Gordon Ramsay’s chicken madras recipe is a spicy, tomato-heavy curry with hot chilli powder, cumin, turmeric, curry leaves, and a squeeze of lemon at the end that pulls everything together. I found this recipe on a blog that adapted it from one of Ramsay’s early cooking demos, and the method is identical to how he builds spice in his other Indian curry recipes: onions low and slow, spices fried in oil, chicken browned before the sauce.
People treat this chicken madras curry recipe like the boring middle option on a takeaway menu. I thought the same until I made it from scratch for my Gordon Ramsay curry recipes project and realised every other curry I ordered was just a madras with something extra on top.
Try More Curry Recipes:
What Makes Madras Different From Regular Curry
Heat and tang. A madras curry is deliberately hotter than a tikka masala or korma, and the lemon or lime juice at the end gives it a sour edge that most other curries do not have.
The colour should be a deep red from the chilli powder and tomatoes, not orange or golden. If your madras looks like a korma, something went wrong with the spice ratios.
Chicken Madras Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2cm (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
- 2-4 red chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1-3 tsp hot chilli powder, to taste
- 6-8 curry leaves
- 400g (14 oz) ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 tin chopped tomatoes)
- 300ml (1.25 cups) water
- 1 tsp garam masala
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish
- Sea salt and black pepper
How To Make Gordon Ramsay Chicken Madras
- Cook the Onions: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes until they start to soften and colour.
- Add Aromatics: Add the garlic, ginger, and fresh chillies. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Bloom the Spices: Stir in the cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, and curry leaves. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so nothing burns.
- Brown the Chicken: Add the chicken pieces and stir until coated in the spice mixture. Cook for 3-4 minutes until sealed on all sides.
- Add Tomatoes and Simmer: Add the chopped tomatoes and water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Finish: Remove the lid, stir in the garam masala, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Squeeze in the lemon juice, season with salt, and garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro).
Why the Lemon Goes In Last
The lemon juice is not about flavour, it is about cutting through the richness. After 30 minutes of simmering, the sauce gets heavy, and the lemon lifts the whole thing at the end.
I read that proper madras in Chennai uses tamarind for that sour note, and some use a madras curry paste with tamarind built in. I have tried both: tamarind is earthier, but lemon is brighter and wakes the dish up.
How Hot Should Madras Be?
Hotter than a tikka masala, cooler than a vindaloo. Start with 1 teaspoon of hot chilli powder and taste after 15 minutes, because you can always add more but you cannot take it out.
My partner cannot handle the heat I like, so I make it mild and add extra chilli flakes to my own bowl at the table. That is the easiest fix for a shared pot.
What to Eat With Madras
Basmati rice, always. The sauce is thin enough to soak into the grains, and naan works too but I find it too filling on top of a hot madras curry.
A chicken biryani and a madras on the same table is a proper Friday night spread. Add a curry sauce on the side for dipping poppadoms and you are sorted.
Keeping Madras
This is a curry that genuinely tastes better the next day. The spices settle overnight and the heat mellows slightly without losing its punch.
Fridge for 3 days, freezer for 3 months. Reheat on the hob and add a fresh squeeze of lemon before serving.
FAQs
- Is this an official Gordon Ramsay recipe? I found it on a blog that credits Ramsay, and the technique matches his other Indian curry recipes from the Great Escape book. The spice list and method are consistent with every madras curry recipe technique he uses across his published work.
- Can I use beef instead of chicken? Yes. Use 500g (1.1 lbs) diced braising beef and simmer for 2 hours instead of 30 minutes. Beef madras is a proper variant that works brilliantly with the extra cooking time.
- Do I need curry leaves? They add a citrusy, savoury flavour that is hard to replace. If you cannot find them, leave them out rather than substituting. The curry is still good without them, just missing that one layer.
More Recipes To Try:
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Total Fat: 14g
- Protein: 40g
- Total Carbohydrate: 12g
Gordon Ramsay Chicken Madras Recipe
4
servings10
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minutes50
minutesGordon Ramsay’s chicken madras recipe is a spicy, tomato-heavy curry with hot chilli powder, cumin, turmeric, curry leaves, and a squeeze of lemon at the end that pulls everything together. I found this recipe on a blog that adapted it from one of Ramsay’s early cooking demos, and the method is identical to how he builds spice in his other Indian curry recipes: onions low and slow, spices fried in oil, chicken browned before the sauce.
People treat this chicken madras curry recipe like the boring middle option on a takeaway menu. I thought the same until I made it from scratch and realised every other curry I ordered was just a madras with something extra on top.
Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2cm (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
2-4 red chillies, finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1-3 tsp hot chilli powder, to taste
6-8 curry leaves
400g (14 oz) ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 tin chopped tomatoes)
300ml (1.25 cups) water
1 tsp garam masala
Juice of ½ lemon
Fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish
Sea salt and black pepper
Directions
- Cook the Onions: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes until they start to soften and colour.
- Add Aromatics: Add the garlic, ginger, and fresh chillies. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Bloom the Spices: Stir in the cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, and curry leaves. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so nothing burns.
- Brown the Chicken: Add the chicken pieces and stir until coated in the spice mixture. Cook for 3-4 minutes until sealed on all sides.
- Add Tomatoes and Simmer: Add the chopped tomatoes and water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Finish: Remove the lid, stir in the garam masala, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Squeeze in the lemon juice, season with salt, and garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro).
