Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza Recipe

Chicken Tikka Masala is hands down one of my favorite recipes, and I know there’s always a big debate about which is better—Chicken Tikka Masala or Butter Chicken.

I think there’s room for both, and each has its own charm. In this post, I’m sharing my Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza recipe, which I’m sure will become one of your favorites once you try it.

If you’re also a Butter Chicken fan, don’t worry—I’ve got a Butter Chicken Pizza recipe too, and it’s equally delicious. But today, we’re focusing on this incredible Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza.

For this recipe, I’ve used homemade Chicken Tikka Masala (don’t worry, I’ll share that recipe in another post soon). However, if you have some leftover Chicken Tikka Masala, you’re already halfway there.

This pizza needs three basic ingredients: chicken tikka masala, cheese, and pizza dough. I’ve used an autolyzed pizza dough for this recipe, making the crust airy while staying crispy at the bottom—so good!

I recommend drizzling a bit of melted butter or fresh cream on top. Sadly, I forgot to do this, but it would have added a lovely touch.

For an extra fresh and Indian vibe, I sprinkled some chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves on top. You can also add some finely chopped green chilies for a bit of heat if you like it spicy.

This Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza is the perfect blend of flavors and textures—spicy, cheesy, and delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients

Chicken Tikka Masala

For this recipe, I’ve used the curry portion of the Chicken Tikka Masala as the pizza sauce. I’ve also torn the chicken pieces into smaller bits and sprinkled them across the pizza, ensuring every bite has that rich, flavorful taste.

You can make this recipe with chicken breast or thighs—both work wonderfully. Personally, I’ve used chicken thighs, but feel free to use your preferred cut of chicken.

I have a detailed recipe in another post if you’d like to make the Chicken Tikka Masala from scratch. It’s easy to follow and packed with flavor, but I didn’t include it here to keep this post concise. Check it out if you want to prepare the chicken masala fresh!

Pizza Dough

I’ve used my autolyzed pizza dough recipe for this pizza. This dough is incredibly easy to prepare and results in a crust that’s airy, light, and slightly crisp at the bottom.

I find this recipe even better than most authentic Neapolitan pizza dough recipes! While it doesn’t meet the strict criteria for a traditional Neapolitan pizza, the results are so impressive that it comes very close.

If you don’t have time to make pizza dough from scratch, you can use my 2-hour pizza dough recipe or Bobby Flay pizza dough recipe, but remember, it may result in a denser crust compared to this one. I highly recommend trying the autolyzed dough if you can—you’ll love how easy it is to work with and how delicious it tastes.

Cheese

For the cheese, I’ve kept it simple with shredded mozzarella. You can opt for a cheese blend , but mozzarella works well. It melts beautifully and complements the Chicken Tikka Masala flavors perfectly.

I’ve made this pizza with a thin crust, stretching the dough as much as possible to keep it light and crisp.

Tips for Making the Perfect Pizza

1. For this pizza, I used a cast iron skillet. I first place the pizza dough on the skillet to cook the bottom of the dough, then transfer it to the oven.

When doing this, make sure the cast iron skillet is extremely hot. Also, drizzle oil on the pan to create a non-stick barrier between the dough and the pan.

Adding the oil prevents sticking and gives the pizza an extra crispy texture. Don’t worry—your pizza dough won’t become oily, so feel free to add a little oil of your choice.

2. Before cooking the pizza in the oven, preheat it to 200°C (390°F) for 10 to 15 minutes. Many people might think preheating isn’t necessary, but trust me, it is.

If you skip this step, your pizza will take 25 to 30 minutes to cook at 190°C (375°F). Even then, the cooking will be uneven—the top will cook much faster than the bottom.

To avoid this, always preheat the oven properly before baking your pizza.

3. I used fully cooked Chicken Tikka Masala as a topping in this recipe. Do not use uncooked or raw chicken, as it will not cook properly on the pizza and will result in undercooked chicken.

Always use cooked toppings for this pizza—or any other chicken pizza—to ensure it turns out perfectly.

4. You might feel tempted to use a traditional tomato-based pizza sauce, then add the toppings and chicken tikka pieces on top, but trust me, that won’t taste as good.

Instead, use the sauce from the Chicken Tikka Masala, or you can even use a bottled chicken tikka sauce and spread it over the pizza dough.

If you don’t have chicken tikka sauce, you can use a classic white sauce with a subtle flavor that pairs better than a traditional tomato pizza sauce.