A simple, naturally dairy-free British Indian curry house style chicken tikka masala the whole family will love!

“This creamy coconut Chicken Tikka Masala lands beautifully between the mild sweetness of a British korma and the warm, smoky flavor of a classic tikka masala. It’s also naturally completely dairy-free.” – Mona, Far From The Farm.

This Easy Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala is a mild, creamy, naturally dairy-free curry with tender marinated chicken and a smooth coconut sauce. It has the familiar warmth of a British chicken tikka masala, softened with the gentle sweetness of coconut for an easy family curry night at home.

Hi! If you’ve been following me for long you’ll already know this, but for those who are new, welcome to Far From The Farm. I’m Mona, the Brit behind the recipes, learning life and food in the States while sharing our debt-free journey and what’s on the menu in our home today!

British Curry House style food is one of the things I have missed most since moving to America. There are plenty of excellent Indian restaurants here, but British Indian takeaway dishes have their own familiar style, especially the creamy, mild curries many of us grew up eating on Friday nights.

Chicken Tikka Masala has always been one of my favorites. It is warm, tomato-rich, gently spiced, and creamy without needing to be fiercely hot.

My husband tends to lean more towards korma because he enjoys a sweeter, milder curry. What he does not always enjoy is the texture some korma sauces have from ground almonds and desiccated coconut.

This dish gives us the best parts of both. It has the smoky warmth and tomato base of a British-style tikka masala, but the coconut yogurt and evaporated coconut milk soften the sauce and bring in some of the gentle sweetness people love in korma.

The result is a smooth, creamy curry without the grainy texture of ground nuts or dried coconut. It is also naturally dairy-free, with coconut yogurt, olive oil, and evaporated coconut milk used in place of dairy yogurt, butter, and heavy cream.

That makes it a useful family dinner for anyone avoiding dairy, but it does not taste like a substitute recipe. It is simply a rich, mild coconut chicken curry that happens to be completely dairy-free.

The chicken is marinated in two stages, first with lemon, garlic, and salt, then with thick coconut yogurt and tikka seasoning. That marinade does most of the flavor work before the skillet ever reaches the stove.

I use my homemade Smoky Chicken Tikka Seasoning Blend because the smoked paprika gives the chicken the deeper flavor I associate with a good British curry house tikka. Your own favorite tikka blend will work perfectly well too.

Chicken breast and chicken thighs are both good options. I often use chicken breast because it is quicker to trim and easy to cut into small pieces, but well-trimmed chicken thighs stay beautifully tender.

Cutting the chicken into small pieces helps it cook quickly and means every serving has plenty of meat coated in that creamy coconut sauce. It also makes the curry easier to scoop over rice and eat with warm pieces of naan.

Four hours is enough time for the second marinade, although overnight gives the best flavor. It also makes dinner feel much easier the next day because the chicken is already prepared and ready to cook.

The sauce itself is deliberately simple. The chicken and all of its marinade go into the skillet together, so none of that flavor is wasted.

Tomato paste gives the curry warmth and depth, while evaporated coconut milk creates the smooth, creamy finish. The sugar is important here because it balances the tomato and helps move the flavor closer to that mild British curry house style my husband loves.

A little cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce so it clings properly to the chicken. That thicker texture is exactly what you want when there is fresh naan on the table waiting to mop up every last bit.

We usually serve this with fluffy white rice and homemade naan bread. My Garlic White Rice works especially well because it adds flavor without competing with the curry.

For a fuller curry night, add poppadoms, mango chutney, onion bhajis, or a simple cucumber salad. For an ordinary family dinner, rice and naan are more than enough.

As a military family working through Baby Step 2 of our debt-free journey, we are making more of our favorite takeaway meals at home these days. Every dollar we can stretch a little further helps us keep moving towards our goals.

A full curry house order becomes expensive quickly once you add rice, naan, appetizers, drinks, and delivery fees. Making this at home gives us the comforting British curry night flavors we love without the takeaway price.

It also uses ingredients I can keep on hand or buy easily from a regular American grocery store. There is no need for hard-to-find dairy-free cream, ground almonds, or a long list of individual spices.

That simplicity matters on busy days. The curry still feels like a proper family dinner, but most of the flavor develops while the chicken sits in the refrigerator doing very little except marinating.

And just a reminder that if you’re struggling and you need help with managing your budget or starting your own debt free journey then here’s some FREE resources below you may find helpful!

As always, these photos are from my real kitchen here in our sweet military base home. No AI recipe images or staged lighting or spotless marble counters. Just real life and real food made in a small space. Proof that you can feed your family well without needing a dream kitchen or fancy tools!

So grab your favorite tikka seasoning, get the chicken marinating, and head into the kitchen to make this creamy Easy Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala and be sure to check out all our Better Than Takeout Recipes to save your family a fortune on food costs, without sacrificing on taste!

