So, I happened to post a pic of my dinner simmering away on the stove on social media the other night and have been receiving requests for the recipe ever since. Apparently, it looked really good ?It did turn out delicious, so, I’m happy to share the recipe with you, while it is still fresh in my mind! I adapted this from a slow cooker recipe I found online, but since I didn’t have time to slow cook as it was already 6pm, I made quite a few changes to the recipe. Plus, I think this way is probably tastier and of course I health-ed it up too.
This isn’t a traditional version of Chicken Tikka Masala, which typically has the chicken marinated in yogurt sauce then grilled first. I saved a lot of steps by not making a sauce and marinating the chicken, but this is still really delicious and way easier to make. I was surprised how easy, as I whipped this up for a weeknight dinner.
A couple things: I wouldn’t recommend swapping out the chicken thighs with chicken breasts, even if chicken breasts are what you already have on hand. I know it’s tempting, but chicken breasts have the potential to get all dried out, which could then lead to this meal being gross. Chicken thighs can be a pain to trim, when you insist on removing all the fat from them, like I do, but if you’re not as picky about your chicken fat, then it’s even easier. Anyway, despite the extra trimming, it was well worth it to use the thigh meat. So tender, and way more flavor than the chicken breasts. And remember to choose organic! It is always worth the extra money to buy organic, free range and grass-fed meats. Your health and well-being are at stake!
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients in this recipe. It’s mostly spices! It takes very little effort to pour spices out of a jar, so never fear.
I was out of garam masala spice mix (prevalent in Indian cuisine), but I had all the spices to create the mix from a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. This made more than I needed, but now I have enough to make this dish again soon! You can buy garam masala mix already made at the store if you don’t have all of these. I did, since I am obsessed with spices and use these all the time. If you’re not obsessed with spices, you should become obsessed! They have incredible health benefits, not to mention how they perk up your cooking! Salt and pepper have their place, but I need way more flavor in my cooking, and use tons of spices and fresh and dried herbs. Here’s the recipe I used:
Garam Masala
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
I served this meal over brown rice, but you know what would be even better and healthier? Serving it over cauliflower rice! You can buy riced cauliflower at most grocery stores and all it would need is a quick sauté in some coconut oil before serving.
You know I need to add some vegetables to this, so I did. Hence, this is Chicken Tikka Masala with Spinach! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And, as always, please let me know if you give this a try. I love to hear from you!
Easy Chicken Tikka Masala with Spinach
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless organic chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons coconut oil (divided)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 one-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated or minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
28 oz. can of diced tomatoes included juices
1 tablespoon garam masala (I made my own using the recipe above)
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup full fat coconut milk
4 cups spinach, chopped
Fresh cilantro (for garnish)
2 cups cooked brown rice or cauliflower rice, for serving
Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add chopped chicken thighs and sauté until browned (about 5 minutes, don’t need to be cooked all the way through.) Remove from pan and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan. When oil is hot, add onions, garlic and ginger to pan and sauté until onions are soft and browned (about 6-7 minutes).
Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes and all spices to pan and mix together well. Return chicken to pan. Heat until the sauce begins to boil then reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is very tender and cooked all the way through, about 20 minutes.
At the end, add the coconut milk and spinach, mix well to combine. Bring it back to a simmer, and heat until the spinach has wilted.
Serve over brown rice (or cauliflower rice!) and top with lots of fresh cilantro!
