Love chicken tikka but don’t like to be too hands on in the kitchen? My Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka is for you! All of the flavour without the faff.
I love chicken tikka. It is always my go-to Indian recipe which I know is quite boring and unauthentic. I’ve already come up with my Skinny Chicken Tikka recipe which I still love.
But it isn’t a recipe that you can just leave to cook.
Why use a slow cooker?
I love using my slow cooker for a number of reasons, but ease is probably number one. Being able to add the ingredients and leave them to cook without much intervention is great!
We all lead busy lives and we don’t always have the time on a weeknight to be grilling chicken to crispy perfection.
I wanted to create an Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka that had all of the flavours you would expect, but with minimal effort.
How easy is this Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka to make?
It is honestly a very easy recipe to make. As long as you can make sure there are no bones in chicken thighs – you can make this dish! You then add all of the marinade ingredients to the chicken and let it work it’s magic.
When cooking, I let it cook down until the sauce is thick and coating the chicken. If you didn’t want the sauce to thicken, you could always serve it once you have shredded the chicken.
Why use chicken thighs and not breasts?
I typically prefer chicken thighs to breasts. I think they have more flavour and also keep their moisture when cooking.
This is particularly important when slow cooking chicken because it is easier for it to become dry as it is cooking for longer. You can use breasts if you prefer though.
Are there any differences to normal chicken tikka?
As this chicken tikka is cooked in the slow cooker, you don’t get the lovely charred edges. I do absolutely love these charred edges, but sometimes you want the flavours without the hassle!
This Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka is perfect if you are an inpatient cook and don’t like to be very hands on in the kitchen.
How to serve this Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka
The reason why I created this recipe was because I wanted an easier chicken tikka recipe. I felt like my Skinny Chicken Tikka took a little bit too much time to use for lunches.
I like to serve this with salad and some mango chutney.
Another equally delicious way to serve it would be in a flatbread or wrap with salad. As the chicken is already shredded it works well for either of these options.
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Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka
Love chicken tikka but don't like to be too hands on in the kitchen? My Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka is for you! All of the flavour without the faff.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken thighs skin & bones removed
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 175 g non-fat natural yogurt
- 1 tbsp ginger puree
- 1 tbsp garlic puree
- 2 tbsp tandoori masala powder
- ½ tsp tumeric powder
- ½ tsp garam masala power
- 1 tsp dried coriander powder
- ½ tsp chilli powder
Instructions
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Remove all the skin and bones from the chicken thighs. If you have bought thighs with the skin and bone removed, make sure you check for small bones
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Add the chicken thighs to a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients
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Stir all of the ingredients so they are evenly mixed and coating the chicken
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Leave the chicken to marinade for 2 - 60 hours - the longer the better!
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After the chicken has marinated, add the chicken and any marinade to the slow cooker. Cook for 4 hours on high
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Take the chicken out of the slow cooker and shred it using two forks
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Add back to the slow cooker and cook for 1 - 1½ hours
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Cook until the sauce is as thick as you'd like it
Recipe Notes
I use a 3.5L slow cooker.
Balvinder says
I am fan of chicken Tikka. Even if the edges does not get charred I would love to give this recipe a try as it sounds interesting to do in a slow cooker.
Curly says
It’s a lot less hands on time which is what I wanted to create with this recipe 🙂
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
Hellz to the yes on chicken thighs, sister! I had never thought to shred my chicken tikka before, but I think that’s a great idea. This dish has such beautiful flavors going on—I can’t wait to give it a try!
Curly says
Haha thanks. It’s easier to eat when it’s shredded – no knife needed!
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says
It sounds absolutely delicious Cat plus the huge plus is you can make it ahead and have handy in the fridge for easy lunches! I would love it in a flatbread with some crunchy salad and mango chutney! Getting hungry now! 🙂
Curly says
Thanks Jo 🙂 Yeah that’s one thing I love so much about this recipe! Ooh you’re making me hungry too!