Tikka masala: the sauce is tomato, the cream is the swap.
Chicken tikka masala is yogurt-marinated chicken in a spiced tomato sauce, and the sauce borrows its silk from cream and butter. Use breast, nonfat yogurt and lowfat half and half, and a serving goes from 698 to 373 kcal.
- 373 kcal a serving, down from 698 for the classic, with 49 g protein, 21 g carbs and 11 g fat
- 3 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 60 g a serving
- 4 servings, weighed at 1,500 g when finished, from 11 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same chicken tikka masala, made two ways from the same library entries and the same 4 servings. The lighter version is the one built on the screens below.
| Per serving | Classic | Lighter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 698 | 373 | −325 |
| Protein g | 39 | 49 | +10 |
| Carbs g | 21 | 21 | 0 |
| Fat g | 52 | 11 | −41 |
| Saturated fat g | 21.9 | 2.5 | −19.4 |
Saturated fat comes from the same USDA entries; the recipe sheet itself shows calories, protein, carbs and fat. Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice.
Swap by swap.
Each change in turn, from the classic to the lighter version, and what it does to one serving.
1. Use skinless breast, not skin-on thigh
−177 kcal, +10 g protein, −25 g fat, −6.9 g saturated fat a serving
For the same 700 g, 177 kcal and 25 g of fat less a serving.
2. Finish with lowfat half and half, not heavy cream
−110 kcal, −12 g fat, −7.9 g saturated fat a serving
A thinner cream still rounds the sauce: 110 kcal and 7.9 g of saturated fat less a serving, even with a little less than the 150 g of cream.
3. Sear in 15 g of oil, not 40 g of butter
−38 kcal, −4 g fat, −4.6 g saturated fat a serving
Butter is mostly saturated fat. Replacing it with a measured spoon of oil saves 38 kcal and 4.6 g of saturated fat a serving.
More protein, if you need it.
Hitting a protein target is the hard part for most people. Each option is added to the lighter version on its own, with what it does to a serving of 49 g protein and 373 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Use 900 g of chicken
+60 kcal, +11 g protein, +1 g fat, +0.3 g saturated fat a serving, making 60 g protein a serving
Another 200 g of skinless breast adds 11 g of protein a serving for 60 kcal.
Stir in 400 g of chickpeas
+138 kcal, +7 g protein, +22 g carbs, +2 g fat, +0.2 g saturated fat a serving, making 56 g protein a serving
Drained and rinsed chickpeas thicken the sauce and add 7 g of protein a serving for 138 kcal, with fibre.
Oil and fat: the type changes the fat, the amount changes the calories.
The three oils below are each 884 kcal per 100 g, and ghee is within a few calories of them. Swapping one for another moves the saturated fat, not the calories; using less is what saves them. Butter is lower per gram only because part of it is water.
| Fat, per tablespoon, 14 g | kcal | Fat g | Sat fat g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 124 | 14 | 1.9 |
| Canola oil | 124 | 14 | 1.0 |
| Avocado oil | 124 | 14 | 1.6 |
| Ghee (butter oil) | 123 | 14 | 8.7 |
| Butter, salted | 100 | 11 | 7.2 |
The sample data
These are the amounts of the lighter version used on the screens below, with each figure taken from the library entry for that ingredient. They are sample figures for a pot or tray of this size, not a measurement of anyone's kitchen.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, skinless, raw | 700 g | 840 | 158 | 0 | 18 |
| Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat | 200 g | 122 | 21 | 7 | 1 |
| Tomato puree, canned | 400 g | 152 | 7 | 36 | 1 |
| Onions, raw | 200 g | 80 | 2 | 19 | 0 |
| Ginger root | 15 g | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Garlic | 15 g | 22 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Olive oil | 15 g | 133 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Half and half, lowfat | 100 g | 72 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Paprika | 6 g | 17 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Cumin seed | 4 g | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Curry powder | 8 g | 26 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Whole recipe | 1,663 g | 1,491 | 195 | 82 | 43 |
| Per serving (4) | 375 g | 373 | 49 | 21 | 11 |
Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice. Ingredient values are from USDA FoodData Central, which is in the public domain.
Why this recipe
Tikka masala is easy to underestimate because the chicken is lean and the sauce is red. The fat is hidden in the butter and cream, so building the sauce ingredient by ingredient shows where a serving really comes from.
What to weigh
Weigh the chicken raw and the sauce ingredients as they go in. The curry reduces on the stove, so the sample pot weighs 1,500 g from 1,663 g of ingredients and a serving is 375 g.
The full workflow, in four steps.
1. Open Create a recipe and search the library
Open Add food, choose Create a recipe and name it, then choose Add ingredient. Typing "chicken breast skinless" lists the entries, raw and cooked.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Pick the raw, skinless breast, switch to grams and enter what the scale showed. The sheet shows 840 kcal for the chicken.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the yogurt, tomato puree, onion, ginger, garlic, oil, half and half and spices, then enter 4 servings and the 1,500 g you weighed. One serving comes to 373 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and it becomes one of your own foods, ready to log by the serving or any weight.
Tips while you build it
- Marinate the chicken in the yogurt and spices for at least an hour, then grill or sear it before it goes into the sauce. That is where the char flavour comes from.
- Stir the half and half in at the end, off a hard boil, so the sauce stays smooth.
- A serving is about 375 g. Log by weight when you are measuring, and log rice or naan separately.
Go further
- Making the takeaway version? Save a second recipe with skin-on thigh, whole-milk yogurt, heavy cream and butter.
- Serving it over rice? Log the rice as its own food rather than editing the curry.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Chicken tikka masala questions.
How many calories are in chicken tikka masala?
It depends on the cut, the cream and the butter. The sample comes to 373 kcal a serving made lighter, with 49 g protein, 21 g carbs and 11 g fat, against 698 kcal with skin-on thigh, heavy cream and butter.
What is the difference between tikka masala and butter chicken?
Both are chicken in a creamy tomato sauce. Tikka masala is usually spicier and more tomato-forward; butter chicken is smoother and sweeter. Both pages show how to lighten them.
Will breast stay tender in the sauce?
Yes, if the marinade has time and you take it off the heat as soon as it is cooked through.
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Keep going.
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