Dairy-Free Chicken Tikka Masala
This Dairy-Free Chicken Tikka Masala is out-of-this-world good! The chicken is tender and flavorful and paired with a creamy sauce balanced perfectly with sweet and tangy tomatoes and rich spices. This dairy-free version is well tested and will easily stack up against your restaurant favorite.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 365kcal
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Stock pot or large skillet
- Sheet pan
- Wire baking rack
- Tin foil
- Immersion blender optional
Ingredients
Dairy-Free Tikka Chicken
- 1.5 lbs Boneless chicken breast cut into 1-1 ½ inch pieces
- ½ cup Plain dairy-free yogurt I used Harmless Harvest coconut yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Grated ginger about ½ inch piece
- 1 tablespoon Dried fenugreek leaves
- ½ tablespoon Minced garlic about 2 small cloves
- 1 teaspoon Ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground turmeric
Dairy-Free Tikka Masala
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 cup Sweet yellow onion, finely diced about ½ large onion
- 1 Green Chile, finely diced and deseeded
- 1 tablespoon Grated ginger about ½ inch piece
- 1 tablespoon Minced garlic about 4 small cloves
- 2 teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder can use up to 1 tablespoon for more heat
- 1 teaspoon Ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- 1 15-oz can Full fat coconut milk
- 1 14-oz can Tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoon Coconut sugar or regular granulated sugar
- ½ cup Hot water
- 1 tablespoon Dried fenugreek leaves
- Chopped cilantro for garnish optional
Instructions
Tikka Chicken
- Dice the chicken to 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces, pat with paper towels to remove excess moisture, and set aside.
- Add the dairy-free yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, grated ginger, dried fenugreek, minced garlic, ground coriander, garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, ground cumin, salt, and turmeric to a large mixing bowl and mix together.
- Add the diced chicken to the bowl and coat evenly with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 8-24 hrs.
Chicken Tikka Masala
- After the chicken has marinated, start the tikka masala. Begin by adding 2 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot or skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender and translucent.
- Add the diced green chile, grated ginger, and minced garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the garam masala, sea salt, Kashmiri red chili powder, ground coriander, and ground cumin, and stir.
- Add the can of tomato sauce and coconut milk. Stir and cook over a medium heat until the sauce becomes thick (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. While the sauce simmers, prepare the chicken.
- Preheat the oven to 450 F and line a baking sheet with tin foil and fit with a wire rack. Spray the rack lightly with olive oil (alternatively, you can cook the chicken directly on tin foil or parchment paper). Use tongs to place the marinated chicken on the baking sheet leaving at least 1 inch of space between pieces.
- Return to the sauce and add the coconut sugar and hot water, and stir. Continue to cook uncovered over low-medium heat until the sauce has thickened again, about 15-20 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering place the chicken in the preheated oven. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Flip the chicken using tongs and return to the oven for another 9-10 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 F. To char the chicken, broil for 2 to 3 mins or until lightly charred. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Make sure the sauce has reached a thick gravy consistency before adding the chicken. Once thick, add the chicken and dried fenugreek leaves. Stir and cook for 2-3 mins minutes or until chicken tikka is soft and tender. Taste test and adjust salt, spice, and sugar if needed.Optional: You can transfer the finished sauce to a glass bowl before adding the chicken and use an immersion blender to puree. Return to the pot or skillet after pureeing.
- Remove from heat and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with Basmati rice or sauteed cauliflower rice.
Notes
Scroll up for process photos, FAQ's, and ingredient notes.
Storage -
Store chicken tikka masala in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can divide it into individual portions along with some rice for a delicious and easy lunch that can be reheated in the microwave.
For longer storage, allow it to cool and freeze in an airtight glass container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and reheat until hot in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Recipe Tips:
- Read through the recipe ahead of time and have ingredients prepped and measured to move through the recipe efficiently. This will allow you to cook the chicken while the sauce is simmering, so there is no time wasted.
- You can reduce the marinading time to 3 hours if needed but I prefer to marinate overnight. The chicken is so tender when marinating overnight and it is nice to have a portion of the work done before beginning the recipe.
- This recipe is not inherently spicy. Kashmiri red chili powder looks spicy but is less spicy than regular chili powder. You can increase the Kashmiri chili powder to give it a little heat, or add some cayenne pepper. If you're absolutely spice adversed, swap the Kashmiri chili powder for sweet paprika and omit the green chile.
- For a silky smooth sauce, transfer the finished sauce (before adding the chicken) to a glass bowl and blend using an immersion blender. The tomato sauce helps create a smooth consistency without blending, but if you want to fully incorporate the diced onion into the sauce blending is a nice way to do that.
- The dairy-free yogurt doesn't have to be coconut yogurt. Just select something that has a neutral flavor and is lightly tangy. Dairy-free sour cream will also work!
- Boneless chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breast.
- Sweet paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper are the best substitute for Kashmiri red chili powder.
- Any type of neutral flavored cooking oil can be used in this recipe.
- Coconut sugar can replaced with regular sugar.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 570mg | Potassium: 811mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 316IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg
