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This Indian Tikka Masala Sauce recipe is what I call a “simmer sauce,” and you’ll want to keep it on hand for quick dinners! Use it with chicken, tofu, lamb, even cauliflower for an easy meal.
I recommend meal prepping a big batch of this sauce (takes less than an hour) and storing it in the freezer for those nights when you’re craving a cozy home-cooked meal but don’t have the energy.
Think of this tikka masala sauce as the “red sauce” of Indian cuisine. It can be paired with your favorite protein and anyone can master it. Use it to make my Lamb Tikka Masala or Tofu Tikka Masala.
This recipe article was originally published in January of 2021, it has since been updated with helpful tips, clearer instructions and step by step photos.
Reader Review
“Delicious recipe! After I finished cooking the masala, I pureed it in my Vitamix. I prefer a smooth sauce. Will be making this again! Thank you 🙂”
– Bob
What is Tikka Masala?
Tikka literally means “chunks of meat cooked on skewers” in hindi. And the Indian word masala often describes spice blends—though the blend and number of spices varies.
The origin of tikka masala is muddy—some say it originated in India while others say Britain or Scotland. When it comes to tikka masala, it’s hard to know what’s truly authentic as its origins are largely disputed and recipes vary widely.
The thing most people can agree on—authentic tikka masala consists of yogurt-marinated meat that gets skewered and cooked over a grill until charred. The charred meat then gets simmered in a silky curry sauce made with warm spices, coconut milk, onions and tomatoes.
Ingredients
- Olive oil or ghee: ghee will add more flavor—so use whichever you prefer.
- Yellow onion: I recommend yellow instead of white because for its pungent flavor and lower water content.
- Garlic cloves: fresh, always!
- Serrano chile: spicier than a jalapeño without overpowering the dish. For a mild dish, use jalapeño.
- Fresh ginger: this adds spice and warmth. I don’t recommend substituting with dried.
- Spices: Garam masala, ground cumin and ground cardamom are what you’ll need here.
- Canned whole peeled tomatoes: These have the most flavor and are the most tender of any canned tomato. Use the tomatoes and the juices.
- Canned full-fat coconut milk: use full-fat coconut milk for the best consistency. You can use heavy cream, just make sure you don’t bring the sauce to a boil or you risk the dairy breaking.
How to Make this Tikka Masala Sauce Recipe
- Cook the onion in some oil in a large sauté pan until softened and starting to brown, this will take about 10 minutes.
- Add the aromatics and cook until the onions are softened and golden brown, about 7 minutes.
- Stir in the spices and cook just 1 minute to toast them.
- Add the tomatoes and their juices and simmer until the sauce is thickened and deep in color, this will take at least 15 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and simmer the sauce until it’s thickened, this will take about 5 minutes.
Test Kitchen Tips
- Crushing the canned tomatoes: crush the whole-peeled tomatoes with your hands as you add them to the pan, or use a set of kitchen shears to chop them up in the can.
- Try adding some dried fenugreek (kasoori methi) for a more authentic sauce. Fenugreek comes in both dried leaves and seeds, you’ll want dried leaves here. Add a teaspoon or so with the spices.
How to Use Tikka Masala Sauce
One sauce, so many ways to use it! Once you have the sauce prepared, add bite-sized pieces of any protein. It’s best with marinated and grilled meat, but pre-cooked or even raw will also work. Here are some ways to add protein:
- Use this sauce to make my Lamb Tikka Masala or Tofu Tikka Masala.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs—cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into the sauce; cook for 5–8 minutes. Pre-cooked chicken or cubed rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut option.
- Hearty white fish such as cod or halibut—cut into 1-inch chunks, nestle in the sauce, and simmer for 3–5 minutes.
- Canned/cooked chickpeas or white beans—simply toss them in to warm through.
- Peeled and deveined shrimp—nestle into the sauce and simmer for about 2 minutes. (If you like this, try my Shrimp Fra Diavolo!)
Serve tikka masala over rice (cilantro brown rice would be delicious!), with cilantro and homemade naan.
Storage and Meal Prep
Store sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until simmering and warmed through.
Or, make a big batch by doubling or tripling the recipe and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To freeze tikka masala sauce, ladle the sauce into resealable zipper-lock bags then seal and lay flat on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then remove the baking sheet and store the bags in the freezer until needed.
Thaw the tikka masala sauce overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. If you forget to thaw, melt/reheat the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat.
Can I Make Tikka Masala Vegan?
This tikka masala sauce is already vegan if you cook the onions in olive oil. To make it a meal, add crispy chunks of tofu or tempeh, shredded cooked jackfruit, or cooked chickpeas instead of meat.
More Indian-Inspired Recipes
Easy Creamy Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
Description
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
- 1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 serrano, seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
Instructions
- Heat oil in a 12-inch satué pan over medium. Add onion and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until softened and starting to brown, 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic, serrano, and ginger; cook stirring frequently until onions are softened and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in garam masala, cumin, and cardamom; cook 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes with juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them (or use your kitchen shears to cut them in the can). Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring frequently and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, until thickened and deep in color, 15–20 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and simmer until thickened, 5–7 minutes. Use as desired.
Delicious recipe! After I finished cooking the masala, I pureed it in my Vitamix. I prefer a smooth sauce.
I used Coconut cream instead of Coconut milk, just because I keep some on hand.
Will be making this again!
Thank you 🙂