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tikka masala roast chicken
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Tikka Masala Roast Chicken

This tikka masala roast chicken is marinated with tikka spices, slow roasted until perfectly cooked then glazed with homemade tikka masala paste to finish!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: British, English, Indian
Servings: 4 People
Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

  • Large Roasting Tray
  • Digital Food Probe
  • Pestle & Mortar
  • Blender
  • Pastry Brush

Ingredients

  • 2 kg Whole Chicken (See Notes)

Marinade

  • 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 2 tsp Coriander Seeds
  • 2 tsp Garam Masala
  • 2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

To Stuff The Cavity

  • 1 Bulb Of Garlic
  • 1 Lemon
  • A 2" Piece Of Fresh Ginger

Tikka Masala Paste

  • 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Brown Onion (Thinly Sliced)
  • 2 Garlic Cloves (Sliced)
  • ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
  • ½ tsp Coriander Seeds
  • 1 tsp Garam Masala
  • ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
  • ½ tsp Ground Ginger
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric
  • A Pinch Of Chilli Powder
  • 1 tsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 tsbp Lemon Juice

Toppings

  • 50 g Cashews (Toasted & Roughly Chopped - See Notes)
  • 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Coriander

Instructions

  • Pat the chicken dry then place into a large container. Make sure that the cavity is empty! If the chicken is trussed, untie it as well.

Marinade

  • Add the cumin & coriander seeds into a small frying pan then cook over a medium heat until toasted & fragrant. This will only take a minute or so.
  • Transfer the toasted seeds into a pestle & mortar then grind into a coarse powder. Add in the remaining marinade ingredients then stir to combine.
  • Next, spoon the marinade all over the chicken then massage it into the skin (a pair of food safe gloves comes in handy here!) then leave to marinade in the fridge for at least an hour.

Slow Roasting

  • Place the chicken onto a rack set inside a roasting tin then leave to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat an oven to 160°c/140°c fan (320°f/284°f).
  • Next, cut the bulb of garlic in half and thickly slice the lemon & ginger. Stuff all of this into the chicken's cavity.
    There's no need to peel the ginger!
  • Place the chicken into the preheated oven then cook until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 65°c/150°f. This will take around 1-1½ hours. Start checking the chicken after 1 hour.
    Probe the chicken in the thickest part of the breasts & thighs.

Tikka Masala Paste - Make This Whilst The Chicken Is Cooking!

  • Add 1 tbsp of the veg oil into a medium saucepan, set over a medium heat then add in the sliced onion & a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly until the onions are soft & translucent. This will take at least 10 minutes.
  • Once the onions are cooked, add in the sliced garlic then cook for another minute.
  • Next, stir in the seeds & dried spices, cook out for a minute then stir in the tomato paste. Cook out for another minute then transfer the onions to a bowl & leave to cool slightly.
    If the onions have started to stick to the bottom of the pan, deglaze it with 2 teaspoons of water.
  • Once the onions have cooled slightly, blend them into a smooth paste with the lemon juice & the remaining 2 tablespoons of veg oil. Set this aside for now.
    I used a Nutribullet to blend my onions but any sort of blender will work!

Glazing

  • Once the chicken is up to temperature, take it out of the oven then turn the oven up to 220°c/428°f.
  • Brush the chicken all over with the tikka masala paste then continue cooking until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 73°c/163°f & the skin & glaze are a deep golden brown.
    Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 75°c/167°f but to avoid drying the meat out, we take it out of the oven a few degrees lower than this then let the chicken rest. The internal temperature will rise to 75°c/167°f as the chicken rests.
  • Once cooked, loosely cover the chicken with foil & leave to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
  • To carve, cut the legs off at the thigh joint, remove the wings & cut the breast meat off the bone (either in slices or as whole breasts). Then to serve, place the chicken onto a large plate then, drizzle over any resting juices then top with the toasted cashews & chopped coriander.

Notes

1. To Cook In An Aga - Slow roast the chicken in the baking oven, on the bottom set of runners until the internal temperature reaches 65°c/150°f. Brush the chicken with the curry paste then cook in the roasting oven, on the second from bottom set of runners until the internal temperature reaches 73°c/163°f & the skin is a deep golden brown.
2. Chicken - For this recipe, you'll need a large roast chicken, weighing around 2kg. The chicken should be untrussed and have an empty cavity (sometimes the giblets are stored in there!).
3. Internal Temperature - To avoid overcooking the chicken, we’re cooking it to an internal temperature of 73°c/163°f. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 75°c/165°f but the internal temperature will rise a couple of degrees when it comes out of the oven. If you’re worried about undercooking chicken, take the chicken to 75°c/165°f in the oven.
4. Marinade - For the best flavour, make sure to marinade the chicken for at least an hour or up to a day. 
5. Tikka Masala Paste - Feel free to use a ready made tikka masala paste if you'd prefer! Our homemade tikka masala paste can be made up to 3 days in advance & stored in the fridge.
6. Resting - For juicy, tender chicken, make sure to give it at least 30 minutes of resting before carving.
7. Cashews - To toast the cashews, you can cook them in a 200°c/392°f oven for 4-6 minutes or cook them in a frying pan set over a medium heat, until golden. Once toasted, let them cool completely then roughly chop.
8. Leftovers - Leftover roast chicken needs to be stored in the fridge & will keep for up to 3 days. You can serve leftover roast chicken cold or hot. If serving hot, make sure that the internal temperature reaches 75°c/167°f. The best way to reheat the chicken is to place the carved chicken into a baking dish with a splash of water, cover it with foil then bake at 160°c/320°f until hot.