Slow cooker chicken tikka masala

Name: Slow cooker chicken tikka masala (Tick-tock tikka masala)
Prep time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (peeled and finely chopped); 3 cloves garlic (crushed); 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon garam masala; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 3 cardamom pods ((remove when serving)); 1/2 tablespoon chilli powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 4 chicken breasts (chopped into chunks (make this 3 if the breasts are very large)); 250 ml tomato passata; 200 ml reduced fat coconut milk; 100 g fat-free Greek yoghurt; 1 tablespoon cornflour; Nigella seeds (to serve); chopped fresh coriander (optional) (to serve)

BY:

Pip

PUBLISHED:

April 1, 2020

UPDATED:

May 10, 2023

Satisfyingly creamy and saucy chicken tikka masala, unbelievably easy to do in the slow cooker.

25 mins

4-8 hours

291 kcals

serves 4

RECIPE PRINT RECIPE

Close up shot of chicken tikka masala in an oval casserole dish

TICK-TOCK TIKKA MASALA

I don’t think you can beat a steaming bowl of creamy, fragrant chicken tikka masala, and being able to just put it in the slow-cooker and leave it to do its thing is so satisfying.

Takeaway and ready meal versions of this are usually packed with calories, but this is just as delicious (if not more so).

This recipe has always been one of the most popular on my blog, and you can also find it on p.166 of my cookbook The Slimming Foodie where it is called ‘Tick-tock tikka masala’ -I actually called it that because of the slow-cooking, but as my book was released alongside the growing popularity of TikTok, it’s often labelled as TikTok tikka masala on social media!

(See a recipe video on TikTok here)

COCONUT MILK

Coconut milk varies hugely in the amount of syns (if you are following Slimming World) or calories .

Make sure you check yourself for the brand that you have in order to get an accurate calorie count or to calculate the syns per portion.

The very best (light) coconut milk that I have found is the Essential Waitrose Reduced fat coconut milk (12 syns for a 400ml can). There is a lot of variation between brands, so make sure to check what you are buying! The syns in this recipe are based on the total amount of coconut milk used being 6 syns.

This recipe used half of the tin of coconut milk. You could make a double batch of chicken tikka masala and freeze the leftovers, or you can just simply freeze the leftover coconut milk for another meal.

HOW TO PREVENT THE YOGHURT FROM SPLITTING IN THE SAUCE

It’s important to follow the step of adding the yoghurt on top of the curry to warm through before stirring it in, as this stops the yoghurt from curdling/splitting and creates a smooth and creamy sauce.

CAN I MAKE THIS IN THE OVEN RATHER THAN THE SLOW COOKER?

This is also great cooked in the oven if you don’t have a slow-cooker, or want it to be ready more quickly.

Simply start by frying the chicken in low-calorie cooking spray in a flameproof casserole dish for about 5 minutes.

Add the ginger and garlic nd stir-fry for another 2 minutes.

Stir through the spices and salt for about a mnute, then add the passata and coconut milk .

Put into an oven preheated to 180c for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, spoon on the yoghurt and cornflour mixture, give it a couple of minutes to warm through, then stir through before serving.

I DON’T HAVE A SLOW COOKER, SHOULD I GET ONE?

Here are all of the reasons that I love my slow-cooker!

Slow cooker chicken tikka masala (Tick-tock tikka masala)

Servings:

Satisfyingly creamy and sauce chicken tikka masala, unbelievably easy to do in the slow cooker

Syns: 2 per portion

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

15 mins

Slow-cooker8 hrs

Ingredients

1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 cardamom pods (remove when serving)
1/2 tablespoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 chicken breasts chopped into chunks (make this 3 if the breasts are very large)
250 ml tomato passata
200 ml reduced fat coconut milk
100 g fat-free Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon cornflour
Nigella seeds to serve
chopped fresh coriander (optional) to serve

Instructions

Put the ginger, garlic, spices, salt, chicken, passata and coconut milk into the slow cooker bowl.
Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. When cooked, uncover and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Mix the yoghurt and cornflour together in a small bowl. Leave for 5 minutes.
Spoon the yoghurt mixture on top of the curry and leave it a couple of minutes to warm
through (this brings up the temperature of the yoghurt, to prevent curdling). Now stir the yoghurt mixture into the curry, replace the lid, and leave for 15 minutes to thicken.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Remove your cardamom pods, if you can find them (or warn your guests to do so!), and serve sprinkled with nigella seeds.
Serve with basmati rice. Sprinkle with fresh coriander (if using).

Notes

I always like to garnish my chicken tikka masala with a few nigella seeds when I serve it, it just looks so pretty!

Tried this recipe?Mention @the_slimming_foodie or tag #theslimmingfoodie!

The Slimming Foodie has no official affiliation with, or endorsement from Slimming World. Slimming World’s website can be found at https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk. The syn values shown on my recipes are my personal estimation and have not been verified by Slimming World.

Related Recipes

Hi, I’m Pip!

I’m a mum with a young family living in Devon.
My food is all about healthy, well balanced recipes that are made from scratch using whole foods and packed full of flavour.

Slow cooker chicken tikka masala