Slow Cooker Vegan Tikka Masala

RECIPE VIDEO PRINT COMMENTS
4.96 from 21 votes

All the flavors of tikka masala in a slow cooker version.

This slow cooker vegan tikka masala is perfect for healthy, weeknight dinners. If you love Indian food as much as I do, you’ll love this simple chickpea tikka masala.

Raise your hand if you love tikka masala as much as I do. We get take-out about once a week, and 95% of the time, I want Indian food. It’s comforting, fairly healthy and always hits the spot.

While I love the flavorful tikka masala sauce, it’s also hard to find a plant-based version when we order take-out so I’ve taken to make my own.

If you can throw things in a slow cooker, then you can make this vegan tikka masala. If dinner had an easy button, this recipe would be it.

Combine all ingredients and add them to the base of your slow cooker, stir and set. Make a pot of steamed rice and warm some naan right before serving, and you’ve got a healthy, delicious dinner that rivals any take-out. 

Vegan Chickpea Slow Cooker Tikka Masala Close Up

Why I love this recipe

My family loves Indian food, and that makes me so incredibly happy. I love that my kids beg for chickpea masala, and this slow cooker version makes it easy.

You all love my slow cooker butter chickpeas, slow cooker saag paneer, and my slow cooker chana masala. So I did it again for you! Chickpeas and tofu into a warm and comforting tikka masala sauce. It’s like a giant hug in food form, something it seems we could all use a little more of.

Serve it with naan and rice, and dinner is served. To make things easier, I usually set my rice in my rice cooker so that it’s done as soon as this tikka masala is ready.

Ingredients

I know the ingredient list looks long, but it’s mostly just spices you likely already have in your pantry: cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, pepper, and salt.

The only unique spice blend is garam masala, which you can usually find at well-stocked grocery stores or online. You can make your blend here.

  • Aromatics: The onion, garlic and ginger are musts as they provide a lot of the flavor for the tikka masala.
  • Tomato Sauce: This is canned tomato sauce, not to be confused with marinara sauce or jarred pasta sauce.
  • Tofu: Firm or extra-firm tofu is best for texture. I prefer to drain and press the tofu before adding it to the slow cooker.
  • Garbanzo Beans: I like adding in both the beans and the tofu in this slow cooker tikka masala for extra protein, iron and fiber.
  • Coconut Milk: This is what provides the richness and creaminess for this recipe. I recommend using full-fat coconut milk instead of light coconut milk.
  • Corn starch: The cornstarch helps to thicken the sauce, which makes for a richer texture.

Substitutions

You can substitute arrowroot starch or tapioca starch for the cornstarch if you’d like.

You can add in additional garbanzo beans instead of the tofu, or vice-versa. If you want to add in more chickpeas and take away the tofu, then I recommend using two cans of chickpeas.

Or, use 24 ounces of cubed tofu instead of the chickpeas.

How to Make

Step 1: Add the Ingredients

Combine the onion, ginger, garlic, spices, and tomato sauce in the base of a slow cooker. If your slow cooker has an saute function, like my Instant Pot does, then I highly recommend sauting the onion, ginger and garlic first before adding the spices and tomato sauce.

Doing this will make your sauce more flavorful, though it’s optional. If you don’t have time or a saute function, then just add everything to the base.

Stir in the chopped tofu and chickpeas, then cover and cook for for 4 hours on high (or 6-8 hours or low.)

Step 2: Add the coconut milk

Before ready to eat, whisk together the coconut milk and cornstarch until dissolved, then stir into the slow cooker mixture.

Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes until thickened. I use this time to cook the rice and the naan.

Step 3: Serve

Stir in the lemon juice and stir once more, then taste. I love this vegan tikka masala on top of steamed rice with extra chopped cilantro on top!

How to Make on the Stove

If you want this slow cooker vegan tikka masala now and don’t want to wait on the slow cooker, then it’s easy to adapt to the stove.

To do this, simply saute the onion, garlic, and ginger until softened and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in all of the spices and cook another minute or two to allow the spices to warm and bloom; doing this adds lots of flavor using dried spices. 

