Costco Chicken Tikka Masala Review: Worth It?

People of the comfort foods world are seldom as happy with any single dish as with the most abundant serving of an all-encompassing chicken tikka masala. But the overall taste which Costco’s version offers, leaves no room for other products. But now imagine having the capability to replicate that very same freshly made taste in the kitchen using pickable ingredients of your choice. This recipe will take you through the steps of preparing the famous Costco-inspired chicken tikka masala and at the end you will have a meal that satisfies your craving and it will be tasty at the same time.

Costco chicken tikka masala ingredients

Here’s a detailed table of ingredients found in Costco chicken tikka masala (based on Sukhi’s recipe):

Ingredient	Description
White chicken meat	white chicken meat to be the main source of protein.
Tomato paste	Becomes the foundation for the creamy sauce of tomatoes.
Water	thins down a sauce so that it cooks ingredients as well.
Cream	Increases the sauce’s creaminess and body.
Cane sugar (or evaporated cane syrup)	Sweetens the sauce.
Ginger	This herb takes you to a warm, slightly spicy flavor.
Expeller-pressed canola oil	Pressed oil will fry the ingredients and will give the dish more fat.
Vinegar	A hint of sourness to counterbalance other flavors.
Garlic	Is a flavorful and smoky ingredient.
Chickpea flour	Imparts the sauce with a viscous character.
Onions	Will combine the sauce with good sweetness and texture.
Spices (likely including cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, paprika, chili peppers)	Act as the additive Indian flavor to the dish.
Butter	Gives the sauce an aroma and a taste.
Rice flour (less than 2%)	Might serve as a thickener.
Salt	doesn’t make the taste good, but it makes all the ingredients taste ameliorate instead.
Jalapeno	Pepper will boost the taste of the dish with a subtle touch of heat.
Caramelized onions (onions and canola oil)	Add up to the sauce in a delectable way
Curry paste (lemongrass, spices, garlic, shallot, salt, kaffir lime peel)	is a major building block of the uniquely flavorful dish.
Paprika oleoresin	It does give the appropriate paprika flavor.
Cilantro	Herbal green adds a bright and sour taste.
Onion powder	is a condensed type of onion.
Xanthan gum	Thickener.
Turmeric powder	Powder can get a natural color and an exciting texture.
Fenugreek leaves	Impress with a pungent and maple-like flavor.
Garlic powder	Served as a concentrated garlic flavor source.
Lemon juice concentrate	Gives the juice a strong acidity and freshness.
Cardamom oleoresin	Enhances the cardamom flavor.

Instructions

Marinating the Chicken

The key to flavorful chicken tikka masala lies in the marinade. Here’s how to prepare it:

1. Marinate the Chicken: Mix in a blender, the yogurt, garam masala, ginger powder, garlic powder, turmeric powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt. Place chicken pieces in the pan and turn to coat in yogurt. Cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or more frequently overnight to induce deeper flavors.

Cooking the Chicken

Once the chicken is marinated, it’s time to cook it to perfection:

2. Cook the Chicken: Heat a medium-large skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat using vegetable oil. Put the chicken breast in the mixture and cook for 5-7 minutes on small or medium heat until they’re golden brown and well done; stir from time to time. Take the chicken from the pan, and place it on a plate.

Sauteing the Aromatics

The aromatics underline the depth and intricacy of the dish-cooking process:

3. Sauté the Aromatics: Add some more veggies with one more tablespoon of oil in this pan. Put the finely chopped onion to it and cook for 3-4 minutes with stirring, or until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for about a minute until the mixture starts smelling good.

Building the Sauce

The soul of the best tikka masala is embodied in its delectable and extremely flavorful sauce. Let’s build it:

4. Build the Sauce: Now to the pan add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garam masala, ground coriander, cumin powder, turmeric, and paprika seasonings. Mix and cook over an indirect flame for 2-4 minutes, so that the spices can release their flavors.

Simmering and Thickening

To achieve the perfect consistency, the sauce needs to simmer and thicken:

5. Simmer and Thicken: Add the heavy cream and water steadily. Put the mixture on a flame, then adjust the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens a bit. Add brown sugar and salt to taste and season.

Assembling and Serving

With the chicken cooked and the sauce perfected, it’s time to bring everything together:

6. Assemble and Serve: Add the chicken pieces back to the pan and only stir them gently to coat them with the sauce. Cook for a few minutes on low or medium heat.
7. Serve: Serve hot over there with rice (basmati) or naan bread. Serve it with chopped fresh cilantro on top, if desired.

Tips for Making Chicken Tikka Masala

• Swap deboned skinless chicken breasts for thighs, which are generally more tasty and yield more tender pieces.
• In case you don’t have garam masala, compound it into ground coriander, cumin, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.
• Use all the cayenne pepper until you reach your required spice level.
• If a more concentrated sauce is desired, then heavy cream should be replaced with coconut milk.
• To keep the dish gluten-free, use gluten-free naan bread or/served over rice noodles.
• Leftovers can be placed into an air-tight container in the fridge that doesn’t exceed three days.

Substitutions and Variations

Customize the text to meet your taste buds. You might want to try some different types of proteins like paneer or tofu or add up also veggies such as bell peppers and peas to make it more diverse and tasty.

Serving Suggestions

Chicken tikka masala which is perfect with fluffy basmati rice, can go down well with either naan bread or even mashed potatoes with which you can create a comforting dish.

Storing Leftovers

If some food is left after your appetite, put them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and they will last for 2-3 days. If you like to eat something warm, just reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.

My Final Words

Cooking home-style Costco chicken tikka masala not only gives you great pleasure, but the dish is easier to control regarding its taste. Fresher ingredients and a little bit of know-how cheffing skills are what you need to enjoy this tummy-caressing comfort food whenever you want.