Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is chicken cooked low & slow in a delicious, creamy tomato sauce with just the right spices is comfort in a bowl. Weight Watchers friendly-2 SmartPoints!
Earlier this week, I posted a recipe for my Whole Wheat Skillet Naan and shared my love of Indian food. I started to eat Indian food years ago when I was vegetarian. Although I’m no longer vegetarian, my love for Indian food continues to grow and I enjoy making it at home, especially classic Indian dishes. My Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is a healthy twist on the classic Indian dish. Chicken cooked low and slow in a delicious, creamy tomato sauce with just the right spices is comfort in a bowl. This is a Weight Watchers friendly recipe and each serving is 2 SmartPoints.
Chicken Tikka Masala is by far one of my husband and I favorite Indian dishes. I think tikka masala was also the first Indian dish I ever tried. Have you ever had Chicken Tikka Masala before? It’s a mixture of chicken in a creamy tomato sauce with Indian spices. There are a variety of Indian spices used in Tikka Masala, such as, coriander (cilantro seeds ground up), cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, paprika, ginger, and cayenne pepper. These spices are blended with tomato sauce and heavy cream, and when mixed with chicken, is amazing!
I’m a sucker for a type of tomato sauce, so this is probably why Chicken Tikka Masala is one of my favorite Indian dishes. These spices mixed together are decadent, comforting, and will tempt you to lick the bowl clean! What most people worry about with Indian food, is all the spices. With Tikka Masala, it’s not spicy hot. The spices are warming and pair perfectly with tomato sauce.
My version of Chicken Tikka Masala is a bit lighter on calories (and fat) than the traditional version… it’s also made in a crock pot which makes the flavors pop even more! The base of the spiced tomato sauce starts with ginger, garlic, and onion. Add ginger paste, garlic cloves, and onion to a food processor and mix well.
Add the mixture to a skillet and sauté for a few minutes. To the skillet, add all the spices: tomato paste, garam masala, cayenne pepper, turmeric, paprika, cumin, ground coriander, and salt. Mix the ingredients and let cook for a few minutes. Cooking the spices really enhances their flavor.
Add chicken breast, spice mixture, brown sugar, and canned whole tomatoes to a crock pot. Let cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
After the chicken has cooked, carefully remove from the crock pot to shred. The chicken will be oozing with amazing, delicious flavor!!
This recipe calls for canned whole tomatoes. I prefer to use canned whole tomatoes rather than crushed tomatoes because I like to break up the tomatoes myself so that the sauce is a chunky. While the chicken is out of the crockpot, break up the tomatoes into pieces using a wooden spoon. The tomatoes will be super tender so it will be easy! Just break up the tomatoes to how small you want them.
Next, add light coconut milk and Greek yogurt. Mix well then add the shredded chicken back to the crock pot and mix again.
Serve over brown rice and garnish with fresh cilantro!
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is a healthy twist on the classic Indian dish. Chicken cooked low and slow in a delicious, creamy tomato sauce with just the right spices is comfort in a bowl. This recipe would be great for a beginner to Indian food and as with a lot of food made in a crock pot, the left overs are even better! I like to serve mine with my Whole Wheat Skillet Naan. Only 41 calories and 2 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per serving!
Be sure to try my vegetarian version too-Tofu Tikka Masala!!
I hope you enjoy these bites of flavor!
Serves 5, 1 Cup Per Serving
2 SMARTPOINTS per serving
20 minPrep Time
8 hrCook Time
8 hr, 20 Total Time
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Pounds Chicken Breast
- 28oz Canned Peeled Whole Tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- ½ White Onion
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger paste
- 2 Tablespoons Garam Masala
- 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Turmeric
- 2 Teaspoons Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup Light Coconut Milk
- ½ Cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt
- Cilantro, For Garnish
Instructions
- In a food processor (or blender), add onion, garlic, and ginger. Pulse until well combined.
- In a small skillet, sauce onion mixture for 5 minutes.
- Add tomato paste garam masala, cayenne pepper, turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add mixture from skillet to a crock pot along with chicken breast, canned tomatoes, and brown sugar.
- Cover with lid and let cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
- Gently remove chicken breast onto a cutting board to rest.
- Add in coconut milk and Greek yogurt to crock pot and mix well.
- Shred chicken breast and add back to crock pot. Mix well.
- Serve over brown rice and garnish with cilantro.
