Lighter Chicken Tikka Masala | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (2024)

It took me years, but I have finally found a way to make Lighter Chicken Tikka Masala that tastes just as complex and creamy as it does at my favorite Indian restaurant! And even better–I was able to cut back on some of the richer ingredients to make this popular dish a little easier on the waistline.

I’ve tried so many variations of this recipe, but none of them quite get there. The curry either comes out too bland or too heavy on the tomato flavor. After lots of research and tons of failed attempts, I figured out some key steps to a better tikka masala at home.

How to make lighter chicken tikka masala

Step One: Marinate your chicken for at least two hours, but preferably overnight. This will tenderize the chicken breasts and impart a lot of flavor.

Step Two: Broil the chicken until you get a dark char. This will add a layer of flavor that you can’t mimic by just sauteing the pieces. If you must saute them in a skillet, make sure they get very dark around the edges, like this:

Step Three: Caramelize your onions, probably longer than you think you should. Notice all of those browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Those are going to add tons of flavor to the tomato sauce that we add next.

Another important part of this step is to add the ginger, garlic, and spices to the onions towards the end of cooking them. This way the spices will toast and release their flavor before adding the liquid.

I’ve also added an unconventional ingredient to add depth of flavor in a short amount of time–chili powder. The same stuff you’d add into a Mexican dish. It deepens the flavors even more!

Step Four: Reduce your tomato sauce A LOT. It should be almost the consistency of tomato paste before you add in your half and half.

This will make the curry taste like it has been cooking all day, but we’re only cooking it for 45 minutes, tops!

As for lightening up the recipe, I wanted to make sure this tasted as close to the restaurant version as possible, so I decided to use regular half and half instead of something that would cut the calories a lot more, like greek yogurt or fat free and half half. I’ve tried it with those ingredients and just don’t like how it comes out.

I think half and half is a good compromise, though, since most authentic recipes include heavy cream and a lot of butter. Half and half provides just the right amount of richness–I couldn’t even tell the difference without the butter.

This all might sound difficult at first, but I promise this is a very easy recipe to follow. These are just minor steps that will result in one of the best Chicken Tikka Masala dishes you’ve tasted!