Filled with amazing flavors and a rich, creamy sauce, keto Chicken Tikka Masala is a humble and delicious dish. Loaded with succulent chunks of marinated chicken, this keto chicken recipe is a guilt-free dish that’s packed with flavor.
When you’re craving an amazing, meaty, and flavor-packed dish with a sauce that’s plate-licking worthy, this keto chicken masala recipe is for you. The sauce is flavored with garam masala, which is loaded with exotic spices. And, with a creamy tomato-based sauce, be sure to serve this dish with something to let you scoop every last delightful bite.
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What you’ll love about This Keto Recipe
- It has authentic flavors and a rich, creamy sauce.
- It’s low in net carbs, of course!
- It’s got a good balance of fat and protein.
- It freezes like a dream so it’s great for meal prepping.
Ingredients
This recipe has two distinct parts: the chicken and chicken marinade, and the sauce. Here’s what you’ll need to make them both:
For the chicken
- Chicken thighs – I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs but bone-in would also work though the marinade won’t penetrate as far.
- Plain yogurt – Greek yogurt is so rich and thick and perfect for this keto chicken recipe but any plain yogurt will work.
- Ginger – You’ll need a fair bit of ginger for this recipe. Chop it all at once so you have it ready to go.
- Garlic – Finely minced. See my tips section below for my hack on dealing with ginger and garlic in recipes.
- Ground coriander – It might be tough to find at the store, but you’ll find it for sure at an Indian market.
- Garam masala – Grab some of this at the Indian market, too. I often find it in a small box with a foil-sealed package inside to keep the spices super-fresh. Smart!
- Cumin
- Cayenne
- Salt and pepper
For the Keto Tikka Masala Sauce:
- Ghee – Or butter.
- Onion – Fresh yellow or white onion.
- Ginger – Yup, more ginger.
- Garlic – Yes, more garlic, too.
- Canned diced tomatoes – A large 28-ounce can.
- Heavy whipping cream – About a cup.
- Garam masala
- Salt and pepper
- Cilantro – Fresh cilantro, chopped, as a garnish.
Plan Ahead For This Low Carb Tikka Masala Recipe
I’m not gonna lie – this chicken tikka masala restaurant-style recipe is a labor of love. It’s not a quick fix, nor should it be. The flavors take time to develop, and the chicken needs to marinate for a few hours or overnight for the best flavor.
I get the chicken marinating the night before, and then, this dish can come together in about 45 minutes.
The good news is that the flavors are even better the next day, so don’t worry about the leftovers. You can also pop the leftovers in the freezer, making this a great choice for keto meal prep.
How To Make Keto Chicken Tikka Masala
For a complete list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe at the end of this page.
- Mix the yogurt with the ginger, garlic, garam masala, corriander, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chicken to the yogurt-spice mixture and mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- After the chicken is marinated, make the sauce by sauteeing the onion in the ghee or butter until it starts to soften, then add the ginger and garlic.
- Add the tomatoes to the onion and turn the heat way down, to a bare simmer. Let this mixture cook for about 30 minutes or until most of the tomato juice has evaporated and the onions are super-soft.
- Broil the chicken. While the tomatoes are cooking, put the yogurt coated chicken onto a baking sheet and into the oven. Broil the chicken – about 6-inches from the broiler – for 3-4 mintues or until it starts to brown in spots. It won’t be cooked, so don’t worry about that.
- Chop the chicken into 1-inch chunks and set it aside for a few minutes.
- Add the tomato-onion mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender, to puree the mixture. If using a blender, put a towel over the top and remove the plug from the top lid, to avoid explosions.
- Simmer. Return the super-smooth sauce to the pan and add the cream, garam masla, and chicken (and any pan juices). Simmer the mixture for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh cilantro. Dig in!
Recommended
Other delicious keto chicken recipes:
Chef Jenn’s tips
- I hate chopping garlic and ginger. Instead, I use a mini chopper – like a mini food processor. In go the garlic cloves and ginger and a few pulses later and it’s all chopped finely.
