Homemade Air Fryer Tikka Masala

Indian food has always felt a bit scary to make at home. I love ordering tikka masala from our local restaurant, but I figured it would take hours and a million spices I don’t have. Then I discovered I could make it in my air fryer, and everything changed.

The air fryer makes the chicken so tender and gives it that perfect slightly charred taste you get from a real tandoor oven. Plus, the whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes. I can have dinner on the table faster than it takes to get takeout delivered.

My kids actually ask for this now instead of their usual chicken nuggets. And honestly, I’m happy to make it because it’s so much easier than I thought it would be. No fancy equipment needed, just your air fryer and some basic spices you probably already have.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

Chicken thighs are definitely the way to go for tikka masala, and this recipe calls for boneless, skinless ones which makes prep so much easier. Thighs stay much more tender and juicy than chicken breasts, especially when cooked in the air fryer where things can dry out quickly. If you can only find bone-in thighs, you can certainly use those – just remove the bones and skin yourself, though it’ll add a bit more prep time. The dark meat in thighs also soaks up all those amazing spices and marinade flavors better than white meat, giving you that rich, satisfying taste that makes tikka masala so good.

Options for Substitutions

This tikka masala recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps – here are some options that work well:

• Chicken thighs: You can use chicken breasts instead, but cut the cooking time slightly since they cook faster. Chicken thighs stay more tender, but breasts work fine if that’s what you have.
• Ghee: Regular butter or any neutral oil like canola or avocado oil works perfectly. Ghee adds a nice nutty flavor, but don’t stress if you don’t have it.
• Heavy cream: Coconut milk makes a great dairy-free substitute and adds a subtle sweetness. You can also use half-and-half or even whole milk, though the sauce won’t be quite as rich.
• Fresh ginger and garlic: In a pinch, use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for every 3 cloves of garlic, and ½ teaspoon ground ginger for every tablespoon of fresh. Fresh is better, but dried spices will still give you good flavor.
• Tikka curry powder: If you can’t find tikka curry powder, mix together 1 tsp each of paprika, cumin, and coriander with ½ tsp each of turmeric and cayenne.
• Greek yogurt: Regular plain yogurt works fine, just make sure it’s not flavored. If you only have vanilla yogurt, use a bit less and skip some of the sugar in the sauce.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making air fryer tikka masala is not marinating the chicken long enough – aim for at least 30 minutes, but overnight gives you the best flavor and tenderness.

Another common error is overcrowding the air fryer basket, which leads to uneven cooking and steaming instead of that nice charred exterior you want, so cook the chicken in batches if needed.

Don’t rush the sauce by cranking up the heat too high, as this can cause the cream to curdle and separate – keep it at a gentle simmer and add the cream slowly while stirring.

Finally, make sure to check that your chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature, and if your sauce seems too thick, thin it out with a splash of water or chicken broth rather than more cream.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Tikka Masala?

This rich and creamy tikka masala is absolutely perfect served over fluffy basmati rice, which soaks up all that amazing sauce beautifully. I love pairing it with warm naan bread or chapati for scooping up every last bit of the curry – you can even make garlic naan if you’re feeling fancy! A simple cucumber raita or plain yogurt on the side helps cool things down if the spice level gets a bit intense. For a complete Indian feast, add some roasted vegetables like cauliflower or green beans, and don’t forget to sprinkle fresh cilantro on top for that perfect finishing touch.

Storage Instructions

Store: This tikka masala actually tastes even better the next day! Store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavors really have time to meld together, making it perfect for meal prep or leftovers that you’ll actually look forward to eating.

Freeze: You can freeze this curry for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers or bags. I like to portion it out into individual servings so I can just grab what I need. Just remember to leave a little space at the top of containers since it will expand when frozen.

Reheat: Warm it up gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. If it seems too thick after reheating, just add a splash of water or cream to get it back to the right consistency. You can also microwave it, but stir it every minute or so to heat evenly.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2750-3000
• Protein: 185-210 g
• Fat: 170-195 g
• Carbohydrates: 85-105 g

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 1 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp garam masala blend
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup plain or greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
• 1 large onion or 3 shallots
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp tikka curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground fenugreek
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 28 oz (2 cans, 14 oz each) san marzano crushed or whole tomatoes
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) water or passata

For finishing:

• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream or evaporated milk
• Fresh coriander leaves, for garnish

Step 1: Prepare the Spiced Marinade

• 1 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp garam masala blend
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup plain or Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add sweet paprika, kosher salt, garam masala blend, coriander powder, ground cumin, turmeric powder, and cayenne pepper.

