Chef John's Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipe View Prepare the Chicken: Gather all ingredients. Place chicken in a bowl. Drizzle vegetable oil over chicken; toss to coat.

Recipe View Spice Infusion: Whisk together salt, garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken and turn to coat evenly.

Recipe View Sear to Perfection (5-10 minutes): Melt clarified butter in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Cook chicken thighs in hot butter until browned on all sides. Transfer chicken to a plate. When cool enough to handle, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Recipe View Craft the Aromatic Base (5-6 minutes): Make sauce: Place the skillet with chicken drippings over medium-high heat. Stir onion into the skillet; sauté until onion softens and turns translucent.

Recipe View Caramelize the Flavors (5 minutes): Stir in tomato paste and cook until paste caramelizes.

Recipe View Infuse with Garlic and Ginger (1 minute): Stir garlic and ginger into tomato-onion mixture; cook until fragrant.

Recipe View Simmer to Perfection (15 minutes): Pour crushed tomatoes into the skillet. Bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Pour in coconut milk and chicken broth; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors blend and sauce is slightly reduced.

Recipe View Final Touches (10-15 minutes): Stir chicken and any accumulated juices into sauce. Add cilantro and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until chicken is cooked through and tender. Season with salt and black pepper.