I have ordered tikka masala from every takeaway within five miles of my flat and it became the benchmark for all my Gordon Ramsay curry recipes and none of them taste the same. Ramsay’s leans hard on the tomato and uses yoghurt instead of cream, which I did not love the first time, but now I prefer it.

Try More Curry Recipes:

Why Gordon Blends the Sauce Smooth

Gordon Ramsay chicken tikka masala served

Most homemade tikka masala has chunks of onion and bits of tomato skin floating in it. Ramsay blends his sauce completely smooth before the chicken goes back in, and that one step is what makes it taste like a restaurant made it.

I was tempted to skip the blender because of the washing up, but do not skip it. If you want a smooth curry sauce without the tikka, that is a separate recipe entirely.

Chicken Tikka Masala Ingredients

500g (1.1 lbs) chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3cm (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
400g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes
4-5 curry leaves (optional but worth finding)
3 tbsp natural yoghurt
Handful fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

How To Make Gordon Ramsay Chicken Tikka Masala

Cook the Onion Base: Heat a splash of oil in a large pan. Add the sliced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softening. Add the chilli, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Add the Spices: Stir in the chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, and sugar. Cook for 1-2 minutes so the spices toast in the oil and coat the onions.
Add Tomato and Blend: Add the tomato puree and tinned tomatoes. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Transfer the sauce to a food processor and blend until completely smooth.
Fry the Chicken: Wipe out the pan and add 1 tbsp fresh oil. Fry the chicken pieces over high heat until lightly coloured on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. The chicken does not need to be cooked through yet.
Simmer in the Sauce: Pour the blended sauce back into the pan over the chicken. Add the curry leaves. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through.
Finish with Yoghurt: Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the yoghurt, swirling it through rather than mixing it in completely. Add half the chopped coriander (cilantro). Serve with steamed basmati rice, garnished with the rest of the coriander.

What Are Common Mistakes When Making Chicken Tikka Masala?

Not browning the chicken first. If you just drop raw chicken into the sauce, it poaches and goes pale. You want colour on it before the sauce touches it. That golden edge gives the whole dish a deeper flavour that boiling never will.

The other mistake is stirring the yoghurt into boiling sauce. Take the pan off the heat first, then swirl it in. If the sauce is too hot, the yoghurt splits and goes grainy. Nobody wants grainy tikka masala.

How Do Indian Restaurants Make Tikka Masala So Red?

Food colouring. That is the short answer. Some use Kashmiri chilli powder, which is bright red but mild. Gordon does not add any colouring, so his version is more of a deep orange than a traffic-light red. The flavour is the same or better. If the colour matters to you, add half a teaspoon of Kashmiri chilli powder with the other spices.

What Goes With It

Steamed basmati rice is the classic. Warm naan bread is even better for scooping. A simple raita, just yoghurt with cucumber and mint, cools the heat if you have gone heavy on the chilli.

For a proper curry night, put this next to a spicy beef curry and a fish curry. Three different styles, three different proteins. That is how you feed a table properly.

FAQs

Is this the same as butter chicken? No. Butter chicken (murgh makhani) uses butter and cream in the sauce and has a milder, sweeter flavour. Tikka masala is more tomato-forward and spicier. We have a separate butter chicken recipe if that is what you are after.
Can I use chicken thighs? Yes, and they are actually better. Thighs stay juicier during the simmer. Breast works fine if you do not overcook it.
Where is this recipe from? Gordon Ramsay’s Cookalong series. He made it as a cook along episode on YouTube where viewers cooked with him in real time.

More Recipes To Try:

Overhead tikka masala with rice and naan

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 380 kcal
Total Fat: 14g
Protein: 36g
Total Carbohydrate: 22g