- Don’t rush this recipe! The longer the chicken marinades the more flavor it’ll have.
- You can use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. Similar marinating and cooking process.
Make it a Meal
Wondering what to serve with keto Chicken Tikka Masala? Make it a complete meal with your favorite cauliflower rice. I also love to serve this dish with bright green vegetables like asparagus or green beans, and raita is a must.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it sure can be! This recipe – with pared-down carbs, is totally keto. This is probably not the recipe for you if you’re doing strict keto as it has tomatoes, onions, and garlic in it which are higher in net carbs. But, for people on a regular keto lifestyle, dig in!
Each hearty serving has 8 net carbs in it.
This is a saucy dish with big, tender chunks of chicken. The chicken is marinated so it’s infused with flavor, and the sauce is creamy and flavored by garam masala which is a spice mixture of cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, and more. There’s a bit of heat to the sauce, but it is still mild.
Step By Step Process
Keto Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs about 8 thighs
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 1/2 cup sliced onion
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 28 ounce canned diced tomatoes juice and all
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro to garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix the yogurt with the ginger, garlic, garam masala, corriander, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chicken to the yogurt-spice mixture and mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- After the chicken is marinated, make the sauce by sauteeing the onion in the ghee or butter until it starts to soften, then add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes or until aromatic.
- Add the tomatoes to the onion-ginger-garlic and turn the heat way down, to a bare simmer. Let this mixture cook for about 30 minutes or until most of the tomato juice has evaporated and the onions are super-soft.
- While the tomatoes are cooking, put the yogurt coated chicken onto a baking sheet and into the oven. Broil the chicken – about 6-inches from the broiler – for 3-4 mintues or until it starts to brown in spots. It won't be cooked, so don't worry about that.
- Chop the chicken into 1-inch chunks and set it aside for a few minutes.
- Add the tomato-onion mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender, to puree the mixture. If using a blender, put a towel over the top and remove the plug from the top lid, to avoid explosions.
- Return the super-smooth sauce to the pan and add the cream, garam masla, and chicken (and any pan juices). Simmer the mixture for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh cilantro. Dig in!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s tips
- I hate chopping garlic and ginger. Instead, I use a mini chopper – like a mini food processor. In go the garlic cloves and ginger and a few pulses later and it’s all chopped finely.
- Don’t rush this recipe! The longer the chicken marinades the more flavor it’ll have.
- You can use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. Similar marinating and cooking process.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
WANT EVEN MORE EASY KETO DIET RECIPES?
I’m always in the kitchen creating new recipes, and while some of them are big hits, I get some misses, too. But these are some of my favorite all-time recipes:
- Thick and luscious Salmon Chowder
- Grilled veggies – I love how versatile this recipe is!
- This amazing cauliflower dish
- Meaty sausage Parmigiana
A new fav for a quick and easy dinner. Not too spicy for the kids, which is always a win 🙂
So creamy and delicious! My kids mopped it up with naan.
I love chicken tikka masala so much that I made a double portion and I’m so glad I did, it was SO good!
I love the spice blend in this masala, it made the whole house smell yummy!
I could not believe how flavorful this recipe was! My family LOVED it!
The flavors on this were delicious and not only did it taste good but it made the whole house smell delicious!
What a beautiful recipe. I love chicken tikka masala, and I really appreciate this keto version – especially the fact that you included the net carbs. My family loved it. One of my daughters doesn’t normally like meat, but this dish was flavorful enough that she liked it a lot. I had mine with cauliflower rice, and the rest of my family had Jasmine rice. Thank you!
This dinner was so flavorful! I did not miss the carbs at all! I’ll be making this all the time!
Love, love, love! This tikka masala is over the top scrumptious! I didn’t even have any leftovers for lunch the next day. My family inhaled at in one sitting!
Ok, this is a new favorite! We loved it so much I made a double batch the next day. I portioned it into single servings and we are set for lunches for the week!