Pre-cooked chicken not only makes curry better but tastier too.
This is batch cooking at its best. Change the seasoning and you can use this technique for any cuisine that requires tender chicken.
Whether the restaurant is a low cost Indian curry house or an upmarket Indian restaurant, the chefs will normally cook chicken before service so that it is tender and ready to use. This recipe can be adjusted by changing the spicing to work in any cuisine.
About this recipe.
You can pre-cook chicken in several different ways. So if one of my curry house recipes calls for pre-cooked chicken, you could use any of these methods.
This pre-cooked chicken recipe goes well in any curry house style sauce. As it is slowly stewed for optimum flavour, you can also use some of the cooking liquid in your curries for more flavour.
Making pre-cooked chicken in this way will not only speed up the cooking process but will add another delicious layer of flavour to you BIR (British Indian Restaurant) style curries.
Why should you pre-cook your chicken?
Pre-cooked chicken, meat and potatoes play an important role in the preparation of British Indian restaurant style meals.
Pre-cooking the chicken until tender not only makes cooking in Indian restaurants faster but tastier too. If restaurant chefs had to wait for the chicken to cook through each time an order was placed, it would double the time it takes to get the curry to the table.
Time is money in the curry house world. That said, batch cooking like this is also very convenient for the home cook.
If you want to prepare delicious curries in minutes like they do at the best curry houses, pre-cooking your chicken, meat and even vegetables is a good place to start.
Are there other ways to prepare pre-cooked chicken?
Yes and you will probably already be familiar with them. A stewed chicken like this goes really well in a mild korma or even in a mind-blowing vindaloo.
You might, however want to make chicken tikka masala, chicken jalfrezi or chicken chilli garlic which often have tandoori chicken tikka added to them, so you might like to try your hand at one or more of these recipes.
This tandoori chicken tikka recipe is a great place to start but I have a lot of chicken tikka recipes for you to try. Link to those are follow.
Air Fryer Chicken Tikka
Sheet Pan Chicken Tikka with Vegetables
Chicken Shashlik
Afghan Chicken Tikka
Malai Chicken Tikka
Stovetop Chicken Tikka
Hariyali Chicken
Pakistani Chicken Tikka
Which cut of chicken works best?
At curry houses, breast is usually used as it is prettier white meat. Thigh meat has a lot more flavour so I use that.
Although not mentioned in the recipe, I also often add a few chicken legs on the bone for additional flavour in the stock. Then I cut the meat of the bone and use that too.
How do you use pre-cooked chicken?
You just need to get your pre-cooked chicken ready. Place it by your work station and then follow one or more of my British Indian Restaurant (BIR) stye curry recipes.
When the recipe says to add the chicken or other protein, add your pre-cooked chicken. Even if the recipe calls for another protein such as lamb or paneer, you can always add your pre-cooked chicken instead.
Adding a splash of the cooking liquid to the curry will also give it a more intense flavour as if your 10 minute curry has been simmering away for much longer.
There is a lot of cooking liquid. How do you use that?
As mentioned above, you could add it in small amounts to the the curry you are preparing.
If you have a lot left over, try making a base curry sauce using not just water but the cooking liquid. This will give the base sauce a lot more depth of flavour.
Other ways to use this recipe.
Making a curry with this recipe is not the idea behind it. However, if you make it and change your mind about using the chicken for pre-cooked chicken for curries, you will notice that this is a delicious and mild curry in its own right.
You will need to get creative. Adjust the spicing and salt so that it is exactly as you want to eat it. You could also stir in some coconut milk or yoghurt to thicken the sauce.
Hopefully, you will use this recipe as it is intended but you really can do a lot with this if you decide you just want to sit down and eat.
How long can you keep this pre-cooked chicken in the fridge?
Once you make it, you can store it covered in your fridge for about 4 days. In fact, as it rests in the fridge, the flavours will develop and your pre-cooked chicken will be even better.
The chicken can be added cold to the curry you are cooking. It will heat through quickly over the heat and in the sauce you are cooking.
Can you freeze this chicken?
Yes and that is part of the idea of making it. If you make a large batch, freeze it in portion sizes that are convenient for you.
You might like to freeze it in portions that are perfect for a curry to serve one to two people. If you know you are going to be preparing a curry feast for friends, you could freeze it all together.
I freeze the chicken with some of the cooking stock so that I can add both to my curries.
Step by step photographs.
When you make this pre-cooked chicken, you might like to try it in one of these famous curry sauces.
Tikka masala sauce
Korma sauce
Pasanda sauce
Chasni sauce
Chilli garlic sauce
Ceylon sauce
Pathia sauce
Jalfrezi sauce
Keema sauce
Bhuna sauce
Methi sauce
Madras sauce
Vindaloo sauce
Phaal sauce
Have you tried this pre-cooked chicken?
