Sheet Pan Chicken Tikka Masala with Cauliflower & Chickpeas

She’s bold, she’s definitely beautiful, and maybe best of all – she’s really really easy to make. Yes, friends, this Sheet Pan Chicken Tikka Masala with Cauliflower and Chickpeas is truly a fantastic flavor bomb kind of dish. What’s more, it’s really a full meal if you want it to be – just as it is. But if you like, all it takes is a little basmati rice or maybe some soft, pillowy naan to totally round out this homage to a beloved Indian classic.

What is Chicken Tikka Masala?

Traditionally speaking, Chicken Tikka Masala consists of chunks of chicken that are coated in a luscious, heavily spiced tomato and yogurt marinade and then roasted and/or grilled. A massively popular offering at Indian restaurants, this dish is frequently served with basmati rice.

I personally am obsessed with it, and am so happy to include a fun iteration of the classic in today’s recipe. Rather than simmering chunks of chicken in the sauce, we’ll use store-bought tikka masala sauce as a marinade, and amp up the flavor with some ground garam masala.

The one-two punch of both the spice mix and the creamy sauce make this dish really flavorful. We’re talking minimal effort with maximum payoff. What a happy thing, you know?

What part of India does Chicken Tikka come from?

I wondered this. Apparently, the origins of the dish are disputed, which I find interesting. It does hail from India, though, that is not up for debate. And it also stands as one of the UK’s most beloved and prized dishes. When I lived in England (years and years ago), I ate more of this dish than I ever thought possible. It’s everywhere in the UK.

And I never tired of it.

What Spices are in Garam Masala?

Garam masala is an Indian spice blend that is used in many Indian dishes, from curries and lentil dishes, to soups and stews. It is made from the toasting and grinding + blending of whole spices such as cinnamon, mace, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and cardamom pods.

The toasting step helps the spices to really release their flavor – “blooming” them into the very best they can be, in essence. Afterward, they’re ground into powders and expertly blended.

Ingredients in this Sheet Pan Chicken Tikka Masala

8 to 10 chicken drumsticks

1 cup tikka masala sauce (store-bought; in the Indian foods section)

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

2 cups baby carrots or (or, just cut up a few big carrots into chunks)

1 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tsp garam masala (found in the spice aisle)

½ red onion, sliced

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Lemon or lime wedges, for serving

Chopped cilantro, for serving

How to Make this Chicken Tikka

Recipes just don’t get much easier than this. A quick marinating through a one-ingredient marinade gets big-time flavor into some simple, affordable chicken drumsticks. The yogurt in that marinade really helps develop a nice crusty char on the chicken, too. We’ll toss the chicken onto a sheet pan along with some veggies, and give it all a trip through a very hot oven.

The Step-by-Step

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the chicken and the tikka masala sauce into a large zip-top plastic bag. Massage a little to ensure that the chicken is thoroughly coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. 

When you’re ready to roast, place the rinsed chickpeas, carrots, and cauliflower florets onto a large sheet pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the garam masala and some salt and pepper (about 1 tsp. each). Toss to coat. 

Add the chicken to the pan, just nestling it in amongst the veggies. Add the lemon or lime wedges, too. Roast until the chicken is fully cooked; about 30 minutes. To achieve that nice, charred effect. Crank your broiler up and let the chicken broil for an extra couple of minutes. Keep an eye on it! 

Shower the pan with chopped cilantro, slices of onion, and dollops of yogurt. Enjoy. 

Serving Suggestions

I recommend serving this with big, cloud-like dollops of creamy Greek yogurt (plain). That cooling, smooth consistency is perfect here, and wonderfully complements the spicier chicken and veggies.

Now, not everyone loves cilantro. We know this, and we respect it. If cilantro isn’t your deal (it’s SO very much my deal), then simply swap in to chopped parsley, mint, or peppery arugula instead. I use all of the above, depending on what I’ve got on hand and need to use up.

If this combo of ingredients feel a little lacking to you – like, you just need one more carb to really fill you up – I’d say go for some basmati rice or store-bought naan.

If you like the looks of this Sheet Pan Chicken Tikka Masala with Cauliflower & Chickpeas, you might want to check out:

Six-Ingredient Simplified Chicken Marbella

Filipino Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice

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