A quick and easy lamb tikka masala recipe using store-bought tikka curry paste. Made with fresh diced lamb shoulder, but you can also adapt the recipe to use leftover cooked lamb from your Sunday roast!
Serve with rice, naan bread, and mango chutney for a delicious curry feast!
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Some of you might think that using a premade curry paste is cheating....but I don't! It saves SO MUCH TIME, and they are generally very good quality! Life's too short (and busy) to be faffing around with a load of different spices!
Diced lamb is first marinated in yogurt and the tikka curry paste, to tenderise the meat, before being cooked in the sauce with the other ingredients. Traditionally the lamb is chargrilled before being added to the masala sauce, but I just cook it at a high temperature on the hob to save time (and faff...can you tell I'm not a fan of faff?!).
The creamy lamb tikka masala is a real family favourite around here, and dare I say it, I think I actually prefer it to the well-loved chicken tikka masala that's so popular here in the UK.
👩🍳 Love lamb curry? Try my easy lamb balti recipe!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why this is the best creamy lamb tikka masala recipe!
- Easy to make
- Full of flavour
- Not too spicy so great for the whole family
- Lower in calories than a takeaway version
- Bulked out with vegetables for added nutrition
- Freezer-friendly
🛒 Ingredients
- Lamb - diced shoulder or leg of lamb is the best cut for this recipe. You can also use leftover roast lamb and I give instructions for this in the recipe card.
- Tikka Paste - feel free to make your own if you have the time and/or inclination (I don't usually!).
- Yogurt - the acidity in the natural yogurt for the marinade helps tenderise the lamb before cooking.
- Onion, Garlic and Ginger - chopped finely for the curry base.
- Vegetables - I like to add in vegetables to my tikka masala, mainly for cost reasons - lamb can be expensive! In this recipe I've used red pepper and courgette, but other vegetables such as spinach would also work well. If you prefer, you can omit the vegetables completely and increase the amount of lamb used.
- Chopped Tomatoes - from a tin, alternatively for a smoother sauce use passata.
- Coconut Milk - creates the creamy sauce.
- Curry Powder - for a bit of extra flavour.
- Coriander - for garnish.
- Chilli - I personally don't add any chilli because it would be too hot for the kids, but feel free to add in a chopped red chilli if you like your curries really spicy, or you could just sprinkle some chopped red chilli on top for those that like it!
🔪 How to make lamb tikka masala
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place the diced lamb in a mixing bowl and stir in the yogurt and tikka paste. Leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes, or preferably overnight in the fridge.
Two: In a large frying pan, gently fry the finely chopped onion, garlic and ginger in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 4 minutes.
Three: If using vegetables, now is the time to add them. I've used diced red pepper and courgette. Cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat.
Four: Add the marinated lamb to the pan and cook on a high heat until the lamb has changed colour. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
💡 Top Tip - For a more authentic lamb tikka masala, grill or bbq the marinated lamb pieces before adding them to the sauce. I just don't have time to do this, so I cook them at a high heat in the frying pan instead.
Five: Stir in the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, and curry powder, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then immediately turn the heat down to medium.
Six: Simmer for 30-35 minutes until the lamb is tender and cooked through. Garnish with chopped coriander before serving.
Lamb Tikka Masala made with leftover roast lamb
If you're using leftover cooked lamb from your Sunday roast, follow these instructions:
Skip step one altogether and start by frying the onion, garlic, and ginger. After a few minutes add the tikka paste (that was used in the marinade for the fresh diced lamb), but not the yogurt (this is omitted altogether).
Follow the recipe through to step six. After the sauce has simmered, add the leftover roast lamb (you'll need 600 - 800g) and simmer for a further 5 minutes to warm the lamb through.
💭 Top tip
- If you have time, marinate the lamb overnight in the fridge for the best flavour. If you forget, don't worry, 20 minutes will be just fine!
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the easy lamb tikka masala with pilau rice, naan bread, and mango chutney.
If I'm making this for one of my curry nights, I also like to serve a couple of other curries alongside it such as this vegan chickpea and spinach curry, and also a mild chicken curry for those that don't like any heat!
📖 Variations
- Love your curry hot and spicy? Add 1 red chilli at the same time as the onions and garlic.
- Make the lamb tikka masala in your slow cooker. Marinate the lamb as directed then add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. You'll need to reduce the amount of coconut milk to 250ml. If the sauce is still a bit runny, add some thickening granules or use a cornflour slurry to thicken it up.
- Lower the calories and make a healthy lamb tikka masala by using low fat yogurt and low fat coconut milk.
🥡 Storage
- To Store. Place leftovers in an air-tight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I actually prefer it the next day as the flavours have had more time to develop!
- To Reheat. Microwave until piping hot.
- To Freeze. Place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge fully before reheating in the microwave.
❓ FAQs
Lamb tikka masala is fairly healthy and homemade is definitely much healthier than the takeaway version!
Tikka masala is a creamy tomato-based sauce with lots of traditional Indian spices.
😋 More curry recipes to try
Recipe
Easy Lamb Tikka Masala
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 800 g Diced Lamb boneless shoulder or leg works best
- 3 tablespoon Tikka Paste
- 3 tablespoon Natural Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger finely chopped
- 1 Red Pepper diced
- 1 Courgette chopped
- 1 teaspoon Curry Powder
- 400 g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
- 400 ml Coconut Milk
- 2 tablespoon Coriander finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the diced lamb in a mixing bowl and stir in the yogurt and tikka paste. Leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes, or preferably overnight in the fridge.800 g Diced Lamb, 3 tablespoon Tikka Paste, 3 tablespoon Natural Yogurt
- In a large frying pan, gently fry the finely chopped onion, garlic and ginger in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 4 minutes.1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Onion, 3 Garlic Cloves, 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger
- If using vegetables, now is the time to add them. I've used diced red pepper and courgette. Cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat.1 Red Pepper, 1 Courgette
- Add the marinated lamb to the pan and cook on a high heat until the lamb has changed colour. This should take about 5-7 minutes. For a more authentic lamb tikka masala, grill or bbq the marinated lamb pieces before adding them to the sauce. I just don't have time to do this, so I cook them at a high heat in the frying pan instead.800 g Diced Lamb
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, and curry powder, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then immediately turn the heat down to medium.400 g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes, 400 ml Coconut Milk, 1 teaspoon Curry Powder
- Simmer for 30-35 minutes until the lamb is tender and cooked through. Garnish with chopped coriander before serving.
- Instructions for using leftover roast lamb in notes section below.
Notes
- If you have time, marinate the lamb overnight in the fridge for the best flavour. If you forget, don't worry, 20 minutes will be just fine!
- Love your curry hot and spicy? Add 1 red chilli at the same time as the onions and garlic.
- Make the lamb tikka masala in your slow cooker. Marinate the lamb as directed then add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. You'll need to reduce the amount of coconut milk to 250ml. If the sauce is still a bit runny, add some thickening granules or use a cornflour slurry to thicken it up.
- Lower the calories and make a healthy lamb tikka masala by using low fat yogurt and low fat coconut milk.
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Sarah James
Your lamb tikka masala looks delicious. I like how quick it is to prepare and what a good idea to add some vegetables. Thanks for sharing.
Michelle
I love how easy this recipe is to make at home and so packed with flavor!
Anjali
This was flavorful, spicy and delicious! Love the tip to use store bought tikka paste to save on time too!
Lisa
Such a flavorful winter dish! I love that I can use my lamb roast leftovers this way.
Heidy
This lamb tikka masala was so fantastic tasting! The entire family and dinner guests enjoyed it. Happy New Year!