If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I'm sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.
If you are not already doing so, please follow me on Instagram and Facebook for all my latest recipes.
British Indian Restaurant Style Pre-Cooked Chicken
Chicken breast meat is used at most curry houses because it has a nice texture and looks good
too. Chicken thigh meat isn’t as pretty but has a lot more flavour. In the photos above, I used chicken thigh meat and also through in a few chicken legs on the bone for additional flavour.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
- 3 green cardamom pods, lightly bruised
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2.5cm (1in) piece of cinnamon stick or cassia bark
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 3 Indian bay leaves (cassia leaves) 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 1⁄2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 x 400g (7oz) tin (can) chopped tomatoes
- 1kg skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (tikka)
- Water to cover
- 1 tsp garam masala
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan over a medium–high heat until small bubbles form. Add the whole spices and bay leaves, and stir continuously for about 30 seconds to release their flavours into the oil.
- Add the onions and stir regularly for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Sprinkle the salt over the top; this will help release moisture from the onions.
- Now spoon in the garlic and ginger paste, followed by the turmeric; the pan will sizzle as the paste releases its moisture.
- When your kitchen becomes fragrant with the magnificent aroma of garlic and ginger, tip in the tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium and let the ingredients simmer and get to know each other for about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken pieces and just enough water to cover the chicken.
- Reduce the heat and let the stock softly bubble until the chicken is just cooked through; don’t overcook it.
- Stir in the garam masala and, using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces for use in your curries, reserving the cooking stock. A little of this added to your chicken curries makes them even more delicious.
Notes
The cooled chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to four days or frozen.
TIP
If freezer space is an issue but you want to have some stock on hand, reduce the finished stock by two-thirds. Let the remaining stock cool, and freeze in ice cube trays. Then simply toss one or two cubes into your sauces as required.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 242Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 435mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 31g
Fin says
Hi Dan, The recipe states that you need to add chopped tomatoes but the quantity is not included in the ingredients list. Can you advise?
Thanks
Dan Toombs says
Hi Fin
All fixed now. Thanks for noticing.
Dan
Jo says
Hi Dan - you have chopped tomatoes in your instructions but not on the recipe list! Is it tinned tomatoes or fresh.
Going to be making one of your curries tomorrow.
They look delicious.
Kind Regards
Jo Richardson
Dan Toombs says
Hi Jo
You can use either. In the summer I use fresh. In the colder months I go for tinned.
Thanks
Dan
Roger says
Hi Dan
Do you drain the chicken once it's cooked or just leave it in the stock.
Thanks
Roger
Dan Toombs says
Hi Roger
Don't through away the stock. It has a lot of flavour. Use the chicken pieces in your curry of choice. Then if you want to add a little more flavour, top up your curry with a few spoonfuls of the chicken cooking stock.
Cheers
Dan
sam says
When you say the cooled chicken can be kept in the fridge or frozen can the sauce also be frozen for a week or so to use in the next curry?
Thanks Sam
Dan Toombs says
Hi Sam
Sauce and chicken both freeze well.
Cheers
Dan
Des says
Hi Dan,
Do you use green or black cardamoms?
Assume the broth is discarded once chicken is cooked ?
Regards,
Des.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Des
Black cardamoms have a stronger - smokier flavour. If you love cardamom, I would suggest using them. Green will do fine though. Don't through away the broth. It is great added to chicken curries. A couple spoonfuls at the end of cooking will take your curries to the next level.
Cheers
Dan
Ash says
Hi Dan
Just trying out your Jalfrezi recipe and now i'm preparing my pre-cooked chicken. One question, when the chicken is cooked through, do i only use the chicken from this pre-cooked chicken recipe, or do i throw it all into my Jalfrezi when i make it?
Hope that makes sense!
Cheers!
Dan Toombs says
Hi Ash
I'm not sure I understand but you could use all of the chicken or just some of it. Usually I just use a few pieces if I'm cooking for myself. If cooking for four or more, the whole pre-cooked chicken recipe can be used.
Cheers
Dan
Vince says
I think that Ash is asking if just the chicken pieces go into the final curry recipe, or the chicken pieces + the stock. Just the chicken pieces, I imagine, and topping up the final curry with a couple of tablespoons of the stock. Does anyone have any tips for draining the stock, especially separating the chicken pieces from the 'lumpy' bits of the stock i.e. the whole spices and tomato chunks?
Markus says
Hey Dan!
Thanks for sharing your awesome recipes! The Pre-Cooked Chicken really has a much nicer texture!
