An easy chicken rogan josh recipe, on the table in just 45 minutes! This tasty Kashmiri-style chicken curry, popular in Indian restaurants and curry houses, is packed full of flavor and perfect for busy weeknights!
Serve with homemade pilau rice (or cauliflower rice), mango chutney, and warm naan breads for your next Indian feast at home!
Rogan Josh is a medium heat curry, most usually made with lamb (which requires long slow cooking). This chicken version on the other hand is quick, easy, and on the table in just 45 minutes!
Traditionally, rogan josh was a main meal made on special occasions such as weddings. These days it is one of the most popular recipes in Indian restaurants and on Indian takeaway menus!
👩🍳 Love curry? Try this easy prawn bhuna too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Tasty medium heat chicken curry.
- Quicker to make than lamb rogan josh, which requires long slow cooking.
- Healthier than a takeaway.
- Recipe can be easily doubled to feed a crowd.
- Freezer friendly.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Chicken - use 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs. Cut the chicken into large bitesize chunks.
- Whole Spices - cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and bay leaves.
- Olive Oil - for frying.
- Onion, Garlic & Ginger - finely chopped for the base of the curry. You could use a food processor to make a paste..
- Ground Spices - paprika, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, red chilli powder, cayenne pepper.
- Passata - or use a tin of chopped tomatoes for a chunkier textured sauce.
- Tomato Puree (tomato paste) - gives the sauce a rich flavour.
- Chicken Stock - made with a stock cube or stock pot.
- Sugar - to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Salt and Pepper - for seasoning.
- Fresh Coriander - for garnish.
🔪 How to make chicken rogan josh
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Heat the olive oil in a pan (with a lid) over a medium-high heat and cook the whole spices for 1 minute.
Two: Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the chopped onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft.
Three: Stir in the ground spices and cook for 2 minutes.
Four: Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes until changed colour.
Five: Pour in the passata, chicken stock, tomato puree, and sprinkle in the sugar, salt, and pepper.
Six: Put a lid on the pan and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Serve with freshly chopped coriander.
💭 Expert tips
- If you're serving this curry to kids or people that don't like a lot of spice, add a spoonful of Greek yogurt at the end of cooking.
- Make sure the pan you use has a lid. Simmering the chicken rogan josh on a low heat with a lid on the pan ensures the chicken doesn't dry out.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the medium chicken curry on your next curry night with homemade pilau rice (or cauliflower rice), mango chutney, lime pickle, and warm naan bread!
I like to serve a milder curry alongside rogan josh (a creamy chickpea and spinach curry is always a good option), to cater to people that might find rogan josh a bit too spicy!
📖 Variations
- Make a chicken and vegetable rogan josh and add sliced red peppers and sliced mushrooms at the same time as the onion.
- Make a chicken and potato rogan josh! Add cooked boiled potatoes or even leftover roast potatoes for the last 5 minutes of cooking!
- Make spicy chicken rogan josh and add 1 chopped red chilli at the same time as the onion.
- Try making slow cooker chicken rogan josh. Place all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Use thickening granules or a cornflour slurry to thicken the curry sauce at the end of cooking.
🥡 Storage
Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Place leftovers in a microwaveable bowl and cook on full power until piping hot. Curries always taste better the next day!
Freeze: Allow the curry to cool, place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Rogan Josh is rich and aromatic Kashmiri cuisine curry made with whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom), ground spices (including paprika which gives it its deep red color), and is considered a medium spiced curry.
Yes, rogan josh is a tomato-based medium curry usually made with lamb or chicken.
The dish does include chili, but in relatively small quantities so is considered a medium spiced curry (on the same spice level as a dhansak or tikka masala).
😋 More chicken curry recipes
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Recipe
Easy Chicken Rogan Josh Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
Whole Spices
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 4 Cardamom Pods
- 3 Cloves
- 1 Bay Leaf
Curry Base
- 1 Onion peeled and chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger chopped or grated
Ground Spices
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Chilli Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Other Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts cut into bitesize pieces
- 300 ml Passata
- 200 ml Chicken Stock made with a stock cube
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Coriander chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan (with a lid) over a medium-high heat and cook the whole spices for 1 minute.2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Cinnamon Stick, 4 Cardamom Pods, 3 Cloves, 1 Bay Leaf
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the chopped onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft.1 Onion, 4 Garlic Cloves, 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger
- Stir in the ground spices and cook for 2 minutes.1 tablespoon Paprika, 2 teaspoon Ground Coriander, 2 teaspoon Ground Cumin, 1 teaspoon Turmeric, 1 teaspoon Garam Masala, 1 teaspoon Chilli Powder, ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes until changed colour.4 Chicken Breasts
- Pour in the passata, chicken stock, tomato puree, and sprinkle in the sugar, salt, and pepper.300 ml Passata, 200 ml Chicken Stock, 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree, 1 teaspoon Sugar, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Put a lid on the pan and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Serve with freshly chopped coriander.1 tablespoon Fresh Coriander
Notes
- If you're serving this curry to kids or people that don't like a lot of spice, add a spoonful of Greek yogurt at the end of cooking and place more on the table for people to dollop on top!
- Make sure the pan you use has a lid. Simmering the chicken rogan josh on a low heat with a lid on the pan ensures the chicken doesn't dry out.
- Make a chicken and vegetable rogan josh and add sliced red peppers and sliced mushrooms at the same time as the onion.
- Make a chicken and potato rogan josh! Add cooked boiled potatoes or even leftover roast potatoes!
- Make spicy chicken rogan josh and add 1 red chopped chili at the same time as the onion.
- Try making slow cooker chicken rogan josh. Place all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Use thickening granules or a cornflour slurry to thicken the curry sauce at the end of cooking
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: Place leftovers in a microwaveable bowl and cook on full power until piping hot. Curries always taste better the next day!
- To Freeze: Allow the curry to cool, place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
This was amazing and such a treat! Thank you!
Kushigalu
Drooling over this delicious chicken curry. Thanks for sharing
Tayler Ross
I absolutely love that this is ready in 45 minutes! I'm always looking for quick and easy meals during the week!
Tara
Such a wonderful and flavor-packed weeknight meal! It sounds so good paired with the pilau rice and mango chutney.
Kim
Cooked this about 30 times so far and just gets better each time. With curries I used to make mine by guesswork and turned out fine but this is soooooo delicious
Thank you.
Sisley White - Sew White
I've never tried a chicken Rogan Josh before but I'm curious to see how to is compares to lamb. I love all the spices.