old. Thanks for encouraging me to branch out from my usual staples. I will definitely make this again.

    Side note – no problems with yogurt here. I used half yogurt, half light sour cream. Everything cooked up just fine. I also added the chicken and cooked it through prior to simmering the sauce.

  142. I made separate 2 batches of this tonight (one to freeze) with 2 modifications – I used 1TBSP of organic coconut oil instead of 2 tsp canola oil and after cooking the onions, ginger, garlic and spices, i threw the crushed tomatoes in – let it simmer for a little while and then I put that mixture in the blender with the greek yogurt and milk and blended up silky smooth prior to putting in the chicken – then i simmered with chicken until chicken cooked through and sauce thickened and darkened up – yummy!!! Thanks for another good one. BTW – my 1.5 year old devoured it…

  143. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I spoke to Chobani about this and this is common. They said the trick is to temper the yogurt so I will have to experiment with this. It's an issue I usually have with fat free yogurt, but never with sour cream which is why I use low fat sour cream in most of my cream dishes.

  144. Made this last night – delicious!!! And healthy to boot! Made exactly as stated and so good – hubby loved it too. Added peanuts to garnish at the end – highly recommend that crunchy touch!

  145. Hi Gina! I made this tonight and it was very tasty, but I had a problem with the yogurt. It curdled a but when I added it so I'm wondering if I did something wrong or if there is a way to add it where it won't curdle. Maybe mix it with the milk first or, like other suggestions, add just before serving? I'd like to make it again, but the clumpy yogurt wasn't nice!

  146. Avatar photo
    brianandbethany

    This recipe did not "wow" me or my husband. We've made the traditional tikka masala before, and it just didn't compare. Perhaps adding the yogurt right before serving would help the consistency. Also, for those who don't want to buy Garam Masala, here's a quick recipe:
    1 tablespoon coriander; ground
    1 tablespoon cumin; ground
    1 tablespoon ground black pepper
    1 tablespoon cayenne pepper; ground
    1 tablespoon fennel seeds; ground
    1 tablespoon ginger; ground
    1 tablespoon cardamom; ground
    1 tablespoon nutmeg; ground
    1 TEASPOON cloves; ground

  147. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Yogurt tends to do that when added to hot food. It's hard to find a replacement for heavy cream but the flavor was really good, I thought. I don't have a naan recipe, sorry.

  148. Gina, do you have a recipe for a skinny naan bread? I want to make this tonight- I'm worried about the yoghurt curdling though like the last poster- what could be the cause of this?

  149. I would have to say this is probably my least favorite recipe. I ended up having to throw away the sauce and make plain ole chicken with rice. The yogurt curdled instantly when I put it in the pan and the taste was very unpleasant. 🙁 Very sad it didnt work out.

  150. AWESOME! Down 20 lbs on WW in 6 wks with much help from your recipes.This was the WOW recipe for the week! My mother who has never eaten a global dish with spices in her life was blown away. Loved it! Thanks for sharing. Could not find Masala at any markets. Found a recipe on line and roasted my own put left over in the cupboard for next time we make this!!

  151. i used greek yogurt, and it never fully mixed with everything else. there were small white specks thoughout. also, it was extremely liquidy, to the point where i decided to add some cornstarch and water to thicken it up. any ideas on why this happened? It just definitely didn't look like the picture, but tasted good. also made garam marsala, googled it, toasted the spices and ground them up basically. all in all good recipe.

  152. Gina,
    You did it again! My husband and I LOVE your recipes and will probably have to name our firstborn child after you to do justice to your genius!
    This was amazing! The spices are perfect (But I only used 1/4 tsp of chili for our wimpy palates). I practically licked the pot afterwards.
    We thought we could add some finely grated carrots next time for some extra sweetness/vitamins/bulk. Will let you know how that goes.

  153. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Jule – I love the idea of making it in the crock pot!

    Infinion, great advice and very true. Not all spices are equal so you want to get a good quality garam masala and turmeric. I love Amazon because they have reviews.

  154. I made this over the weekend – it was fabulous! You'd never know this was low fat. It was better tasting then the one I order at my local Indian restaurant!

  155. For those that had a bitter taste and needed to remove or reduce the turmeric, do some test runs of some small recipe with another brand or kind of turmeric. Actually, the same goes for the garam masala as well. Since it's a mix, you're not entirely sure what's in there, and what quality it is. I've had that experience with curry powders before that required me to throw out entire packages of newly purchased spices simply because they were too bitter for my taste. If you're having trouble, go to the store or online and buy high quality spices, try out a few, and only buy the kind you like, even if that means making an amazon order for just spices.

