Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala With Spinach & Cranberries

This healthy chicken tikka masala is a more nutritious version of the popular Indian curry dish. It’s rich and creamy, yet dairy-free and it’s full of nourishing ingredients like turmeric, coconut milk, spinach and cranberries. Serve over cauliflower rice, veggies or regular rice if you like. This recipe is also Paleo, Whole30 and keto-friendly with a small modification.

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Chicken tikka masala and butter chicken are probably two of the most popular Indian curries, and this dish is my adaptation and tribute to both of them. I wanted to make a paleo version, so it’s rich and creamy, yet dairy-free and gluten-free. It’s like the healthier version of the classic. 

This is a great make-ahead dish and can be served with riced cauliflower or other veggies. The heat level is mild, but feel free to omit or reduce the amount of diced chilli used to make it milder.

Butter Chicken vs Chicken Tikka Masala

I often get asked this so here we go. It’s easy to confuse butter chicken and chicken tikka masala as they look and taste somewhat similar. But, on closer inspection, you will be able to tell the difference. Butter chicken is a dish actually originating from India and was invented as a way to use up leftover tandoori chicken. It’s made with spiced tomato-based sauce cooked with butter and often cream. It’s often redder than orange in colour and is milder and sweeter. 

Chicken tikka masala, on the other hand, is a British adaptation. There is no one recipe that defines the truly authentic tikka masala but similarly to butter chicken, it’s made with marinated, often grilled chicken, lots of spices, tomatoes, cream or coconut cream. It has more coriander and is more orange in colour. It’s less buttery in flavour.

Both are delicious and if you like one, you will most certainly enjoy the other.

Nutrition Notes

My healthy chicken tikka masala is full of nourishing ingredients, such as turmeric spice with its anti-inflammatory properties, satiating coconut milk, vitamin-rich spinach, tomatoes, cranberries and coriander. Chicken, of course, is a great source of protein. Even though this dish is made with coconut milk, it’s not super high in calories but is filling due to fat and protein content. 

There is no added sugar except for dried cranberries, which can be omitted for those doing Paleo, Whole30 or keto diets. You will find the full nutritional breakdown with macros and micros in the recipe card below.

What You’ll Need

You will find the full list of ingredients, instructions and nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below. Here are some tips on ingredients and how to make this curry dish. 

• Chicken: I used chicken breast meat in this recipe, but you can easily use chicken thighs, turkey, prawns or fish. For a completely vegetarian version, I would use a mix of pumpkin or sweet potato, carrots, carrots, mushrooms and chickpeas or tofu if you eat those.
• Aromatics: garlic, ginger, onion and chili are used.
• Spices: Turmeric, cumin, coriander seed powder, garam masala – these spices should be readily available in most supermarkets. Garam masala is an Indian spice blend and can be purchased in most supermarkets. It’s fantastic in curries and stews and is great to have in the pantry.
• For Creaminess: I used full-fat canned coconut milk with 60% coconut content. Make sure to shake the coconut milk before adding to the curry, or scoop out the thicker part for a thicker, richer sauce.
• Spinach can be replaced with chard, kale, broccoli or any other greens you have on hand. Cranberries add a lovely sour-sweet touch but can be omitted or replaced with some dried sultanas or diced apricots.
• I used a teaspoon of honey for extra sweetness, but this can be omitted if you’re avoiding all sweeteners at the moment.
• Arrowroot powder or flour is used to thicken the sauce. It can be omitted, or tapioca flour could also be used for this.

How To Make Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala

Prepare most of the ingredients before you start cooking. You will need a large pot or saucepan, or a deep pan.

• Saute onions and chili in a little coconut oil for 2 minutes.
• Add chicken and stir for a minute, then mix in ginger and garlic.
• Stir in spices and salt for 20-30 seconds to release aromas.
• Add fish sauce, lemon juice, honey (optional), tomatoes, water, and coconut milk. Mix well.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.

• Add cranberries and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes. Then stir in spinach until wilted.
• Mix arrowroot powder with some sauce in a separate bowl, return to the pan, and stir to thicken. Remove from heat.

Servings Suggestions

I served chicken tikka masala with cauliflower rice for a lower-carb meal. You can make some regular rice or other vegetables to go with it. If you’re not following a grain-free diet, you can try my garlic naan bread as a side dish.

To prepare cauliflower rice, I finely diced half a head of cauliflower (you can use a mini food processor for this) and then pan-fried it in a little coconut oil for a minute or two – literally to heat through. White rice is also fine if you’re including it. You can also make my broccoli rice for something a little different.

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