Wild Turkey Tikka Masala is one of my absolute favorite dishes to make - It’s rich, aromatic, flavorful, heavy on spice and darn right tasty.
Justin Adams•August 2, 20232 min read
One pot. Those are words to my ears these days. With a newborn baby and a toddler running around, I try to think of dishes that can limit my time in the kitchen, maximize my time with family and are a delicious meal the whole family can enjoy. And if there’s barely any cleanup? Well, that’s just a win-win.
I love to utilize the dark meat of the thigh in this recipe, as it’s the perfect texture for this dish, and they are such a resilient cut of meat. Use breasts if you have them, but be careful not to overcook and dry them out. Make sure to have plenty of naan bread to soak up all the leftover sauce in your bowl. Enjoy!
Ingredients
For the turkey marinade:
1 1/2 lb boneless and skinless turkey thighs, breasts or cutlets cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tbsp ginger (fresh or powdered)
2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
For the sauce:
2 tbsp vegetable/canola oil
2 tbsp butter
1 onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground coriander
14 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tsp brown sugar
Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
1 Cup of basmati rice
Photo Credit: Justin Adams.
Photo Credit: Justin Adams.
Instructions
In a bowl, combine turkey with all ingredients for the marinade and let marinate for 10 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).
Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add turkey pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. (You will finish cooking the turkey in the sauce.)
Melt the butter in the same pan. Do not rinse or clean the pan out. You’re going to want all that flavor from the turkey.
Fry the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.
Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, and then add garam masala, cumin, turmeric and coriander. Fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally, careful not to burn the spices.
Pour in the tomato sauce, chili powders and salt. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown-red color.
Stir the cream and sugar through the sauce. Add the turkey and its juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the turkey is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. If you’d like a thinner sauce, then add a little water.
Serve over basmati rice and garnish with cilantro.