Add in the rest of the ingredients from there, tomato sauce, chickpeas, cubed tofu and cook until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Before serving, whisk together the coconut milk mixture and add into the pot. Cook until thickened, another 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy just like you would the slow cooker version, with steamed rice and naan. 

Vegan Chickpea Slow Cooker Tikka Masala Served On Rice

Expert Tips

If you want to build more flavor depth, then I recommend sauting the onions, garlic and ginger in olive oil before adding them to the base of the slow cooker.

If you have a slow cooker with a saute function, you can do it right in the slow cooker. Or, you can do this in a separate pan and then add. If you do this, then I recommend blooming the spices too, adding them to the aromatics and cooking for a minute or so until fragrant.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prevent this sauce from becoming too watery?

Slow cookers retain moisture, which is why I recommend adding the coconut milk mixed with cornstarch at the end. This helps thicken the sauce.

Can I freeze leftovers?

This vegan tikka masala freezes well! Store it in an airtight container and thaw it thoroughly before reheating.

If you make this slow cooker vegan tikka masala, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!

Delish Knowledge

Video

Slow Cooker Vegan Tikka Masala

4.96 from 21 votes
Slow Cooker Vegan Tikka Masala! This slow cooker meal is SO good and perfect for healthy weeknight dinners. If you love Indian food, then you’ll love this simple chickpea tikka masala. Chickpeas and tofu in a fragrant tomato-coconut sauce.
Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 14 ounce package firm tofu, drained and pressed, and cubed
  • 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1/2 large lemon, juiced
  • Cooked rice, for serving

Instructions

  • Lightly grease the inside of your slow cooker with a bit of olive oil or spray and set aside.
  • Combine all ingredients from onion to salt together until well-combined.
  • Place the tofu and chickpeas in the base of the slow cooker and pour the sauce ontop. Gently mix together until everything is combined, making sure the tofu and chickpeas are well coated.
  • Place the bay leaf on top and cover, cooking for 4 hours on high (or 8 hours on low)
  • When done, in a small bowl combine the coconut milk, cornstarch and gently stir into the mixture. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes until thickened. (I use this time to cook the rice/naan!)
  • Add in the lemon juice and stir once more before serving. I love this on steamed rice, some naan and maybe a little extra chopped cilantro!

Notes

This makes 4 large servings or 6 normal servings, especially if you are serving with rice and naan. But! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, and the leftovers are so good for lunch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 276kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 9gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 401mgPotassium: 205mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 412IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 3mg
Course: healthy, Indian, slow cooker
Cuisine: American, Gluten-Free, Indian Inspired, Vegan

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71 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This dish is great. Super easy and made a great dinner. Really flavorful!

  2. 5 stars
    I am admittedly, a terrible cook, so I was SUPER happy about this dish. Lovely, deep flavors – I even forgot the lemon and cilantro the first time I served it and it was still DELISH!

  3. 5 stars
    This was delicious! I added a bag of frozen spinach. My whole family, including a 5-year old whose go-to order at Indian restaurants is paneer tikka masala.

    1. 5 stars
      We love this recipe! I add sweet potato, so I don’t feel like I need to cook an extra vegetable for dinner.

  4. 5 stars
    We make this recipe all of the time. It’s a true staple for us. Super easy to throw everything in and forget about it! Freezes very well too! Love the spice and flavors. We sometime take out the cayenne for our friends who don’t like too much spice and it still has a little kick to it! Honestly haven’t found a better masala recipe! Thank you!!

  5. It is a great recipe. Thank you. The only thing that I miss is the amount of chickpea I should add.

    1. Hi! It’s a 15 ounce can of chickpeas

  6. SF Bay Area Cook says:

    5 stars
    This was very good! Worth making again.

  7. Patrici D says:

    5 stars
    Thank you for such a great recipe! So delicious!! And easy!

  8. 5 stars
    Phenomenal flavors and so easy and quick to put together!! I will definitely make again! Thank you, Alexandra, for this great recipe!