Best,
Markus
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Markus. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Dan
John - UK says
Hi - Is this the same sauce to pre-cook beef etc or is there a variant? Thanks!!
Dan Toombs says
Hi John
It's slightly different but you could cook beef, lamb etc in this recipe with good results. Just be sure to stew it longer as it takes longer to become tender.
Thanks
Dan
dave says
You say simmer chicken until cooked through. How long to cook 500 grms chopped into 1 inch cubes approx.? Is it possible to turn it into rubbery in texture if stewed for to long. As chicken cooks quickly I assume 5 -10 minutes.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Dave
Just cook it until cooked through. About ten minutes should do. I often cook it and then turn off the heat to let the flavours get to know each other. I've never found this recipe to produce a rubbery texture so I think you're okay.
thanks
Dan
Graeme Baker says
HI Dan
Can I cook the chicken in my slow cooker? If so do you know what sort of time I should leave it in there for?
Thanks
Graeme
Dan Toombs says
Hi Graeme
I never use a slow cooker for my cooking so I'm not going to be much help there. Still, I see know reason why you couldn't cook it in a slow cooker. The end result will be different to Indian style cooking though. Hope this helps.
Dan
Vince says
What kind of cooking vessel should be used? Frying pan? Saucepan? It's quite a lot of chicken, so I'm thinking something large.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Vince
You're right there. I use a big pot usually as I often double the recipe and freeze it. You could also use a large wok. Good luck.
Dan
Bill Connors says
hi Dan
just got your eBook and I can't wait to have a go as you make it easy to follow your recipes. Its great of you to share.The book is first class.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Bill
Thank you very much for purchasing my ebook. Be sure to let me know if you have any recipe questions.
Thanks
Dan
Steve Cargill says
Hi Dan,
Thanks for the wealth of knowledge you are sharing. Would it be possible to cook the chicken in the restaurant curry sauce and obtain the same results?
Regards Steve
Dan Toombs says
Hi Steve
Many chefs do this. It works really well. This recipe is simply an alternative but if you have some curry sauce you can use it instead.
Dan
Jon says
Loving the recipes! Thank you so much. Quick question... My son usually orders a 'korma, madras heat' from our local restaurant. I am planning to try and recreate by adding some of your hot madras powder to this recipe. Do you think this will work, and if so, how much, and when would you suggest I add it?
Thanks again.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Jon
Adding Madras curry powder will help. You can add it whenever. Sometimes it's a good idea to add a little at the beginning and then top it up at the end to achieve the right heat. You could also add freshly chopped green chillies. Good luck.
Dan
Gary says
Hi Dan,
What do you do with the lumpy bits left in the pre-cooked chicken? Can if me added to the curry or just kept with the broth for future use?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Gary
It's really up to you. I sometimes just leave them in the broth but the larger bits can definitely be added with the other meat. Hope this helps.
Dan
Cal says
Hi Dan
My flatmate is allergic to tomatoes. Do you have any suggestions for substitution in this recipe and your curry sauce recipe? Im hoping to make chicken sagawala!
Thanks
Cal
Dan Toombs says
Hi Cal
I have used blueberries believe it or not to substitute tomatoes. It works!
Dan
Jo Broomhall says
Hi Dan
Once you have removed the chicken from the broth, if you freeze the broth can you then defrost it to use when you want to cook your next batch of chicken or should you make a fresh broth?
Many thanks
Jo
Dan Toombs says
Hi Jo
You sure can. It will make a stronger stock which is really nice.
Dan
Ewan says
@Dan Toombs, Can confirm firsthand! I have it frozen in 2 tablespoon amounts for deglazing after the ginger-garlic and onion stage. Works brilliantly.
Karolina says
Hi . I have a problem with yogurt . Which I should use to curry ? I have tried few but still is something wrong . Chicken is very sour and weird . After 24 hrs marinated and then cooking is still really sour and not good . I have tried add sugar when I'm cooking chicken but you can still taste it.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Karolina
For marinades I usually use plain Greek style yogurt as it is thicker and close to the hung yogurt they use in India. For curries, I use plain natural yogurt. This is much thinner and also doesn't curdle as easily. Give these a try and good luck.
Dan
Julian says
is the water cold or hot when you add it?
Julian says
*hot
Dan Toombs says
Hi Julian
For ease, just add the water cold and then bring it to a simmer.
Thanks,
Dan
Steve says
Hi Dan, great website, I'm brand new to this and looking forward to trying your methods.
What's your opinion on Chicken Thigh meat in curries please?
