Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

Is chicken tikka masala healthy or unhealthy? ›

It's one of the most-ordered entrees at Indian joints. But like many Indian dishes that were originally low fat, the modern recipe for chicken tikka masala is anything but. An average portion has whopping 1,249 calories and 90.8 grams of fat. A lot of that comes from the ghee and heavy cream.

Recipes for both use the same seasonings, and appear pretty much interchangeable, except that curry often has coconut-something in it, and tikka masala is heavy on butter and cream.

To summarise, Indian chicken tikka masala has fresh flavors due to the use of fresh tomatoes. It's creamy, rich and delicious and won't make you feel bloated as there is a very small amount of cream used. Cashews impart a magical creamy texture and flavour without making you feel heavy.

Tikka Masala is the better option if you are looking for a lower-fat and calorie dish. However, suppose you are looking for a dish that is milder in spiciness and has a sweeter taste. In that case, Butter Chicken is the better choice.

**Saturated Fat and Cholesterol**: Creamy or heavily sauced chicken masala dishes may contain higher levels of saturated fats and cholesterol, which can negatively impact heart health if consumed in excess.

High Fat and Cholesterol Content

Saturated fat can increase your risk for heart disease and raise your cholesterol levels, and each serving of chicken tikka masala contains 28 grams of saturated fat, or 138 percent of the daily value.

Although both dishes have high levels of saturated fat, chicken remains the preferred choice for maintaining good health. Compared to other meats, chicken dishes tend to be more nutritious. Chicken tikka masala is a healthier option than butter chicken as it contains less fat (7 grams vs. 4 grams) and more protein.

Butter Chicken is much more creamy and rich due to the addition of a generous amount of butter. The Butter Chicken sauce is pureed until smooth, while Chicken Tikka Masala keeps the tomatoes and onions in chunks to add more texture to the sauce. And, Butter Chicken is much less spicy than Chicken Tikka Masala.

The main difference between butter chicken and tandoori chicken tikka masala is the level of creaminess; butter chicken is much creamier, whereas chicken tikka masala relies on tomatoes and other spices, giving it its earthy and spicy flavor profile.

Your curry can taste bitter if the spices and garlic are burnt or if you've added too much fenugreek to the dish. You see, the secret to cooking a delicious curry recipe is to create a spicy paste and slowly cook it before adding your meat.

How to add more Flavour to tikka masala? ›

You should also think about what else you might like to add. Chopped chillies, , more salt, sugar, freshly roasted garam masala and lemon juice all help achieve a good combination of spicy, savoury, sour and sweet flavours.

Tikka masala has dietary and regional variations and is a popular Indian dish.

Vindaloo is known for its spicy and tangy profile, often made with vinegar and hot spices. Tikka Masala, on the other hand, has a creamy tomato-based sauce with milder spices, resulting in a rich and mildly spiced flavor. Your preference depends on your taste for spice and degree of creaminess.

One key ingredient of the butter chicken sauce is butter, while chicken tikka masala main ingredients rely on tomatoes. But you don't want to mix the two up. The first dish includes tomatoes.

Any Indian curries that are tomato-based, like tandoori, madras, jalfrezi, rogan and bhuna, are the lowest in calories. They average around 200-300 calories. If you want an even healthier option, consider a sauce-free dish like fish tikka (which is only 180 calories).

Both of these dishes have a lot of saturated fat—but in general, chicken dishes will be better for you than those made with other meats. Chicken tikka masala has more protein and less fat (7 grams) than chicken curry (4 grams) because chicken curry contains ghee or oil, whereas chicken-tikka masala does not.

Chicken tikka is packed with protein, fibre, fat, and carbohydrates. It contains 0.7 grams of fibre, 4.2 grams of protein, and 5 grams of net carbs. On the other hand, Chicken tandoori is enriched with protein, fibre, and carbohydrates. It has 8.7 grams of net carbs, 1.8 grams of fibre, and 17.5 grams of protein.