This is beginner Chicken Tikka Masala, the kind that bubbles away in the slow cooker all afternoon.
That’s because my kids don’t do spicy.
Actually, I don’t even like a lot of spice myself. I remember growing up and thinking most toothpaste was “too hot”. But man, do I love a nice bowl of Chicken Tikka Masala. The mild kind.
How to Get Kids Excited about Chicken Tikka Masala
- Start early. Since this was a new dish and we all know that flexibility isn’t always a preschooler’s strong point (because dumping all the train pieces on the rug is) I started hyping this thing early in the day. On the way home from school I’m up in the front seat telling them all about the cool new dish we’re having for dinner tonight. “It even has a fun name! Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Tikka Masala…”
- Give a play-by-play. Then I described all the ingredients. Sometimes we play “cooking show” where the kids sit at the breakfast bar and I explain how to make things as they watch me cook. These days they’re surprisingly interested in what goes into each dish. Chicken, tomato, lots of “flavors” (if I say “spices” that means spicy and you know where they stand on that), even yogurt.
- Try a funny name. My favorite part came later. As I was getting the bowls out and grabbing baby Violet’s puree the kids were trying to say the name. There was my five-year-old, calling a huddle. “You guys, it’s chicken TEA CUP masala,” she explained. “You know, like at tea parties?” Estelle, who is three, looked at her suspiciously but in the end she went along.
Let Your Slow Cooker Do the Work
This meal was not fast, and it required a million ingredients so I found it ideal to do during the baby’s morning nap. BUT the slow cooker did all the work.
I made some rice to go along with it, which you can certainly do ahead of time and a bunch of garlicky spinach, just cooked in a skillet. Or combine the two with a pot of regular rice you just add a bit of frozen spinach to in the last few minutes.
Then add a BIG heap of plain yogurt on top and swirl it in. Bonus: the yogurt will cool the whole thing off.
What You Need to Make Chicken Tikka Masala
- Chicken thighs and veggies. I used 4 chicken thighs, 1 sweet potato and 4 carrots. I’m trying to reduce the amount of meat we eat in general and splitting a big pack of chicken thighs makes it go further, which is cheaper without feeling like it’s less food. Chickpeas would also be awesome here. Plus, adding veggies makes it a one-pot meal which is really the least your slow cooker can do.
- You’ll need garam masala for this recipe, which you can find at most specialty food stores, like a local co-op, Whole Foods, or even online. It’s a bit of an investment (my jar cost $4+) but I’ve used it three times now and there’s still half of it left. AND you can’t make this without it. What is this super special stuff that’s cutting into your kid’s college fund? According to the spice wizards at Penzey’s, here’s the official lowdown:
Garam Masala, a blend of savory Indian spices, is one of the few spice mixes actually used in India. It has no turmeric, so it isn’t yellow, and is often added to hot or mild curry powder. The formula for Garam Masala was brought into the store by a Punjabi man who had moved to the U.S. It was his mother’s recipe; in exchange for blending the spices for him, he gave it to us. His mother was proud to hear that her blend was a hit in America.
Mixed from: coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, kalonji, caraway, cloves, ginger and nutmeg.
THE FOODLETS’ RATING
How did my real kids like this meal?
3 Thumbs Up
No one wanted to try it initially. Everyone wanted their chicken “on the side” so I compromised. Then..
- Phoebe (5) ate 2 1/2 bowls.
- Estelle (3) ate her entire bowl immediately, saying “Well. I didn’t know it was going to be delicious.”
- George (2) only liked the chicken, and the yogurt.
- Paul (45) thought the veggies were a little squishy. I’d add them in the last 2 hours next time.
Update: EVERYONE LOVES this meal now. All four kids, and both adults. It’s in our rotation and even shows up as a birthday request.
PrintOne-Pot Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Make ahead idea: Prep everything the night before (don’t forget the rice) and put the whole insert in your fridge. When you leave for work in the morning, put it on low. Everything will be perfectly done when you get home.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 15 mins
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-inch piece whole ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 4–5 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- lots of plain yogurt, to serve on top
Instructions
- Put all ingredients into the slow cooker insert, stir and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Optional: Reserve the carrots and sweet potatoes, adding in the last 2 hours. (If they cook the whole time, the sweet potatoes will be soft but I liked them that way.)
- Serve over basmati rice with a BIG dollop of plain yogurt on top. Swirl the yogurt in to make it more creamy, and also cool the masala quickly.
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And if you’ve tested out this recipe, what do you think? Let us know! I’d love all the details too:
- How many kids do you have?
- How easy was this dish to prepare?
- What did the kids say? Thumbs Up, Middle, or Down?
- Would you make it again?
This sounds delicious. I don’t eat meat though and this is the kind of thing (chicken crock pot meals!) that seems to be hard to do without it!! Any ideas?
Hi Beth! Try a can of chickpeas + a couple of red skinned or golden potatoes diced into bite size pieces. I’d peel the potatoes because the skin will likely shrivel up and separate from the flesh during the slow cooking process. Add more carrots too!
