Jump to Recipe

This chicken tikka masala will soon make it to the top of your must make dish.  So full of flavor!  

But first I had another breakfast pizza – this time with the whole wheat avocado bread as my base!   My pizza – 3 ounces of dough, 1/4 cup of pizza sauce, baby spinach, 1 ounce of mozzarella cheese and 1 whole egg.

this whole pizza is 405 calories and so filling!
and the crust was nice and crispy 😀

I’d have to say 90% of my co-workers eat frozen dinners.  Every.Single.Day.  While I know I probably have an unusual obsession to cooking and food in general – they always ask me “what’s on your menu today?”  

My inspiration actually came from my bosses frozen dinner last week.  The brand name is called Ethnic Gourmet and when I heated it up for her, while it kind of looked like ass because let’s face it, its a frozen dinner, the smell was interesting!

Later that night I googled Tikka Masala and found a recipe of BlogChef.  I did tweak it just a bit because I didn’t think it was spicy enough.

I actually found instant brown rice and it wasn’t bad!

chicken ready to be cooked after an hour

Okay, no pictures of my grilled chicken because they kind of stuck and the couple pictures I did take turned out like ass. 🙁

Can you use another milk instead of heavy cream?

The easy answer is yes, but with such a little amount, it is worth the points.

base of sauce
be careful not to put your face over the pan when you add the seasoning
I have a co-worker who is Indian that I was making this dish and told her I was going to substitute the heavy cream for fat free half and half – she was horrified! Glad I kept the heavy cream!
I added the thai chiles right before adding the cooked chicken
everyone in the pool! 😀

I served mine over 1/2 cup instant brown rice and added fresh cilantro.  I cannot even describe to you how good this is!  The flavors are intense and subtle at the same time – at first bite I was like “this isn’t spicy at all!” 

But it’s a delayed reaction.  The slight sweetness of the cinnamon and the creaminess of the heavy cream – it’s the perfect flavorful heat!

Since I knew no one in my house would touch this with a ten foot pole – I shared with my boss and a couple co-workers.  My boss said “this is so delicious – so much better than my frozen dinner!”  (thankfully!). 

Another co-worker said “this is the best thing I’ve eaten in years.”  

this is a bowl of chicken tikka masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Chicken breast and greek yogurt are zero points on WW, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring! If you haven't tried Indian food before, this is the dish to start with - so flavorful!

Ingredients

  • For Chicken Marinade:
  • 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp ginger, freshly grated
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 small jalapeno, finely chopped
  • For Tikka Masala Sauce:
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 6 small dried chilis (adjust according to spice preference)
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp half and half

Instructions

    Marinating the Chicken:

    In a large mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, ground cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, black pepper, grated ginger, salt, minced garlic, and chopped jalapeno to create the marinade.

    Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to the marinade, ensuring each piece is well-coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or ideally, marinate overnight for more flavor.

    Cooking the Chicken:

    Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add a bit of oil to prevent sticking.

    Add the marinated chicken pieces to the skillet, allowing them to cook until browned and cooked through. This should take about 6-8 minutes. Set the cooked chicken aside.

    Preparing the Sauce:

    In the same skillet, add a bit more oil if needed. Add cumin, paprika, curry powder, and dried chilis. Sauté for a minute or until the spices release their aroma.

    Pour in the tomato sauce, stirring well to combine with the spices. Allow the mixture to simmer for 5-7 minutes, letting the flavors meld together.

    Lower the heat, and gradually add the half and half, stirring continuously. Let the sauce simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes until it thickens.

    Combining Chicken and Sauce:

    Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet, coating each piece with the rich sauce. Let it simmer for an additional 5 minutes, ensuring the chicken absorbs the flavors of the sauce.

    Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. If you prefer a milder spice level, you can remove some or all of the dried chilis.

    Serve the Chicken Tikka Masala over a bed of steamed rice or with naan bread. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.

Notes

As of the date of this publication, each serving is 1 WW point. Click here for the WW tracker.

This one is a keeper! 😁 Each serving (without the rice) comes in at: 326 calories, 4.5 fat, 3.6 carbs, 1.0 fiber and 43 grams of protein.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Biz
Category: All Recipes

 

Stats for Monday:  Level 3 Jillian Shred DVD and 20 minute walk with the dog after dinner.

A quick thank you to Andrea for giving me this award!  She is new to the food blogging world, but she has some great ideas – thanks Andrea!

If you like Indian food, check out my chickpea and pumpkin curry!