Chicken Tikka Masala in Edmonton at Aashirwaad

Chicken tikka masala gets its name from two stages: tikka (grilled marinated chicken) and masala (the spiced sauce it finishes in). At Aashirwaad in Southeast Edmonton, the chicken is grilled before it touches the sauce. That's the step that separates real chicken tikka masala from shortcuts.

Chicken Tikka Masala vs Butter Chicken: What Is the Difference

Both dishes arrive creamy. Both taste of tomato, spice, and cream. But they start differently, and if you've eaten at enough Indian restaurants, you'll taste the gap.

Butter chicken begins with raw chicken breast poached gently in broth. The meat stays pale and tender. It never hits heat above a simmer. Then the kitchen makes a tomato-cream sauce separately and stirs the cooked chicken into it. The texture is soft, almost melting. The flavor is mild and creamy, with spice in the sauce rather than in the meat itself.

Chicken tikka masala flips this. The chicken gets marinated in yogurt and spices first, then grilled over high heat until the outside chars and darkens. You get the crispy, slightly blackened exterior with smoke already trapped in the meat. That charred surface is what carries spice deep into each bite. Then this grilled tikka goes into the masala sauce. It's the same creamy tomato base as butter chicken, but now the meat brings its own heat and smokiness to the party.

The result: tikka masala hits you with more depth. More char. More story on the palate. If you've ordered butter chicken most of your life and felt something was missing, try the tikka. You'll notice it immediately. That's the difference between poached and grilled.

How Aashirwaad Builds Their Chicken Tikka Masala

We start with bite-sized chunks of boneless chicken breast. These get submerged in a yogurt marinade with ginger, garlic, and a careful blend of spices. The yogurt is important: it tenderizes the meat while adding a subtle tang. We leave it overnight so the flavors have time to creep in.

The next morning, those pieces go onto the tandoor. A tandoor is a traditional clay oven, cone-shaped, with charcoal or wood at the bottom. The heat is intense and uneven. The chicken threads go in at the hottest part, and you watch them carefully. They char around the edges within minutes. A few turn almost black. That's not a mistake. That's the point. You pull them off just as the inside stays tender but the outside has caught enough heat to develop those dark, smoky patches.

Now comes the masala sauce. This is tomato-based, made with fresh tomatoes that we simmer down with onions, garlic, and whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaf. We finish with cream and a touch of butter. No sugar. Most restaurants add sugar to compensate for weak tomato flavor or to appeal to a sweeter palate. We don't. The grilled tikka brings enough natural umami and char that the sauce doesn't need help.

The tikka pieces go into that sauce for the final 10 minutes. They warm through and absorb the creamy spice. But they keep their charred edges. That's what you taste in the final dish: the sauce is smooth and inviting, but the chicken carries the memory of the tandoor.

What to Order Alongside Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala ($16.99) is a complete main course. It feeds one person generously or two as part of a larger spread. But if you're ordering for a group or want to round out the meal, a few sides make sense.

Garlic Naan ($3.00) is the natural choice. It's a soft flatbread topped with fresh garlic and butter, baked in a clay oven until the edges puff slightly. Tear off a piece and use it to grab a bite of tikka and sauce. The garlic brightness cuts through the cream and spice. In North India, this is how the dish gets eaten: bread, meat, sauce, repeat.

If someone at the table is vegetarian, our Chole Bhature ($7.99) is worth adding. Slow-cooked chickpeas with a puffed fried bread. It's a different texture and flavor entirely, but it gives the meal contrast and makes sure everyone's satisfied.

Some diners order our Daal Makhani ($13.99) as a side curry. It's creamy lentils finished with butter and cream. It might sound redundant next to the masala, but the spice profile is different enough that it works. The daal is earthier, slower, letting you shift from the charred chicken to something gentler between bites. If you're looking for more traditional sweets and sides, we've got you covered.

Order Chicken Tikka Masala in Edmonton: Mill Woods Delivery and Pickup

Aashirwaad Sweets And Restaurant is at 2809 Mill Woods Rd NW in Southeast Edmonton, AB, serving Mill Woods Town Centre, Jackson Heights, and neighborhoods across the south side. We're open six days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.). We're closed Tuesdays.

Order on our website for delivery or pickup, or call us at (587) 524-3300 to place a phone order. Tikka masala tastes best within 20 minutes of plating. If you're picking up, eat right away. If you're having it delivered, the sauce stays fragrant and warm for at least 30 minutes, and the grilled edges on the tikka hold their char.

Regulars come from Larkspur, Meadows, Wild Rose, and other Southeast Edmonton neighborhoods. Our chicken biryani also uses the same care with grilled proteins, so if you love the char on the tikka, you'll appreciate that dish too. If you're further north or west, delivery still works. We serve most of Edmonton. Just check our delivery radius when you order to confirm your address.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between chicken tikka masala and butter chicken?

The key difference is the chicken itself. Butter chicken uses boneless, skinless chicken breast poached gently in broth, then combined with a creamy tomato sauce. Chicken tikka masala starts with chunks of chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, then grilled over high heat until they char. That charred exterior is what gives tikka masala its deeper, spicier taste. The masala sauce is similar to butter chicken's, but because the tikka has already been cooked on the grill, the dish carries more smoke and char.

How much does chicken tikka masala cost at Aashirwaad?

Chicken Tikka Masala at Aashirwaad is $16.99. It comes with grilled tikka pieces in a rich masala sauce, serving one person as a main course or two as part of a larger meal.

What should I order with chicken tikka masala?

Chicken Tikka Masala pairs beautifully with fresh naan. Our Garlic Naan ($3.00) brings garlic warmth that complements the spiced sauce. Some diners also order Veg Biryani ($12.99) or our Daal Makhani ($13.99) on the side. The creamy lentil curry makes a nice contrast to the charred spice of the tikka.