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Equipment

• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Glass food storage container or glass dish with lid (helps prevent staining from the tikka marinade)
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Silicone spatula
• Large skillet with lid
• Small bowl (for the cornstarch slurry)
• Small whisk or fork
• Serving spoon

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Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

First Chicken Marinade

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp ginger puree
• 1/2 tsp salt

Second Chicken Marinade

Coconut Tikka Masala Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, finely diced (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup evaporated coconut milk
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cold water

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How to Make Easy Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

Trim the chicken well and cut it into roughly 1/2-inch pieces.

Place it into a glass container or dish. Glass works particularly well because the tikka seasoning can stain plastic.

Smaller pieces cook quickly and make sure every spoonful of curry has plenty of tender chicken.

Step 2: Make the First Marinade

Add the lemon juice, minced garlic, ginger puree, and salt.

Mix until every piece of chicken is coated.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Step 3: Add the Coconut Yogurt Marinade

Add the thick coconut yogurt and tikka seasoning.

Mix thoroughly until every piece of chicken is completely coated.

Cover again and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, although overnight produces the best flavor.

The longer marinade is what gives this curry most of its flavor, so it’s well worth planning ahead if you can.

Step 4: Cook the Chicken

Remove the marinaded chicken from the fridge.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the marinated chicken along with the marinade and the diced onion.

Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the onion has softened.

Unlike some tikka recipes, you aren’t looking to heavily brown the chicken here. Keeping the heat a little gentler helps the chicken stay tender while the marinade begins forming the base of the sauce.

Step 5: Stir in the Tomato Paste

Add the tomato paste. Stir continuously until it has completely blended into the chicken and marinade.

Cook for about a minute to deepen the tomato flavor before moving on to the next step.

Step 6: Add Evaporated Coconut Milk and Sugar

Pour in the evaporated coconut milk and stir in the sugar.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The sauce will gradually become richer while the chicken continues absorbing all those curry flavors.

Step 7: Thicken the Sauce

Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water to make a smooth slurry.

Stir it into the curry a little at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.

Allow the curry to simmer for a minute or two after each addition before deciding if it needs any more.

For a thicker British curry house style sauce that’s perfect for scooping up with naan bread, you’ll probably use most or all of the slurry.

Step 8: Serve

Serve immediately with fluffy white rice, Garlic White Rice, warm homemade naan, or your favorite curry night sides.

Enjoy every last spoonful!

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Notes

• Overnight marinating gives the chicken the very best flavor, but 4 hours still produces a lovely curry.
• Chicken breast and chicken thighs both work well. Trim thighs carefully before cutting them into small pieces.
• Use a thick Greek-style coconut yogurt rather than a thin drinking-style coconut yogurt.
• Don’t throw away any of the marinade. It all goes into the skillet and becomes part of the finished sauce.
• The sugar is an important ingredient in this version. It balances the tomato and coconut flavors and helps create that mild British curry house taste.
• Add the cornstarch slurry a little at a time. You may not need every drop depending on how thick you like your curry.

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Troubleshooting

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Storage

• Refrigerating: Allow the curry to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Warm gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, or microwave individual portions until piping hot throughout. Avoid boiling vigorously as coconut-based sauces can separate.
• Freezing: Freeze in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. The sauce may separate slightly after thawing but should come back together with gentle reheating and stirring.
• Thawing: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating until the chicken is piping hot throughout.

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Serving Ideas

This Easy Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala is delicious served with:

• Fluffy white rice
• Garlic White Rice
• Homemade naan bread
• Poppadoms
• Mango chutney
• Dairy-free cucumber raita
• Onion bhajis
• Simple cucumber and tomato salad
• Roasted cauliflower
• Fresh cilantro, if your family enjoys it

For a proper British curry night at home, place the curry, rice, naan, and sides in the center of the table and let everyone help themselves, family style.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

• Naturally dairy-free without sacrificing creamy texture.
• Sits perfectly between a British Korma and Chicken Tikka Masala.
• Uses everyday supermarket ingredients.
• No heavy cream, butter, ground almonds, or desiccated coconut.
• Chicken breast or chicken thighs both work beautifully.
• Mild enough for the whole family.
• Marinate ahead to make dinner quick the following day.
• Thick, scoopable curry sauce that’s perfect with naan.
• Costs far less than ordering a takeaway.
• A comforting homemade curry that’s full of British curry house flavor.

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FAQs

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The Takeaway

A good homemade curry doesn’t need a cupboard full of specialty ingredients or a takeaway menu sitting on the kitchen counter.

This Easy Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala brings together everything I love about a British curry house dinner with simple supermarket ingredients, a creamy naturally dairy-free sauce, and plenty of comforting flavor.

If you’ve been looking for a mild curry that sits somewhere between a traditional Chicken Tikka Masala and a classic British korma, I hope this becomes one your family reaches for again and again.

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What to Try Next?!

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Share & Rate This Recipe!

If this Easy Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala earns a place in your curry night rotation, tap the stars on the recipe card and leave a quick comment below!

Last update on 2026-08-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API