Thanks,
Steve.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Steve
Thank you. At most restaurants, breast meat is used as it looks better. To be honest though, I much prefer thigh meat cooked on or off the bone. There is much more flavour to thigh meat.
Cheers,
Dan
Del says
Hi buddy ,
My pre cooked chicken liquid always gets used twice ,
After the first time I freeze , then defrost and bring to a rapid boil then down to a simmer and use again ! Never use a third time though ! I'm guessing this is acceptable lol . Del
Dan Toombs says
Sure is Del. Thank you. I do the same.
Dan
tony says
hi dan....how many times could i re-freeze and use, im guessing twice but thought id ask your expert advice.
keep up the good work
Tony
Dan Toombs says
Hi Tony
I usually don't refreeze anything. It is best to freeze in smaller amounts. Hope this helps.
Thank you,
Dan
Karen says
Hi Dan
Can I prepare the precooked chicken in the pressure cooker or is it better to do it on the hob? If I can cook it in the pressure cooker , how long would I do it for?
Many thanks
Dan Toombs says
Hi Karen
I do pressure cook some things but usually do the chicken on the hob. If chicken overcooks, it gets really stringy. If I were cooking in a pressure cooker (mine is one of the countertop models) I would start by cooking it for only about ten minutes and see how it looks. It just needs to be cooked through.
Good luck,
Dan
Martin says
Hi Dan, loving your recipes and enjoying reading your book.
re the precooked chicken. It seems like a lot of extra ingredients and expense.
Does it really impart that much flavour to the chicken?
What if I were to just simmer it in the curry sauce, Would it make much of a difference to the flavour of the dish?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Martin
That is definitely another way of doing it. Just add it to some base sauce. Sometimes I cook chicken from raw in the different sauces. That isn't done often at restaurants but it works for home cooks. Thank you very much for picking up my book. I'm glad you are enjoying it.
All the best,
Dan
Paul says
When using this chicken in a dish, I would probably have it frozen then defrost. How long should it be left to cook with the dish that I am making for that day? in the recipes, it just says add the chicken. How long would you put the prepared cooked chicken in with the dish?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Paul
The cooked chicken is usually added right at the end. For the pre-cooking, just cook it until it is just cooked through so that it doesn't over cook when added to curries.
Thanks,
Dan
steve says
Hi, can I just make this as curry sauce and mix it with meat when nedded. will it keep in the fridge
Dan Toombs says
Hi Steve
You could do that but for best results, cook it with the meat as the meat give more flavour to the stock. It will keep in the fridge for about three days and also freezes well.
Thanks,
Dan
steve says
Thanks Dan that's great I will do that
Wes says
I moved to back to the US in 2011 and thought I'd never be able to get a proper takeaway curry again. What's written above is true! Most other indian recipes I've tried don't create that same takeaway style dish, but this Korma recipe was spot on! Will definitely be buying the book. Thanks!
Dan Toombs says
Hi Wes
Thank you very much. I'm really glad you like the recipe and hope you enjoy the book too. The US edition is available on Amazon US for pre-order and will be published in April, 2018. 🙂
Thanks,
Dan
Anthony Mancini says
Sorry for a really silly question but as I am quite new to cooking I need to check. If I was to pre-cook my chicken the day before for instance then add to the chosen curry sauce (which will then be dished up and eaten), will I be ok putting any left overs in fridge and warming back up (ensuring its piping hot) the next day ? I worry about reheating chicken etc.
Thanks and your recipes are amazing
Tony
Dan Toombs says
Hi Anthony
No problem. At least I do it all the time and I've never had any problems with it.
Thanks,
Dan
Mandy Moore says
Hi Dan a quick question once you cook your chicken and save the stock do you sieve it threw all use all the stock as last time I sieve it through and just let the water stock not sure if that is correct all use all as a stock
Dan Toombs says
Hi Mandy
Do whatever is convenient. As I make a lot of curries using the base sauce, I often add the sieved stock instead of or with water to make a base sauce that is just for chicken. I do the same with lamb. You could also just make the base stock to use in all curries with water and top up your chicken curries with a little of the chicken stock for flavour. One good way to do this is to reduce it down and then freeze it in ice cube trays. Just throw in a couple of stock ice cubes to add flavour.
Thanks,
Dan
Nick C says
Hi mate, I've made the precooked chicken and stock I was just wondering if I'm supposed to siv the stock and just keep the liquid or keep the lot and fish out the whole spices?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Nick
Take the whole pieces of spices out and it should be fine to eat.
Thanks
Dan
Keith Johnston says
Hi Dan, when you add tomato paste to a recipe are you referring to tomato purée?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Keith
Yes, tomato puree works well or the pasata you can buy from supermarkets in cartons.
