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healthy chicken tikka masala

Dairy Free Chicken Tikka Masala

This healthy dairy free chicken tikka masala is made to be lighter than traditional tikka masala. Make this with my homemade naan bread.
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 people
Calories 647 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

For the chicken marinade:

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
  • ½ cup full fat coconut milk or plain yogurt if not dairy free
  • 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger approximately 1 thumb/inch of ginger
  • 2 teaspoon pink sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 teaspoon ground smoked paprika

For the tikka masala sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon avocado or coconut oil
  • 1 lg yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 ½ cups tomato sauce
  • 1 ½ cups filtered water
  • 1 cup full fat coconut milk

To serve:

  • ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
  • Fresh naan bread wheat naan for a healthier option
  • White or brown rice brown rice for a healthier option

Instructions
 

For the chicken:

  • Chop your chicken into bite sized pieces.
  • In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, minced ginger, salt, cumin, garam masala, and paprika. Add the chicken and toss to coat the chicken completely. Allow to rest for 1 hours so the chicken can soak up the flavorings.
  • After 1 hour, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper (the parchment paper prevents the chicken drippings from burning on the pan).
  • Add pieces of chicken to stainless steel skewers.
  • Arrange the skewers on the pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

For the tikka masala sauce:

  • Meanwhile, in a large pan or wok, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook them until they are soft.
  • Add the ginger and garlic and cook until just fragrant.
  • Add the spices (cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika, chili powder, garam masala) and stir in until just fragrant.
    NOTE: it helps to measure out the spices beforehand so that you can quickly add them to the pan at once.
  • Add the tomato puree, tomato sauce, and water. Allow the pan to come to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the coconut milk and chicken. Cover the pan and let it cook on low heat until you are ready to serve it. I like to let it simmer for ~20-30 minutes to enhance the flavor more.

To serve:

  • Serve with fresh cooked rice and naan bread. Add chopped cilantro on top to cool down all the warm spices.

Notes

NOTE: nutrition information calculated for the chicken tikka masala only and does not include the rice or the naan bread

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 647kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 43.3gFat: 36.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10.2gPotassium: 1406mgFiber: 5.6gVitamin A: 208IUVitamin C: 30.82mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 2.57mg
Keyword bestindianfood, chicken, chickentikkamasala, dairyfreetikkamasala, indianfood, tikkamasala
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