Tikka masala meatballs. The name says it all. An appetizer with the meatballs dipped in lip-smacking tikka masala sauce, or a scrumptious curry to go with your favorite pasta, rice and roti, it’s going to be one of your most-loved fusion dishes of all time. Featuring a clever twist on the classic chicken tikka masala, these meatballs are packed with flavor for the ultimate foodie experience.
So, where to begin? The meatballs? Well, this dish is all about a few small changes to the classic tikka masala. The basic idea is to create a dish that’ll reflect the original flavor and taste making it extra delicious.
I started with my favorite basic meatball recipe, and added ingredients to bring in the authentic tikka masala flavor. To get the flavor just right, I used a few ground spices like cumin, coriander, garam masala and chili powder.
And yes, minced or ground chicken is the key ingredient here. While I love making these tikka masala meatballs with chicken, I bet minced turkey or lamb will also taste amazing in this recipe.
Want to learn about the secret ingredient that make these meatballs really moist? Breadcrumbs made from fresh bread. You just need to blitz the slices in a food processor to make fine crumbs.
Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, roll out small meatballs. At this stage, you can either bake or pan fry them. To bake them, arrange meatballs on a baking tray, and pop into a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Although it’s the healthiest way to make these tikka masala meatballs, pan frying is also a great option.
Next up, the sauce. The classic tikka sauce that makes every tikka masala curry taste scrumptious. The base of the curry is a simple combo of spices, tomato paste and cream.
Best part? You can cook a huge batch of meatballs and freeze them. However, I don’t recommend freezing the sauce as the cream may split when you reheat it.
Now it’s time to think about how to serve these tikka masala meatballs. Appetizer or side dish with rice, pasta and parathas. Insanely yum!
More meatball recipes:
- Baked Tandoori Chicken Meatballs
- Swedish Chicken Meatballs
- Vegan Baked Zucchini Balls
- Bread Cheese Balls
- Malai Kofta
- Nargisi Kofta | Indian Scotch Eggs
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 bread slices crusts removed
- 500 g ground or minced chicken
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger ginger paste
- 1 egg
- Juice from half of lemon
- Salt to taste
Tikka masala sauce:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste tomato purée
- ¼ cup canned tomatoes or 1 medium tomato, chopped
- Juice from half of lemon
- ¼ cup fresh cream
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander cilantro leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 200C / 400F. Line a baking tray with parchment (baking) sheet. Set aside.
- Tear bread into small pieces. Place in a food processor and process to form fine breadcrumbs. Set aside.
- Combine together minced chicken, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder, minced garlic, minced ginger, egg, lemon juice and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Season with salt.
- Roll out tablespoonfuls of mince mixture. Place on the baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside.
Tikka masala sauce:
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add ginger. Sauté for a minute or until fragrant.
- Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, paprika and red chili powder. Sauté, stirring constantly, for one minute or until fragrant. Add tomato paste. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for one minute.
- Add canned tomatoes. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until soft and mushy. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add lemon juice and cream. Stir to combine. Simmer for another 4 minutes. Add garam masala and chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves. Stir to combine. Heat through.
Video
Notes
- To cook meatballs over stovetop, heat 2 tablespoon oil in a frying pan and add meatballs. Cook, turning occasionally, until all sides are browned and meatballs are cooked through.
- Freeze uncooked meatballs. Place in a single layer in a ziplock bag. Freeze. Bake from frozen.
- To freeze cooked meatballs, place in airtight containers. Thaw in refrigerator. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
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Roslia Santamaria says
This looks super tasty!! I can’t wait to give it a try! It’s all delicious ingredients 🙂
Marina says
Meatballs are always an easy dinner idea and this looks yum.