Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

I love hosting girls' nights in. I'm lucky to have friends with (mostly) adventurous palates, so I decided to make chicken tikka masala over the weekend. I adapted it from this recipe, but changed out a few things to put my own spin on it. This is a great dish for making ahead and sharing with friends. And the toppings make it easy to customize for spice-phobes (hello, Greek yogurt).

Thanks for being my guinea pig, Holly!

Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 package of pre-diced purple onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh, grated ginger

2 Tbsp tomato paste

3 Tbsp garam masala

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp kosher salt

28 oz can diced tomatoes (slightly drained)

1 cup coconut milk

4 Tbsp butter

For serving:

Fresh basil, julienned

2 cups basmati rice

Plain Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Saute onions, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, garam masala, salt and cayenne pepper until translucent and fragrant.
2. Add tomatoes, chicken pieces and butter along with onion and spice mixture to your crockpot. 
3. Simmer on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours (I prefer low and slow, I find it makes the chicken more tender -- but it turns out great either way).
4. Add in the coconut milk 15-20 minutes before serving.
5. Serve over rice with basil and yogurt -- and enjoy! (the yogurt reduces some of the spicy kick).