  156. Loved this!!!!! I followed the recipe to the T and it was not only easy but soooooo gooooood. Thanks Gina.

  157. Avatar photo
    Tricia (Geeky Explorers)

    Excellent recipe! I loved the sauce so much that next time I make it, chickpeas will be replacing the chicken! 🙂 Was a hit with the husband too – we both love Indian inspired dishes so keep them coming!

  158. Gina,
    when I made this I sautéed the onion, garlic, ginger and other spices and then browned up all of the chicken. Once all of the chicken was browned I placed it in the crock pot with all the other ingredients with a cup of water and let it cook all day. The amazing aroma filled the house and come dinner time it tasted amazing. I served it over oven roasted garlic cauliflower (to limit points) and even my four year old son ate it up! Thank you for all of your recipes they help keeping a healthier lifestyle that much easier. I share your site with friends, family, and even a patient or two along the way. Thank you again!

  159. Tried this tonight for the first time. It was a hit! Thanks for making something so tasty for only 5 points! 😀

  160. one thing you can do that a local indian place does by me, is you can boil your chicken first …so you know its cooked and it's still tender to be used in dishes like this!

    I am going to be making this tonight, I so cant wait!!!

    Ive done my basmati rice already – in the rice cooker with garlic, ginger, parsley, fresh shredded carrots, peas and corn! So delish!!

    I will post my results later with the Chicken Tikka Masala!

  161. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I realize I didn't mention to cut the chicken in chunks, sorry I thought I specifies, I will update that now.

    Made this again with boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into chunks and simmered it longer, left out the turmeric and ate it with naan, I thought it was great.

  162. I made this last night…it was terrific and delicious. (I left out tumeric). I served it with home made Naan and Riata. A huge hit with everyone. Thanks for such a delicious skinny recipe. As always, You Are The Best!
    Lyn

  163. I made this tonight but should have read the comments beforehand because I also experienced a bitter aftertaste. I will try the recipe again without tumeric.

  164. We had this for dinner tonight, and it was delicious. We didn't experience a bitter taste at all. Next time I will increase the cooking time for the chicken, though. I used thin chicken breasts, and after 15 minutes it was still undercooked.

  165. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Thanks infinion, I followed the recipe very close for the spices from Saffron on the Hudson, but great advice on cutting back on the turmeric. It's mostly for color so leaving it out completely would be fine.

  166. I've got this bubbling on the stove right now and it smells amazing! I live less than 100m from the best Indian restaurant in my area, so I'm continually craving Indian food. Thanks for giving me a way to get my fix without eating a week's worth of fat in one go!

  167. Avatar photo
    Meredith Wilcke

    Thank you Gina and Infinion! I'll try less turmeric next time. 🙂 Definitely going to try it again- I loooove tikka masala.

  168. For those that are getting a bitter taste, reduce the turmeric as your first fix. Turmeric can taste quite bitter in large quantities, or if it is old or a cheaper variety. I always use it pretty sparingly, then add according to taste. A whole tbsp seems like a lot to me.

  169. This was the first meal we've made of yours & didn't care for. I think next time we will 1/2 the spices in the recipe for our tastes. I understand people's "bitter" comments. It wasn't really bitter… but was too much seasoning for us, just had a REALLY strong flavor. We added the rest of the can of tomatoes so we would enjoy the leftovers a bit more (of course that made it acidic). I would say that if you really like strong flavors & love Indian food – then this will probably be great – but if you are like me & like "some" Indian food – then maybe this isn't a recipe that you'll love. Like I said, I think we will try it again – but with 1/2 the spices. Just wanted to put my 2 cents in – LOVE the rest of your recipes so I think this was just a matter of a difference in palate. 🙂

    1. Funny, I'm the total opposite! I doubled the spices. You're definitely right about the difference in matter of palate. Luckily the spices in recipe have virtually no sodium!

  170. Loved this! Because we don't mix meat and dairy in our house, I made it with 2 flounder fillets (cut up) instead and also added about 1/4 bag of frozen mixed vegetables as well! The Points+ worked out to be 4.

  171. Avatar photo
    Tricia (Geeky Explorers)

    I went to print this and the printer friendly button does not display the recipe to print, but rather the comments.

    Looks good & can't wait to make it.

  172. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Meredith, no it shouldn't be bitter, sounds like something is wrong.

    Jenny, Oh great, glad you liked it for eating this your first time. I have to try the naan! Love naan!

  173. Avatar photo
    Quiltin' Jenny

    Delicious! I've never even eaten Indian food, much less cooked it! Your site is such a gift, giving me the courage to try new things along my weight loss journey. We also made the homemade naan, simple enough for my 10yo daughter to make, which was a huge hit.
    Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes.

