Indian Leftover Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe, a delicious chicken curry that is super easy to make, yet aromatic and so comforting. This homemade version easily beats any take-away. A delicious family dinner that is ready in about 20 minutes.
To say that British people like curry is definitely an understatement. They absolutely love it; to such extent, that curry has been adopted as a national dish. That makes it a favourite when it comes to having a take-away too.
My personal favourite is chicken curry, but l wouldn't say no to a simple beef curry, fish curry or vegetable coconut and chickpea curry either. As l might have mentioned before, lamb is not quite my thing, so l would just politely say no to it. But anything else, yes, please, one big portion for me.
It was actually in London where l first tried curry, and, although my first impression was, nope, that's not for me, l got to appreciate a good curry. I guess the strong spices can be a bit overwhelming for someone used to kind of plain food.
Now I do appreciate these fantastic Indian spices, although I don't go crazy about too much heat. My curries tend to be mild, in this way the whole family gets to enjoy them too. But, of course, these homemade curries recipes can be tweaked to one's liking, and more heat can be added to them.
We've all been guilty of throwing away leftovers at some point, so how about we get to transform this leftover roast chicken into a fabulous leftover chicken tikka masala that will have you lick your fingers clean?
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Step-by-step photos and instructions
My chicken tikka masala is by no means an authentic Indian recipe, but it tastes like the real deal, and l'm quite proud of it. It is pretty mild, but the spices used plus the ginger give this dish that particularly fragrant taste one expects from a good curry.
And if a chicken tikka masala cooked from scratch is easy to make, this leftover chicken tikka masala is even easier, and quicker to make too. Let's see how it's made:
- in a pan, fry the onions gently until lightly brown
- add the garlic, ginger and red chilli, and cook for a further 30 seconds or so until fragrant
- add the spices, and give it a good stir, so that the full flavours can be released
- in go the chopped tomatoes and water, and leave to cook for about 10 minutes or until the water is reduced and you get a thicker sauce
- add the Greek yogurt and tomato puree, and give it a good stir
Make sure the yogurt is at room temperature, otherwise it will curdle when added to the hot curry. Alternatively, add a few tablespoons of the hot sauce to it, mixing well after each addition, then add it to the pan.
- throw in the leftover chicken pieces, leave to simmer for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat
- garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro) or parsley
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Can I swap leftover chicken for other leftover meat?
Absolutely, any kind of meat goes: leftover turkey, beef, lamb, pork, or a combination of any of it. As long as the meat is already cooked, the cooking time for this curry does not change at all.
Can I freeze the leftover chicken tikka masala?
Yes, curries make a perfect dish to be frozen and enjoyed at any other time. Just make sure you add it to a tupperware with a good air-tight lid, and it's ready to go in the freezer.
I don't usually freeze rice, since it's so easy to make it fresh before every meal, in this tutorial I show you how to make basmati rice at home easily. It's the best basmati you can get, and it's done on the stove top.
Other chicken curry recipes
Easy Butter Chicken Recipe (Indian Style)
Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
If you’ve liked my INDIAN LEFTOVER CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA RECIPE or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Leftover Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 2 cups leftover roast chicken
- 2 onions
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 large tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 cm fresh ginger root
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon tomato purée
- 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh coriander or parsley
- ½ red chilli
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Instructions
- Peel and cut the onions, garlic cloves and ginger.
- Heat up the oil in a pan and fry the onions on a medium heat until golden.
- Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and stir for 10-15 seconds.
- Chop the tomatoes and add them to a pan, then mix well and cook until the tomatoes are mushy.
- Next, add the spices and fry for a few seconds to release their full flavour, then pour in the and water and leave to cook until the water has been absorbed and the sauce begins to thicken.
- Add the sugar, tomato purée, yogurt and check if it needs any salt or pepper.
- Add the cooked chicken, give it a good stir, and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh coriander or parsley.
- Remove from the heat and serve hot with basmati rice, naan or pitta bread.
Notes
- The servings can be adjusted by clicking the number next to Servings.
- See the post for more tips on how to make the best leftover chicken tikka masala
Nutrition
Jacqui says
Yummy
Sue says
The best dish for my leftover turkey this christmas. Mine was quite spicy - the chilli was a hot one! I served with cranberry sauce and mango chutney, both of which tempered the heat for me. Delicious.
Daniela Apostol says
That's great to hear, it sounded delicious!
Robin says
This was delicious. We had two servings each. I actually used leftover Roasted Masala Chicken I made from "Made In India" cookbook by Meera Sodha. It's such a treat and different from my run-of-the-mill cooking. Easy too. One pot meal.
Maisie B says
1.your conversion us to metric does not work
2.your recipe omits to say when to put in the chicken
Daniela Apostol says
Thank you for letting me know, I have updated the recipe card to mention when to add the chicken. This recipe does not need conversion, as the amounts used are universal.
penroses121 says
Looks amazing
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
Such a beautiful dish. My husband couldn't get enough Indian food while we were living in Nairobi (there is a sizable Indian population there). . .and not a day goes by that he doesn't make mention that he misses the food there. I'm definitely going to need to make this for him.
Daniela Apostol says
Thank you, Lynn! It's so easy to make it, l'm sure you'll like it
safira says
Love chicken tikka masala! Yummy
Daniela Apostol says
Thank you!
Elissa says
Yum! Our family loves Indian style curries so we would love to try this. The "easy" factor is a big win for me as well.
Daniela Apostol says
Thank you, Elissa! It's indeed so easy to make it.
Ali @ Home & Plate says
Your chicken tikki masala sounds perfect. I prefer things not as spicy and your recipe sounds perfect for me. My neighbor makes a spicy version and its good but sometimes a bit spicy for some. Love how easy this is to make.
Daniela Apostol says
Thank you, Ali! I can't have it too spicy either, l find that this had the right amound of spiciness for my taste, l hope you'll like it.