Active Time: 20 Mins
Total Time: 4 Hours 20 Mins
Yield: Serves 6 (serving size: about 1/2 cup chicken, 1/2 cup sauce)
With a little sheet pan savvy, flavor-packed chicken tikka masala has never been more accessible. While we suggest marinating the chicken for at least four hours, if you didn’t plan ahead, you can simply marinate the inherently tender chicken thighs for as long as you have time for.
Ingredients
MARINATED CHICKEN
- 1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic (about 2 garlic cloves)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
MASALA SAUCE
- 1/2large onion, cut into 1-in. chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon tandoori masala seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoons ghee, melted or olive oil, divided
- 1 pound plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise (about 6 medium)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon roasted almond butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
How to Make It
Step 1
Prepare the Marinated Chicken: Stir together yogurt, ginger, cumin, garlic, coriander, salt, cardamom, turmeric, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add chicken thighs, and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours up to overnight (or, cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour).
Step 2
Prepare the Masala Sauce: Place an oven rack 6 inches from heat and preheat broiler to HIGH. Toss together onion, garlic, ginger, tandoori masala, garam masala, and 1 tablespoon of the melted ghee on a large rimmed baking sheet. Broil until browned, about 3 minutes. Nestle tomato halves, skin-side up, in vegetable mixture. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon melted ghee over tomatoes. Broil until skin is blistered and separated from the flesh, about 3 minutes. Remove and discard skins.
Step 3
Stir onion and tomato mixture, and continue to broil, until tomatoes have released juices, about 3 minutes more. Transfer mixture from oven into a blender. Add cream, almond butter, lemon juice, and salt; blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Keep warm.
Step 4
Remove chicken from marinade, scraping off as much marinade as possible; discard marinade. Place chicken on a baking sheet, and broil until a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 180°F, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand 5 minutes. Chop chicken into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Stir chicken into masala sauce. Garnish with cilantro, and serve hot with steamed basmati rice and naan flatbread.
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