Chicken Tikka Masala Casserole
Published 10/8/2018 • Updated 6/18/2024
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This Chicken Tikka Masala Casserole is marinated in Greek yogurt until ultra-tender, making it one of the best chicken casserole recipes around!
Accessible for beginners, this comforting meal has all of the traditional flavors of chicken tikka masala but in yummy casserole form.
You guys have been asking for a Chicken Tikka Masala recipe ever since we came out with our Meal Prep Cauliflower Tikka Masala. We totally understand why! We love tikka masala recipes because they are jam-packed with flavor.
When testing this recipe, we knew that we wanted to do it CASSEROLE style. What’s easier than throwing all of your favorite ingredients into a casserole dish and then having it ready in an hour? Nothing! We even provide a step-by-step breakdown just for you. 🩷
Chicken Tikka Masala Casserole – Star Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast: Our cut of choice for this dish, chicken breast is lean, protein-packed and perfect for absorbing all of those delicious tikka masala flavors.
- Lemon: We used a combination of lemon zest of one lemon and juice in the marinade which helps tenderize the chicken and provides a nice citrusy flavor.
- Nonfat Greek yogurt: A key ingredient for the marinade, Greek yogurt not only adds tanginess and creaminess, but also helps keep the chicken super moist.
- Red potatoes: We roast red potatoes before adding them to the casserole, giving them a nice crispy exterior and soft interior.
- Serrano pepper: Kicks up the heat for this chicken tikka masala bake.
- Tomato sauce: A staple in traditional tikka masala recipes, tomato sauce is the base for the creamy and flavorful sauce in this casserole.
- Full-fat coconut milk: Provides a rich and creamy consistency for the sauce.
- Garam masala: A classic chicken tikka masala spice blend, garam masala adds depth and warmth to the dish.
- Minute rice: We kept it convenient with instant rice, but feel free to use any type of rice you prefer.
Can I switch up the veggies?
Absolutely! We went with red peppers, tomatoes, onions, and a spicy pepper. Feel free to change up the vegetables based on your favorites or what you have in your fridge.
Can I make this baked chicken tikka masala dairy-free?
If you are dairy-free go ahead and skip the yogurt marinade. You can also substitute Greek yogurt for a dairy-free alternative such as coconut or almond milk yogurt.
Our Favorite Delicious Additions to this Chicken Tikka Masala Casserole
Fenugreek: Fenugreek has a nutty and sweet flavor that is in some traditional tikka masala recipes. It can be hard to find, so do a little research before you grocery shop (we found ours at Fresh Thyme’s spice section). It really elevates the flavor of this dish!
Spicy green chili: Swap this with the serrano, or if you really like things hot, add it in addition! We tested it once with a serrano and once with a spicy green chili and both tasted fantastic. Go with your gut and go with whatever spice level you’re most comfortable with.
here are our top tips!
- Mixing all the spices and liquids together before putting them in the casserole helps to combine all the ingredients of the sauce before baking. So don’t skip that part!
- Remember to stir your tikka masala at the 30-minute mark. It’ll be a bit soupy, but don’t worry — you still have 15 minutes to go!
How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala Casserole
We had a lot of fun developing this homemade chicken tikka masala recipe and wanted to bring you along, step-by-step, in the process!
Step 1: Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
Step 2: Roast Potatoes
Net, place the red potatoes in the casserole dish with 1/4 cup chicken broth, place in the oven, and roast for 25 minutes.
Step 3: Marinate the Chicken
Next, cut the chicken into 1-inch squares and place it in a medium bowl. Add the marinade ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Prepare the Sauce
While the potatoes are roasting, add tomato sauce, 1 cup chicken broth, coconut milk, ginger, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Set aside.
When potatoes are done roasting, remove the casserole from the oven and turn the oven temperature to 375ºF.
Step 5: Assemble Tikka Masala Casserole
Now add the red pepper, serrano pepper, onion, garlic, minute rice, and marinated chicken to the casserole dish with the roasted red potatoes.
Pour the sauce mixture over the vegetables and chicken. Mix well and cover with aluminum foil.
Step 6: Bake
Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes at 375ºF, stirring after 30 minutes, then place back into the oven.
When done baking, let cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
How to Store and Reheat
If you have any leftovers, this casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, simply place in a microwave-safe dish and heat until warmed through. You can also reheat it in the oven at 325ºF for about 15 minutes.
Chicken Tikka Masala Casserole
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
- zest of one lemon
- juice of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
Casserole
- 2 cups red potatoes, chopped into 1.5-inch cubes
- 1 serrano pepper, mined
- 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 1/4 cup chicken broth, separate
- 1 15-oz. can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, mashed and minced
- 1.5 cups minute rice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Place red potatoes in the casserole dish with 1/4 cup chicken broth and place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes.
- Next, cut the chicken into 1-inch squares and place it in a medium bowl. Add ingredients for the marinade to the bowl and mix well. Let chicken sit in the marinade for ten minutes.
- While the potatoes are roasting prepare the sauce. Add tomato sauce, 1 cup chicken broth, coconut milk, ginger, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Set aside.
- When potatoes are done roasting remove the casserole from the oven and turn the oven temperature to 375ºF.
- Add the red pepper, serrano pepper, onion, garlic, minute rice, and marinated chicken to the casserole dish with the potatoes.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the vegetables and chicken. Mix well and cover with aluminum foil.
- Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes at 375ºF, stirring at 30 minutes and placing back into the oven.
Tips & Notes
- This recipe was modified and updated on January 28th 2021.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Sorry, but way way too starchy. Too much rice with too much potatoes. Needs a little more garam masala and salt but that’s not a big deal. If I were to do this again I would half the potatoes, add another teaspoon of garam masala and cook the rice on the side. This may make it to soupy without the rice but maybe half the rice. I would probably use regular rice instead of minute rice since it cooks long enough for the rice to get done. I would also substitute the tomato sauce with a can of diced to.atoes.
I made this recipe with a few modifications to the sauce with some Indian ingredients I had on hand and it was fantastic. I added about 1tsp of asafetida, 1tsp of Punjabi Chana masala spice, and 1 tsp of red chili powder. I also let the casserole rest for about 30 mins with the tinfoil on the casserole dish. It was great. You know what made it better? Wrapping it in a tortilla. Taste like an indaritto a la Hot Indian in Minneapolis
Just made this and this recipe needs to be taken down IMMEDIATELY. It is AWFUL. Believe the comments! I cooked for two hours and it still wasn’t done. This is not an oven issue or a potato size issue. Plus 3 TBSP of garam masala is way too much for any dish!! GROSS. Now it’s an hour after we expected to eat, we have no dinner and we wasted all that food! You almost lost me forever with this one. Please do better!
Truly Great Recipe. I’ll try at home.
Is anything I could use if I don’t have broth on hand?
Ok. Not as flavorful as I had hoped and definitely not a tikka masala flavor that I’m used to…. was really hoping for something different. That creamy potato flavor I love. But it’s ok. Also, website wasn’t specific on how to cut things and everything was in a weird order. Hard to view on mobile devices so many ads and huge pics mean long load times. Ingredients should be at the very top, how to cook after. I don’t know what the beginning part was… just confusing and redundant. You just need one section on how to prep and cook,
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