Stir until the mixture becomes fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled spices, yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, and grated fresh ginger.

Stir well to create a uniform marinade.

Step 2: Marinate the Chicken

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• marinade from Step 1

Add the boneless, skinless chicken thighs to the bowl with the marinade.

Toss to coat the chicken thoroughly with the marinade mixture.

Cover the bowl or transfer to a lidded glass container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours, allowing the flavors to infuse the chicken.

Step 3: Make the Curry Sauce Base

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
• 1 large onion or 3 shallots
• 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tsp tikka curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground fenugreek
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 28 oz (2 cans, 14 oz each) San Marzano crushed or whole tomatoes
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) water or passata

Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/400°F.

Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee, chopped onion or shallots, grated fresh ginger, and minced garlic to an air fryer cake barrel or a similar oven-safe dish.

Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.

Add tikka curry powder, garam masala, ground fenugreek, brown sugar, salt, crushed or whole tomatoes, and water or passata.

Stir to combine and cook in the air fryer for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until mostly smooth.

I like to leave a little texture for a more rustic sauce.

Step 4: Cook the Marinated Chicken

• marinated chicken from Step 2

Preheat the air fryer again to 200°C/400°F (or higher if your air fryer allows) for 5 minutes.

Lightly mist the basket with oil.

Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and place it into the air fryer basket, discarding any excess marinade.

Cook the chicken for 20 minutes, flipping over halfway through until the chicken is juicy and the edges are nicely charred.

Step 5: Combine Chicken and Sauce, Finish with Cream

• cooked chicken from Step 4
• blended sauce from Step 3
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream or evaporated milk

Slice the cooked chicken into chunks.

Stir the chunks into the blended curry sauce base in the air fryer cake barrel.

Pour in the heavy cream or evaporated milk and stir well.

Heat everything together in the air fryer for another 5 minutes until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce is creamy and rich.

For a touch more richness, I like to use heavy cream instead of evaporated milk here.

Step 6: Garnish and Serve

• fresh coriander leaves, for garnish

Serve the finished chicken curry garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

Enjoy with pilau rice and naan bread for an authentic meal!

Simply and seriously DELICIOUS!

Homemade Air Fryer Tikka Masala

Delicious Homemade Air Fryer Tikka Masala recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 19 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 38 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 57 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2875 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the marinade:

• 1 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp garam masala blend
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup plain or Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
• 1 large onion or 3 shallots
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp tikka curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground fenugreek
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 28 oz (2 cans, 14 oz each) San Marzano crushed or whole tomatoes
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) water or passata

For finishing:

• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream or evaporated milk
• fresh coriander leaves, for garnish

Instructions

 

• Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sweet paprika, kosher salt, garam masala blend, coriander powder, ground cumin, turmeric powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir until the mixture becomes fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. In a large bowl, combine the cooled spices, yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, and grated fresh ginger. Stir well to create a uniform marinade.
• Add the boneless, skinless chicken thighs to the bowl with the marinade. Toss to coat the chicken thoroughly with the marinade mixture. Cover the bowl or transfer to a lidded glass container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours, allowing the flavors to infuse the chicken.
• Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/400°F. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee, chopped onion or shallots, grated fresh ginger, and minced garlic to an air fryer cake barrel or a similar oven-safe dish. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add tikka curry powder, garam masala, ground fenugreek, brown sugar, salt, crushed or whole tomatoes, and water or passata. Stir to combine and cook in the air fryer for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until mostly smooth. I like to leave a little texture for a more rustic sauce.
• Preheat the air fryer again to 200°C/400°F (or higher if your air fryer allows) for 5 minutes. Lightly mist the basket with oil. Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and place it into the air fryer basket, discarding any excess marinade. Cook the chicken for 20 minutes, flipping over halfway through until the chicken is juicy and the edges are nicely charred.
• Slice the cooked chicken into chunks. Stir the chunks into the blended curry sauce base in the air fryer cake barrel. Pour in the heavy cream or evaporated milk and stir well. Heat everything together in the air fryer for another 5 minutes until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce is creamy and rich. For a touch more richness, I like to use heavy cream instead of evaporated milk here.
• Serve the finished chicken curry garnished with fresh coriander leaves. Enjoy with pilau rice and naan bread for an authentic meal! Simply and seriously DELICIOUS!