Chicken tenders marinated in a yogurt-garam masala sauce, grilled on a stove top or grill and topped with an addictively creamy cilantro sauce. These Chicken Tikka Masala Tenders are packed with flavor.
Garam Masala
I’m a huge fan of garam masala. If I’m making anything with an Indian flare, I find myself pouring in lots of garam masala. I think it makes pretty much everything taste fabulous.
Recently I made some sort of chicken dish, and my husband commented that it tasted much like all of the Indian-flared chicken dishes I make. I realized I needed to use a little more variety in my spices.
BUT, as I love garam masala, I wanted to first make a recipe that focused on its great flavor. Hence; this recipe.
Chicken Tikka Masala Tenders
Chicken Tenders
For this recipe I used chicken tenders, because: a.) I like white meat, b.) my kids like chicken tenders, and c.) I typically have a lot of chicken breasts on hand. However, if you prefer dark meat, boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into thin strips would also work well.
Marinade
The recipe for the marinade is based on my Chicken Tikka Masala (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot) recipe(s).
For the marinade, I use a combination of the following:
- Garam Masala (I typically use McCormick brand as I think it’s delish)
- Coriander
- Curry powder
- Salt
- Tomato paste
- Brown sugar
- Grated ginger (use fresh ginger, not dried)
- Fresh minced garlic
- Fresh lime juice
- Vegetable oil
- Plain Greek yogurt
The chicken should marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours.
Cooking
You have a few options for cooking these tenders:
- On a gas or charcoal grill
- On a stove top in a grill pan
- Cut the chicken into chunks and place them on a skewer to use on a grill or stove top
Cilantro Sauce
You CANNOT skip the cilantro sauce for this chicken. It is SO good.
The sauce uses:
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Fresh, minced garlic
- Salt
- Lime juice
- Honey
- Plain Greek yogurt
I blend all of the above ingredients, except for the yogurt, until it’s nice and smooth, then STIR in the yogurt. Stirring, and not blending, is important … if you blend the yogurt it gets a little watery.
These Chicken Tikka Masala Tenders will take your dinner to the next level.
Chicken Tikka Masala Tenders
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins*
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon ginger grated
- 3 cloves fresh minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
Sauce
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 jalapeño seeds removed and chopped
- 2 cloves fresh minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- Basmati rice for serving
Instructions
Chicken
- In a medium sized bowl, stir together garam masala, curry powder, coriander, salt, tomato paste, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, lime juice, vegetable oil, and yogurt until smooth and well combined.
- Add chicken to bowl and ensure that all of the chicken is coated with yogurt and spice mixture. Refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours.
- Remove chicken from marinate and shake of excess marinade.
- Grilling: Turn grill to 500 degrees. Once grill reaches 500, turn heat down to 450 and place chicken on grill. Cook until browned on one side, then flip and cook until chicken is cooked through (no longer pink in the center).
- Stove Top: Heat pan (ideally cast iron grilling pan) over medium high heat. Place chicken on pan and cook until browned on one side, then flip and cook until chicken is cooked through (no longer pink in the center).
Sauce and Serving
- Place cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, salt, lime juice, and honey in a blender or food processor. Blend until mixture is almost a paste. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down sides of blender/processor a few times.
- Stir mixture into greek yogurt. Serve over chicken and with basmati rice, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.
If you enjoyed this Chicken Tikka Masala Tenders recipe, you might enjoy these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:
Indian Pot Pie Turnovers
Butter Chicken
Chicken Biryani
Homemade Skillet Naan
Chicken Tikka Masala (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot)
Link to item used to make this recipe:
