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chicken sitting on plate with gold tongs beside it
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4.78 from 22 votes

Chicken Tikka Masala Wings Recipe

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!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Author: Becky Hardin

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1087mg | Potassium: 457mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 873IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2mg