Thanks
Dan
Lee says
Hello Dan and Caroline
I have seen different variations of your Pre cooked Chicken recipe. This one on your blog doesn't include any garlic and ginger paste or coriander seeds. Have these been missed or can the recipe be used as is.
Thanks
Lee
Dan Toombs says
Hi Lee
Those ingredients tend to be added later according to the recipe instructions for the sort of curry you are making.
Thanks
Dan
Maxine says
Just pre cooking my lamb for the madras and feels a bit tough. Will it go soft when cooled? Smells amazing tho!
Dan Toombs says
It really depends on the cut and quality of lamb you use. Cook it for longer if it is still tough.
Thanks
Dan
Ewan says
@Maxine There is a 'point of no return' for slow cooking meats - make sure you're not cooking on too high a heat for too long. A simmer is much, much, much better than a boil, and that's even truer for red meats than white meats. A boil will make the muscle fibers tense up too much and while cooking longer won't hurt it any more, it won't really repair it either. So - simmer til just cooked through.
Ewan says
I've made the chicken jalfrezi off this site several times - and last time I'd run out of this, so I just used plain, diced, precooked chicken. It was still good, but nowhere near as good as this. So if you're on the fence about the extra effort: do it at least once. This adds another layer of flavor that just can't be matched, even if you up the amount of seasoning in your curry sauce.
I grew up in Scotland but moved to the US long ago. We have Indian restaurants here but they're not the same as BIR. I can say without hesitation - the base curry sauce, the precooked chicken, and the mixed powder are the building blocks for that taste of home. If you shortcut it, it'll still be good, but you won't make it all the way there. Do it once and you'll know.
Dan Toombs says
Thanks for the post and I am glad you are able to enjoy Indian food in the US.
Dan
Ewan says
Hi! I made another batch, this time with double quantities - turned out great. I'm planning on making six times the quantity in my largest stock pot so that I can freeze it in individual servings and defrost as needed. But here's a question: when I make the chicken it takes ages to fish it out separately from the tomatoes, onion, cardamom etc. Is there some kind of way to keep the chicken separate, in a basket or something, that you can recommend? I suppose I could leave the chicken thighs whole but then the broth wouldn't penetrate the meat as well as it does. So I'm thinking of suspending a sieve basket in the broth with just the chicken in it then pulling it out, a bit like a fryer basket. Any advice?
Dan Toombs says
If you don't like the whole spices I would recommend tying them in a muslin cloth and then you can take it out at the end. The tomatoes should just break down and the onions are fine to eat with the chicken.
Thanks
Dan
Paul says
When you want to double or triple recipes, do you just double or triple ingredients?
Dan Toombs says
Yes, that is what I do but be a bit careful with any hot spices. Maybe add those to taste.
Thanks
Dan
Bruno says
Hi Dan, I've not used Kardomon pods before and am wondering if they need to be grinded or cooked whole. I assume that the black peppercorns and cinnamon are cooked whole. Is that correct?
Looking forward to the Madras once I have the ingredients.
Kind regards
Bruno
Caroline Toombs says
Cook the cardomon pods whole that take them out before serving. Yes, the peppercorns and cinnamon are whole too. If you are worried about fishing them all out use a tied muslin cloth to put them all in as the dish cooked and this will still impart the flavour.
Thanks
Dan
Martin says
Hi Don,I have done your base gravy and chicken Balti recipe, absolutely great thanks for sharing your tasty tips.
Dan Toombs says
Thanks very much, Martin. Really good to hear.
Dan
Ann says
Hi
I'm confused do you cook the chicken in the base sauce but there is another recipe for Madras with cabbage and carrot in ?
Thanks
Ann
Dan Toombs says
No, cook the chicken as the recipe. Then you can use your pre-cooked chicken in the madras recipe for an extra layer of flavour.
Thanks
Dan
Andrew says
Hi Dan,
What timings would you use if just using chicken thighs on the bone?
Thanks,
Andrew
Dan Toombs says
I haven’t made it with bone in chicken but I’d say add 5-10 minutes and just check it’s cooked through.
Thanks
Dan
Merv says
Hi Dan, fancy doing your dragon chicken . Could I use your pre cooked chicken that I have in the freezer. Would that work!
Dan Toombs says
You could use it if that’s all you have but that is cooked in Indian spices and this recipe is Chinese. It will be fine but you will have a few conflicting flavours going on.
Thanks
Dan
RP says
Hi Dan, can I use ground cumin as I don't have any seeds. Tried finding them in Tesco but no luck.
love your curries 🙂
Dan Toombs says
Yes, add a teaspoon of that to the liquid if that’s all you have.
Thanks
Dan