Chicken Tikka Sandwiches

These chicken tikka sandwiches are everything you already love about the Indian dish–the creamy, tomatoey chicken, the warm, soft naan bread–but crafted into an incredibly delicious sandwich form.

Chicken slow-cooked until tender in a creamy, tomato-based sauce with Indian spices, topped with melty shredded mozzarella cheese, chopped cilantro, and a simple homemade garlic ginger yogurt sauce all sandwiched between warm, lightly toasted naan bread.

The best part of this recipe is that it is super hands-off. To simplify things, I’ve used a pre-made jarred tikka masala sauce. All you need to do is throw your chicken in the crockpot, pour in the sauce, and let it do the cooking.

When everybody gets home in the evening it’s just a matter of shredding the chicken, toasting the naan bread, and assembling sandwiches. Easy enough for any weeknight.

Now, this isn’t the kind of sandwich you would make and eat on a first date, but more of the kind that you would share on your 52nd date when don’t care about what you look like while you eat anymore and you’re just happy to share good food together.

These chicken tikka masala sandwiches are MESSY. But so delicious and so worth it.

Ingredients

Chicken breasts: Chicken is one of my favorite proteins for easy, crockpot dinners. If you’d rather cook more than two chicken breasts at a time, you could always double or triple the chicken and sauce, then freeze what you don’t use to save it for an even quicker weeknight dinner later on.

Tikka masala sauce: Pre-made jarred tikka masala sauce is such a life saver. I tested this recipe with a couple different kinds and both worked really well. I tried Trader Joe’s Tikka Masala Curry Sauce (8.8 oz) and Target’s Good and Gather Tikka Masala Sauce (12 oz). There are tons of varieties out there, so feel free to try a different one!

Naan bread: I just love naan bread. It’s so soft and tasty. I could probably live off it. I prefer to use either Trader Joe’s Indian Style Flatbread or Toufayan Bakeries’ Tandoori Naan over the Stonefire Naan Bread because they hold up a little better for a sandwich than the flimsier Stonefire Naan. I like to get the garlic varieties for even more flavor, but you do you. 🙂

Cilantro: Cilantro is a given in this recipe. I can’t create a tikka masala something and not include cilantro. It would be wrong of me. Grocery tip–Sniff your cilantro bunch. If it smells fragrant, then it will be a good, flavorful bunch. If not, try the next one (or the next store).

Mozzarella cheese: The first time I tested this recipe, I made the sandwiches without cheese. I just felt like it was missing something. Cheese makes any sandwich better, even it mozzarella and chicken tikka have never really been a thing. After I tested the recipe with shredded mozzarella I knew I had to keep it. It was the perfect melty, salty cheese to complement the rest of the sandwich, but even more importantly, it helped hold the sandwich together!

Greek yogurt: Now we’re getting into our super delicious garlic ginger yogurt sauce. I like to use plain 2% greek yogurt.

Mayo: Mayo adds an extra richness and a smoother texture to our yogurt sauce.

Ginger: Just enough to give a nice hint of ginger. I like to use pre-minced ginger when I’m in a hurry. You can usually find it in the refrigerated produce aisle or freezer aisle.

Garlic: Two forms of garlic are used in the sauce–minced and powder. This just brings out the garlic flavor all the more.

How to Make Chicken Tikka Sandwiches

1. Slow-cook chicken + sauce. I love that this recipe is SO easy. Simply stick your chicken in the crockpot with the sauce, set it to ‘low’ for about 8 hours, and let it do the work. Once it’s done cooking, you’ll shred it right in the crockpot.
2. Toast naan bread. Once your chicken is ready, toast the naan flatbreads on a sheet pan in the oven for about 15 minutes.
3. Make the garlic ginger yogurt sauce. While the naan is toasting, combine yogurt, mayo, garlic, ginger, salt, and water in a small bowl.
4. Assemble sandwiches. Spread a layer of yogurt sauce on two of the flatbreads. Divide the shredded chicken into two portions and spread evenly on those same two flatbreads. Top with mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for a few minutes to let the cheese melt. Then, top with cilantro, drizzle more sauce over top, and top each with the unused flatbreads.
5. Cut and enjoy! Cut each sandwich into two or four. Makes four generous servings total.

Notes & Tips

Substitutions and Additions

• For a little extra crunch, try adding thinly sliced cucumbers to this sandwich.
• If you can’t find tikka masala sauce, you can also use any pre-made butter chicken sauce. And if you’d really like to, you can even make your own tikka masala sauce, like this recipe.
• Feel free to use sliced mozzarella cheese instead of shredded. You could also experiment with other kinds of cheese like gouda, provolone, or fontina.

What to Pair with Chicken Tikka Sandwiches

• Steamed peas
• Roasted broccoli or cauliflower
• Kachumber (Indian Cucumber Salad)
• Lettuce salad
• Raw veggie platter (carrots, red pepper, cucumber, tomatoes)

Storage and Reheating

I would definitely recommend eating these sandwiches as soon as they’re ready and not storing them for later. However, if you do have leftover sandwiches, Simply wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to three days. To reheat, unwrap and place on a baking sheet. Heat in the oven at 375˚F until warm in the middle.

Chicken Tikka Sandwiches