  174. Avatar photo
    Meredith Wilcke

    Hi there, I just made this and I'm curious to know if anything you've made had a slightly bitter aftertaste. I doubt it, which is why I just chucked the rest of my tomato sauce that I put in it. 🙁 I think it's bad. I'm going to make this again soon, I love the flavor except for the bitterness. Can you tell me if that is normal or not? Thank you so much for the WONDERFUL recipes! 🙂

  175. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    You're welcome! Hopefully you can get the weight down on your own be eating better and avoid surgery, but either way I wish you luck!

  176. Hi Gina I just wanted to say thank you. I know to a lot of readers you are posting great recipes but to me you are helping me save my life. I am very overweight and trying ww before i consider the surgery. Your recipes are really helping me to eat better and thank you is not enough but i will say it anyway. Thank you very much Gina<3

  177. I'm eating this right now – it's delicious! The flavors are complex, rich, and powerful. Completely satisfying – thank you!

  178. This was delicious. I made it with almond milk and tomato puree.
    Just wonderful, and so low points and low fat!!!

    Thanks. I didn't know about your site and saw it on a Weight Watchers community board. I can't wait to try more of your recipes.

  179. Avatar photo
    Ma What's 4 dinner

    One of my favorite dishes…but I never make it at home! And it's skinny??? I'll have to give it a try.

    It's my first time here…thanks so much for the inspiration! I'll be back soon for sure.

    Lots of yummy love,
    Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner
    www.mawhats4dinner.com

  180. Made this over the weekend, was really good! I admit, I doctored it a bit, added some red pepper, a whole red pepper and a brown cardamom pod for that deep smoky flavor. All the Indian cuisine lovers in my house raved! AND, try the NAAN!! It's super easy and a great addition to dinner!!!

  181. Avatar photo
    Meredith Wilcke

    Gina- can you use some of the ingredients for a marinade? Do you think it would enhance the flavor? I'm making this tonight. 🙂

  182. Mmmm this was so good. My husband and I have been doing a loose vegetarian diet for the last month so I made this with a head of steamed cauliflower instead of the chicken. I did use a half of a chicken bouillon cube just incase it needed the "chicken flavor," but it really didn't need it. So delish! We served it with Naan.

  183. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Elle- Thanks for sharing!

    Ashley- I am so happy to hear that 🙂

    I'm sure tomato sauce would work here 🙂

  184. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    16 oz of raw chicken becomes 12 oz after cooked. Meat usually weighs less after it's cooked.

  185. I'm just a bit confused by your serving size. 4 3 oz portions of chicken equals 12 oz, yet the recipe calls for 16 oz of chicken. Should I make this with 12 oz or serve 4 oz portions?

  186. Can you use tomato sauce rather than tomatoes? I don't like tomatoes, but don't mind the sauce as long as there are no chucks in it.

  187. Yay thanks this is one of my favorite Indian dishes! I'm so excited to try this healthy version at home!

  188. Gina,

    I love this recipe!!! I have been following your website for the past few months, and your recipes are all my husband and I have been eating!! I am so greatful to be learning how to cook food that is good for you and tastes great!!! You've taught me how to cook healthier. Thank you so much for keeping up with your blog, there are so many people that are greatful!!!

    Ashley, Chicago, IL

  189. I'm looking forward to making this! Tikka Masala is one of my fave dishes to eat at Indian restaurants….have wondered how I could make it at home forever! THANKS!

  190. A friend of mine gave me a method to make this with fat free coconut milk so the person who posted above, who cannot eat dariy, might like to use that instead.

  191. Gina, another winner from you! And thanks for the mention of my Indian Spiced Chickpeas. Too bad we can't get together and cook those two dishes for a dinner!

  192. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    KAtie, so happy your Indian husband liked it.

    Sheena, let me know what you think!

    Julie, you could use light coconut milk instead, soy yogurt may work but I am not too sure of the results.

  193. LOVE IT! I am half Pakistani and I make Indian/Pakistani dishes ALL the time. My hubby is Pakistani. But everytime I make butter chicken for him I know I can't have it because of the amount of butter and cream that goes into it. I will try this one on him now.. thanks!
    -Sheena

  194. Yum! This looks so close to the restaurant version I get and just stunning in the photo. Mmmm. I always love when you remake things that are more indulgent.

  195. I made this for the first time last night..amazing! My husband is Indian so I have attempted a few other Chicken Tikka Masala recipes from Indian cookbooks in the past. This was much better and my husband loved it, too 🙂

  196. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Christine – adding the yogurt at the end as opposed to the beginning gave me the same results. But I really didn't mind the ever so slight curdle, the price you pay for fat free and the flavor was still great.

