Chicken · Air fryer

Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

Chicken tikka masala in the air fryer might sound mad, but Shamser's cracked it, juicy, tender chicken in a silky sauce that actually works. The secret? Pre-fried onions, a splash of cream, and just the right amount of spice to get that authentic deep red colour without blowing your head off.

R By Richard · Adapted from My Little Kitchen · Published 10 June 2026
👁 30.4k source views ❤️ 1.2k source likes
⏱Prep 10 min
🌡Temp 200°C
⏲Air fry 35 min
🍽Serves 2
I Made CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA in an AIR FRYER!!!!

Source video by My Little Kitchen on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This air fryer chicken tikka masala uses cubed chicken breast marinated with pre-fried onions, tandoori masala, Kashmiri chilli and cumin seeds, then cooked covered in a foil tray with a splash of boiled water. After 30 minutes at 200°C the chicken is stirred through, finished with double cream and butter, then returned to the air fryer for a further 5 minutes. The sauce is kept slightly loose to serve with rice, but can be thickened by reducing the added water. Serve with rice, naan, chapatis or parathas.

Ingredients

Chicken and marinade
  • 500 gchicken breast fillet, cubed into medium-sized pieces
  • 20 gshop-bought pre-fried onions
  • 2 tbspoil
  • 0.5 tspcumin seeds
  • 0.5 cubefrozen ginger cube
  • 0.5 cubefrozen garlic cube
Spices
  • salt
  • coriander powder
  • Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1.5 tspdried tandoori masala
  • 0.5 tspturmeric powder
  • 0.25 tspred food colouring
  • 0.25 tsporange food colouring
Sauce
  • 60 mlboiled kettle water
Finishing
  • 3 tbspdouble cream (add late)
  • 20 gsalted butter (add late)

Method

  1. Set the double cream and butter aside, as they go in at the end. Place the cubed chicken in a mixing bowl and add the pre-fried onions, oil, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic and all of the spices, including the food colouring if using.

    ~3 min

  2. Mix everything together until the chicken is evenly coated and the colour has transferred onto the meat.

    ~2 min

  3. Transfer the marinated chicken into a medium-sized disposable foil tray and flatten it out so the lid will sit on top. Pour the boiled kettle water evenly over the top, then put the foil lid on and seal it tightly all the way around.

    ~2 min

  4. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C.

    ~3 min

  5. Carefully place the sealed foil tray into the air fryer and cook at 200°C for 30 minutes.

    ~30 min

  6. Remove the lid and stir everything together, breaking up the chicken pieces. Pour in the double cream and mix through, then place the butter on top so it melts into the sauce.

    ~2 min

  7. Reseal the foil lid securely and return the tray to the air fryer. Cook for a further 5 minutes at 200°C.

    ~5 min

  8. Serve with rice, naan, chapatis or parathas. For a thicker sauce next time, reduce the boiled water to 40 ml (4 tablespoons).

Frequently asked

Do I need to preheat my air fryer?
Yes, the video preheats to 200°C before the tray goes in. Preheating helps the cook time stay accurate and gets the sauce bubbling from the start. If your model has no preheat function, run it empty at 200°C for 2 to 3 minutes.
Can I make the sauce thicker?
Yes. The recipe uses 60 ml (6 tablespoons) of boiled water for a looser sauce that suits rice. For a thicker tikka masala, drop the water to 40 ml (4 tablespoons) and cook for the same time.
What can I use instead of frozen ginger and garlic cubes?
Half a teaspoon of ginger paste or puree and half a teaspoon of garlic paste or puree work as a direct swap. Fresh ginger and garlic, finely grated, are also fine in the same quantity.
Do I need the foil tray with a lid?
Yes, this recipe is built around a covered medium foil tray so the chicken steams in its own sauce rather than drying out in the air flow. Disposable foil trays with lids are sold in most UK supermarkets.
Can I leave out the food colouring?
Yes. The red and orange colouring only add the classic bright tikka appearance. The Kashmiri chilli powder will still give a warm red tone on its own.
Extraction notes (transparency): Servings not stated in the video; estimated as 2 based on 500g chicken breast. Prep time not stated; estimated at 10 minutes. | Second-pass critique flagged 2 fabricated and 6 quantified issues. See critique.issues for detail.