These Chicken Tikka Masala Baked Wings are the perfect fusion between Indian and American and are so perfect for a game day appetizer. Easy to make and perfectly succulent and juicy wings every time!
We are big fans of Indian food in our house, and thought it was time to combine two of my favorite things in this recipe! These flavorful wings are inspired by chicken tikka masala, loaded with Indian spices for a truly amazing game day appetizer!
If you are a wing lover like me, be sure to check out my other homemade chicken wing recipes.
How to Make This Chicken Tikka Masala Baked Wings Recipe
- Trim any excess fat off the chicken wingettes and pat dry.
- Add the spices and marinade to the chicken and allow to sit in a bag for 30 minutes.
- Bake the wings in the oven.
- While the wings are baking, make the Tikka Masala Sauce.
- Toss and serve!!
***See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe!!***
What is tikka masala?
Tikka masala is a creamy curry sauce that uses tomato as it’s base. It is mild in spice and is vibrant reddy orange in color. The spices in tikka masala are:
- Cumin
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Turmeric
- Cayenne
- Garam masala
- Paprika
This combination of spices creates a really flavorful sauce that’s perfectly matched with wings.
Baked Indian Wings
These wings make a great alternative to your regular buffalo wings and will be a real treat for whoever you are serving them too. They are perfectly juicy thanks to the marinade and they are quick and easy to prep. They were a real hit in our house and I can’t wait for you guys to try them!
How long does it take to bake chicken wings in the oven?
These wings will take around 35 to 45 minutes to cook at 425F. The wings need to be marinated for a couple of hours before cooking them, so do allow time for that. Don’t skip the marinating, it really does make all of the difference!
Top Tips to Make This Chicken Tikka Masala Baked Wings Recipe
- Pat the wings dry before marinating them.
- Spray the rack with oil before adding the wings so that they don’t stick and use a tin underneath it to catch any sauce or juices.
- Don’t let the wings touch on the rack so that they cook evenly.
- Serve immediately!
And be sure to try all of our best wing recipes:
- Best Baked Chicken Wings
- Crispy Buffalo Wings
- Dry Rub Chicken Wings
- Grilled Chicken Wings
- Crockpot Chicken Wings
- Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Beer and Pretzel Chicken Wings
- Pepper Jelly Chicken Wings
Chicken Tikka Masala Wings Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Marinade:
- 1 2 pound package chicken wingettes and drumettes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup canola oil
For the Sauce:
- ½ medium yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric optional
- ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ teaspoons Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon paprika or sweet paprika
- 1 16 ounce can tomato sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream or Half ‘n Half
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley optional
Instructions
For the Chicken & Marinade:
- Trim any excess fat off the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle all sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, curry, Garam Masala and sugar. In a gallon-size plastic zipper-style bag or a large dish,
- combine buttermilk, yogurt and oil. Add the seasoned chicken, being sure all the pieces are evenly coated with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate the chicken 1-2 hours, turning/flipping the bag or chicken every 30 minutes.
For the Tikka Masala Sauce:
- Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook 3-4 minutes or until translucent and soft. Add minced garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add cumin, salt, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, Garam Masala and paprika. Cook 1 minute or until the spices are fragrant.
- Add tomato sauce, reduce heat to low and allow the sauce to thicken 10-15 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the cream and sugar, stirring often, while bringing the sauce to a simmer. Season to taste, and simmer an additional 15-20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Reserve ½ cup sauce for serving with the cooked wings.
For Cooking the Chicken:
- 15 minutes before cooking, remove chicken from the fridge.
- Heat oven to 425°F and adjust oven rack to middle position.
- Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray a wire rack with nonstick spray and set it over the baking sheet; set aside.
- Use tongs to transfer chicken to the prepared wire rack/baking sheet. Keep space between each chicken piece and shake off excess marinade from chicken before placing on the wire rack.
- Bake 10 minutes (the chicken will still be a tad pink). This first bake is dry out the marinade so the sauce will stick to the chicken.
- **Be sure to reserve ½ cup Tikka Masala Sauce for serving with the chicken.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and dip each piece of chicken in the remaining Tikka Masala Sauce.
- Bake the chicken an additional 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and brush both sides of the chicken with sauce. Flip each piece of chicken over.
- Bake another 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has caramelized and the internal temperature of a middle piece of chicken registers 170°F-180°F (depending how you like your wings). The meat should easily come off the bones. Total cooking time will be 35-45 minutes.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Nutrition Information
Recipe great as is, or I use it as a cheat masala. Just substitute wings for thighs, follow recipie except adjust times for chicken part you used. I serve it over rice.
I’m so happy to hear you love it!
Is it half pound or one 2 pound package chicken wingettes and drumettes
One 2-pound package!
I was rushing to get things together while my baby napped, and accidentally added the spices to the buttermilk/yogurt/oil and tossed the chicken in to marinate. Will this change the outcome?
It might!
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This is really amazing! Such a perfect meal for busy nights!
I love it for nights that I don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen!
This is so good! Love it for weeknights
Me too!! So easy!
Oh, man! These are SO good! Love these with some Naan bread (especially garlic naan bread). Great sauce. I need to make sure I have some yogurt mint sauce with this next time, though. I just love that sauce with my Indian food! Delicious recipe.
Yum!! I’ll have to try the yogurt mint sauce next time!