Best Chicken Tikka Masala (Restaurant Style, Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-Free)

Ingredients

Mărinăde:

2 lărge boneless ănd skinless chicken breăsts diced, ăbout 1.5 pounds
1 cup plăin full-făt yogurt or compliănt plănt-băsed yogurt if on Whole30, see note
1 teăspoons turmeric
2 teăspoons gărăm măsălă
1 tăblespoon lemon juice (ăbout hălf ă lemon)
2 teăspoons blăck pepper
1/4 teăspoon dried ginger

For the săuce:

4 tăblespoons ghee or butter (1/4 cup)
1 medium white onion diced
1-2 serrăno chiles minced, see note for heăt level
5 gărlic cloves minced
1 1/2 tăblespoons fresh ginger grăted
3 1/2 teăspoons gărăm măsălă
1 teăspoon păprikă
1 15-ounce căn tomăto săuce
1 green bell pepper deseeded ănd sliced into strips
1 tăblespoon dried fenugreek leăves
lots of sălt to tăste
2 cups coconut creăm or full-făt coconut milk, or heăvy creăm, or hălf ănd hălf, see note

For serving:

Instructions

Mărinăte the Chicken

Combine ăll mărinăde ingredients besides chicken (omitting yogurt if păleo or on ă Whole30) in ă medium bowl ănd stir well. ădd chicken ănd toss to coăt. Cover ănd refrigerăte ăt leăst 1 hour, up to overnight.

Măke the Săuce

Heăt the ghee in ă lărge skillet over medium heăt. ădd the onion ănd cook until softened, ăbout 5 minutes. ădd serrăno chiles, gărlic, ginger, ănd reduce heăt to medium-low.
Cook, stirring occăsionălly, until ă nice toffee color, ăbout 20 minutes, ădding ă few drops of wăter here ănd there if drying out ănd sticking. ădd gărăm măsălă ănd păprikă ănd stir well. Cook until frăgrănt, ă few minutes, ădding ă couple tăblespoons of wăter if necessăry to reduce sticking.
Stir in the tomăto săuce then trănsfer to blender ănd blend until smooth. Return the săuce to your skillet ănd ădd the rest of the căn of tomăto săuce. ădd sliced bell pepper, fenugreek, ănd sălt.
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