Notes
Freezer friendly! Rice is not included in the nutrition calculation or Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculation.
Nutrition is based on the NEW Weight Watchers Freestyle Program guidelines. Nutrition calculated using Weight Watchers calculator.
NUTRITION: Serves 5- (2 SmartPoints Per Serving) CALORIES: 41 FAT: 2.8 SATURATED FAT: 1.6 CARBS: 4 FIBER: 0 SUGARS: 2.9 PROTEIN: 0.3
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28 Comments
Lori | Choosing Wisdom
August 24, 2017 at 11:57 am Looks amazing! We are lovers of Indian food over here! I think tikka masala was the first dish I tried too. A couple of weeks ago we had some colder weather and I tried a Coconut Dal soup with butternut squash - very similar flavors to tikka masala. Love the flavors of Indian spices!Kristine
August 24, 2017 at 5:53 pm Oh I need to try Coconut Dal soup!! Thanks Lori :)Dianne
August 24, 2017 at 12:14 pm Drooling right now! I'll definitely give this one a try because I LOVE Indian food.Kristine
August 24, 2017 at 5:51 pm You will love this! Thanks Dianne :)Lisa
August 24, 2017 at 12:22 pm This looks so flavorful! We love indian food!Casey the College Celiac
August 24, 2017 at 1:16 pm This sounds like such a delicious comfort food!Kristine
August 24, 2017 at 5:50 pm It really is! Thanks Casey :)colleen wool
August 24, 2017 at 1:21 pm This recipe looks so delicious and easy to make. I cant wait to try it!Kristine
August 24, 2017 at 5:49 pm Super easy to make! Thanks Colleen :)Ayanna @ 21FlavorsofSplendor
August 24, 2017 at 2:32 pm This looks so yummy!! I love crockpot meals and Naan. This would be a great weekday meal.Kristine
August 24, 2017 at 5:49 pm Crock pot meals make things so much better during the week! Thanks Ayanna :)Laura
August 24, 2017 at 4:18 pm I was unashamedly drooling as I read this! Laura recently posted...10 Simple Tips For Flying With A BabyKristine
August 24, 2017 at 5:48 pm Oh I was totally drooling while writing this blog post!!Marie Ndiaye
August 24, 2017 at 6:35 pm Yum. This looks really good! I'm always looking for new recipes I can use in my crockpot!Kristine
August 25, 2017 at 12:34 pm I love anything made in a crock pot :) Thanks Marie!Jordyn Galan
August 24, 2017 at 10:41 pm OMG this looks so amazing! and I love that you have the weight watchers points! Jordyn Galan recently posted...Greek Spinach Pie: AKA SpanakopitaKristine
August 25, 2017 at 12:34 pm Thanks Jordyn :)!!Cathy
August 25, 2017 at 10:07 am You definitely had me sold right at the beginning when you said this was Weight Watchers friendly! It looks so good - I can't wait to add this to my meal plan for next week. :)Kristine
August 25, 2017 at 12:33 pm I'm glad I got you hooked :) You wouldn't even know that it's Weight Watchers because it's so good!!Andrea Schwartz
August 25, 2017 at 12:32 pm I'm going to pin this one! Do you think it could be adapted for the instant pot? I just ordered one!Sarah Camille
August 25, 2017 at 12:40 pm Omg chicken tikka masala is my favorite Indian dish. I haven't made it in a slower cooker though, and I just got one. Will have to try this out. :-) Cheers, Sarah Camille // SCsScoop.comKristine
August 29, 2017 at 8:54 am OH then you must try this recipe :) Thanks Sarah!!Cheyenne
August 25, 2017 at 9:22 pm Yup. Trying this next week! Thanks! Cheyenne recently posted...DIY Painted PumpkinsKristine
August 29, 2017 at 8:54 am Awesome! I hope you like it Cheyenne :)Jessica Joachim
August 25, 2017 at 9:31 pm This looks delicious. I love anything that can be cooked in a slow cooker, so I will have to try this one out Jessica Joachim recently posted...Water Gun PaintingKristine
August 29, 2017 at 8:54 am Cooking in a crock pot is such a great time saver! Thanks Jessica :)Kate
August 25, 2017 at 11:13 pm I love chicken tikka masala and anything I can make in a crock pot! Awesome that this is a lower calorie version.Kristine
August 29, 2017 at 8:53 am I'm so ready for crockpot season! Thanks Kate :)