  197. Avatar photo
    Katie @ Haute Apple Pie

    Yum! I love Tikka Masala. This looks pretty easy and really tasty. Love that it's light too of course!

  198. I haven't made this yet but it looks great. One question: why doesn't it curdle when you keep cooking it after you add yogurt and milk. I though you always added this kind of ingredient at the very end and off the heat. Have you discovered some kind of trick?

  199. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Thanks Gules!

    Yes, I always say Chicken Tikka Masala is the best dish to try for Indian food beginners! Figures it's not Indian! But I truly love Indian food, especially with naan and dal.

    poppadums… never heard of them! I will do some research. A mango chutney is a great idea, I think I might even have all the ingredients to make it.

  200. Avatar photo
    Lauren @ Healthy Food For Living

    This is fantastic! Both my husband and I love chicken tikka masala, and this slimmed-down version sounds delicious. Thanks!

  201. Just made this, served over bulgur with homemade whole wheat chapati bread. Absolutely delicious. I added potato, carrot, red pepper and mushrooms, as well as some chicken stock, 7oz of greek yogurt, and a cup of skim milk. This was just to stretch the sauce out because of all the extras. I also used generous measures of all of the spices and omitted the tomato simply because I didn't have it. This was absolutely delicious and very simple. Family gave it a ten out of ten and requested it go into rotation. Thanks!

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    rachael_fulmer

    OOh Yum!!! I am another Brit and a good Korma is my fav dish but this is a close second..being here in AK I really miss good Indian food and have been eating a lot of your Coconut Chicken Curry..I will make this one this week and compare it…Oh and SazzyMCH you now have me craving popadoms and Mango Chutney!! Can you make that healthy Gina?

  203. Avatar photo
    Jessica's Dinner Party

    This looks amazing! I had no idea that this dish was actually an anglo interpretation of Indian food. I had "skinny" Indian food in London a few months back where their concept was no butter without compromising flavor. Their main substitute was also yogurt!

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    Cookin' Canuck

    I am always drawn to chicken tikka masala for the taste, but avoid eating it too often because of the fat content. I'm exited to try your healthier version.

  205. @ Angela — if you can't find garam masala in the store, you can also make your own from a lot of store-bought spices. usually it's a mix of (plus or minus a few things, of course):

    cinnamon, cardamom, white peppercorns, mace, nutmeg, cumin, anise, coriander seeds, and cloves 🙂

  206. Oh, and we would have it with rice, naan, poppadums and mango chutney…………! And a nice cold beer 🙂

  207. Yup, butter chicken is a totally different dish. As a Brit I can confirm that it is hugely popular at home (I love it when done properly) but if you ever go to India you won't find it there. Invented by the Indians in the UK for our milder (allegedly!) palate.

    I'm def going to make this!

  208. Here is the link for the naan bread and many other great bread recipes over at Budget Bytes ! I now make my own naan, pizza dough and even tortilla's!
    http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2010/09/naan-127-recipe-016-serving.html

    ** I'm currently enjoying the Tikka Masala as we speak, it is delicious!! Thanks Gina!!**

  209. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Garam masala is an Indian spice, if you don't have an Asian market near you, you can purchase this online. Amazon carries many brands for under $5.00.

  210. This may be a silly question, but what is garam masala? (There are no Indian restaurants where I live.)

  211. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Gules, homemade naan, please share!!

    Mandy, interesting! Thanks for clearing that up.

    It is what it is- I bet this would be great in the crock pot. My favorite restaurant makes it with skinless chicken thighs which may be wonderful in the crock pot.

  212. Avatar photo
    It Is What It Is

    I bet this could also be made in the crock pot by cooking the chicken and all the spices in the liquid from the crushed tomatoes (and perhaps some veggie or chicken stock if need be) and then adding the yogurt and milk during the last 1/2 hr of cooking.

    1. How did you go about cooking it in the crock pot? I'm so weird about cooking chicken on the stove, and this looks amazing!

  213. this recipe looks amazing!

    Just wanted to let you know, that Chicken Tikka Masala actually ISNT known as butter chicken, those are 2 totally different dishes.

    Both have tomato bases – butter chicken has cream where as tikka masala doesnt

    Up here where I live in Canada (Vancouver) we have a TONNE of indian restaurants and they are listed as seperate menu items at ever single restaurant

    Hope that helps 😉

  214. Yay Gina!! One of my favorite foods. I can't wait to try your version. I would love to make my own Naan too…never attempted that!

  215. I LOVE chicken tikka masala….I serve it over basmati rice with some raita on top…mmmm, heaven! Thanks for lightening it up – I can't wait to try it.