A lower-calorie way to make Chicken tikka masala
Chicken tikka masala with grilled chicken and tomato yoghurt sauce
Yoghurt-marinated grilled chicken and a tomato-rich sauce make a creamy chicken tikka masala for about 495 kcal with rice.
The essential tikka flavour comes from charring marinated chicken separately before it meets the sauce. Onion and tomato are cooked until concentrated, then low-fat yoghurt is tempered off the boil for creaminess. A measured brown basmati portion makes the nutrition estimate useful.
What changes—and what stays
From with cream, butter, oil and a large takeaway rice portion often 800–1,100 kcal to 495 calories
Grill yoghurt-marinated chicken for char, build the sauce from reduced tomato and temper low-fat yoghurt instead of adding cream. Charred tikka edges, deeply cooked onion, tomato, garam masala, ginger, garlic and toasted spices make the sauce rich without butter.
| Part | Conventional | Lighter | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core method | More added fat or a heavier proportion | Grill yoghurt-marinated chicken for char, build the sauce from reduced tomato and temper low-fat yoghurt instead of adding cream | Charred tikka edges, deeply cooked onion, tomato, garam masala, ginger, garlic and toasted spices make the sauce rich without butter. |
How the flavor stays
Charred tikka edges, deeply cooked onion, tomato, garam masala, ginger, garlic and toasted spices make the sauce rich without butter.
A cost rule that survives inflation
Chicken thighs remain tender and economical under the grill, while tinned tomatoes and measured dry spices serve six without a jarred sauce.
Ingredients for 6
Measure first; timing is part of how this recipe uses less fat.
- 900 gskinless chicken thigh fillets
- 450 glow-fat Greek yoghurt
- 800 gtinned chopped tomatoes
- 400 gonions
- 360 gdry brown basmati rice
- 20 grapeseed oil
- 35 gginger and garlic
- 18 ggaram masala
- 10 gcumin, coriander and paprika
- 30 gfresh coriander
Method
Each step includes heat, a visible cue, and a recovery.
Step 1 · follow the visible cue
Marinate equal chicken pieces
Cut the chicken to three-centimetre pieces and coat with half the yoghurt, ginger, garlic, paprika and garam masala for at least thirty minutes.
Look for: All pieces have the same size and a thin clinging marinade rather than excess yoghurt pooling below.
Step 2 · follow the visible cue
Grill until spotted and cooked
Spread chicken on a rack beneath a very hot grill, turn once and cook until charred in places and 75°C at the centre.
Look for: The edges show dark tikka spots, the centre is opaque and juicy, and the pieces are not sitting in liquid.
Step 3 · follow the visible cue
Reduce the tomato masala
Brown onions slowly in measured oil, bloom the remaining spices, then add tomato and simmer until thick and sweet.
Look for: A spoon drawn through the sauce leaves a clear trail and no raw tomato liquid runs back immediately.
Step 4 · follow the visible cue
Temper yoghurt and add chicken
Take the sauce below a simmer, mix yoghurt with several spoonfuls of sauce, stir it back in and warm the chicken through beside measured rice.
Look for: The sauce is smooth and orange, clings to each charred piece and shows no split white grains or oil layer.
Calories at the same serving size
223 kcal · 31% lower estimated
The estimate uses the listed ingredients divided into 6 servings. Brand labels, trimming, and the amount left in the pan can change the result.
Keep the leftovers in the same spirit
Cool promptly and refrigerate curry and rice in separate shallow containers for two days. Reheat each once until steaming throughout.
Cool promptly and refrigerate curry and rice in separate shallow containers for two days. Reheat each once until steaming throughout.
Frequently asked questions
Why did the yoghurt split?
It was cold or the sauce boiled. Temper it with warm sauce and keep the finished curry below a simmer.
Must the chicken marinate overnight?
No. Thirty minutes seasons small pieces, although up to twelve hours gives a deeper flavour.
- skinless chicken thigh fillets900 g
- low-fat Greek yoghurt450 g
- tinned chopped tomatoes800 g
- onions400 g
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Recipe development and nutrition review: CaloNote Editorial
This editorial recipe uses ingredient-level nutrition estimates and reviewed cooking principles. It is not represented as physically test-cooked, and nutrition is approximate.
- Food Safety Authority of Ireland — Healthy eating guidance
- Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance — Food composition data
Published and last reviewed: August 25, 2026
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