Yes! Chickpeas and potatoes are wonderful with Indian spiced sauces. So are green peas and cauliflower. All 4 together is even better 🙂
Try paneer its an indian cheese and would be amazing in this dish with peas or spinach!!! Cut it into 1cm cubes fry until golden and then add 30 mins towards the end mmmmmmm im hungry now!!!
This was a huge hit with our three munchkins (4, 2, 1) and of course mom and dad. The kids were demanding more chicken!! Terrific slow cooker meal. We love your blog and make lots of your recipes each week, everything always turns out great. Thank you so much for bringing fresh ideas to our table.
Lorraine, what an amazing thing to hear. Thank you! I’m so glad everyone liked the chicken. Yay for a slow cooker keeper!
Holy moley, this was good! I made it in a dutch oven because I was skeptical (usually I find crockpot meals to taste flat), but it was so good that I’d make it every week!
I added chickpeas, too.
Ha! You and me both, Megan. I’m so glad you liked this one and hope it’s a new weekly favorite.
How long did you cook it in your dutch oven? I don’t have a slow cooker
Hi Genevieve! You’d need to cook it for about 45 minutes to let the flavors melt together and cook all the way through. Put the coconut milk in last, if you want it to be creamiest. If that’s not possible, just throw it all in together from the start and it’ll still be wonderful!
Thank you for another yummy recipe, Charity! I made this last night for my family (2 adults and kids ages 6 and 4) and we all really enjoyed it, most of all my 4-year-old son who said – and I quote – “I LOVE this chicken and wish I could eat it all day!!” 🙂 Four thumbs up! My husband did miss the spice a little bit, but it was easy enough to add some cayenne on his own plate. We added the vegetables in the last 2 hours per the note and we definitely liked them that way. My kids don’t particularly like carrots (ever) but they were willing to taste them, which really is something, and they loved the sweet potatoes. We will definitely come back to this recipe.Thank you!
Ilana, I’m so glad to hear it! It’s my 3-year-old’s favorite too. (I add red pepper flakes to my husband’s portion.) Glad it worked out to have the veggies in there. And if you have them, I usually freeze the leftovers for a ready-made dinner later in the month. Thank YOU for the great feedback!
I have two girls, 9 and almost 4. Recipe was super easy to make once you gathered all the ingredients, which I surprisingly had. I used light coconut milk since that’s what I had. My husband and I loved the dish. My 9 year old thought it was a little spicy but also refused yogurt to cool it off. Still she said she liked it. The 4-year-old was in a mood and didn’t eat any of it because, as we like to say, she’s 4. Will definitely make again. I think I’ll just serve with yogurt in it so my daughter can’t say no.
Yes! So smart. I’ve done that myself before too, just mixed the yogurt in before the dishes ever hit the table.
So glad you and your husband liked it! This dish freezes well too so don’t hesitate to put all leftovers in the freezer for another time.
Hello! This recipe sounds amazing. Could I switch to chicken breasts instead of thighs? Also, would I need to adjust the cooking time if I did that? Thank you!
I made this in a Dutch oven bc I didn’t start early enough in the day for the slow cooker. it turned out delicious following the ingredients exactly and adding the coconut milk at the end as another reviewer commented. I dry cooked the spices at the start to amp them up since I had a shorter cooking time. cooking it this way left the veggies perfectly cooked but still whole chunks – which I loved but was initially an obstacle for my veggie – hesitant spouse. he ended up eating every bit of this with the exception of the tomatoes.
Hooray! Love the idea of the Dutch oven to cut down on time. Plus, great ideas for the coconut milk and veggie timing. Thanks, Megan!
I just made this recipe in my pressure cooker last night and it was FABULOUS!!! My kids were “meh” on it, but me & my husband loved it!!! I think I made the slow cooker version last year (my memory is fuzzy) but it clearly wasn’t all that memorable… but for whatever reason, the pressure cooker version last night turned out AMAZING. No changes, other than I omitted the carrots (my kids already eat a ton of them). The sweet potato was still pretty firm (I added it at the same time as all the other ingredients) so I’d probably cut it up even smaller next time (I’d like it to be a bit softer and incorporate into the sauce more). Two enthusiastic thumbs up from me & my husband, 1 sideways thumb from the 5yo, and lots of stirring but not a lot of eating out of the 2yo.
YAY, Bethany! I’ll ALWAYS take a sideways thumb. 😉
Hi, if you see this, do you recall how long you cooked this in the pressure cooker? I’d love to try it in my Instant Pot. TIA!
Hi Charity! Your toothpaste comment made me laugh! My kids detest “spicy toothpaste”.
Thanks for this great recipe. Looking forward to giving it a whirl.
Ha, thanks, Tara! Toothpaste can be rough territory. 🙂
hello, how would you make it more spicy if you wanted it regular spicy (instead of mild)?
Add a little cayenne pepper to the spices! That’ll do the trick. 🙂
If I am doubling this recipe, should I double all of the ingredients including the garam masala?
I have a 12 year old who isn’t picky and she loves this! I sprinkled the chicken with a bit of garam masala. Added a bit more garam masala and cumin. Fabulous!
Looking for some freezer friendly meals to prep- would you just combine all ingredients (aside from yogurt) and freeze in freezer bag? Or would you partially cook then freeze?