Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup whole-milk plain yogurt (not Greek)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (15-ounce) can roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 3/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Cooked rice or naan, for serving

Preparation

1. Place the chicken, yogurt, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker and stir to combine.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook until darkened in color, about 1 minute. Add the drained tomatoes and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the chicken. (Or just get lazy and throw all these into the Crock Pot and don't bother.)
3. Cover and cook on the HIGH setting for 4 hours or LOW setting for 8 hours. Stir in the cream or coconut milk. If you prefer a thicker sauce, leave the slow cooker uncovered and cook on the HIGH setting for 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt as needed. Serve garnished with cilantro with rice or naan.