#C85A3A
#E8905C
#F0D8C0
#3A1608
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Chicken Tikka Masala Color Palette

#C85A3A · #E8905C · #F0D8C0 · #3A1608

Fail
WCAG Grade
3.8:1
Contrast Ratio
1,040
Saves
2,810
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #C85A3A as the background. Use #E8905C as the primary accent. Use #F0D8C0 as secondary. Use #3A1608 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Chicken Tikka Masala — rich, creamy, spicy.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Chicken Tikka Masala color scheme. Use these values for web design (HEX/RGB), print projects (CMYK), or specialized design software (HSL).

Swatch Design Role HEX RGB CMYK HSL
Background
Luminance: 19.9%
200, 90, 58 0%, 55%, 71%, 22% 14°, 56%, 51%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 37.9%
232, 144, 92 0%, 38%, 60%, 9% 22°, 75%, 64%
Secondary
Luminance: 71.4%
240, 216, 192 0%, 10%, 20%, 6% 30°, 62%, 85%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.5%
58, 22, 8 0%, 62%, 86%, 77% 17°, 76%, 13%

Chicken Tikka Masala Tints & Shades

Hover states, borders and elevation need lighter and darker steps of your base colors. Here are computed tints and shades for every color in the Chicken Tikka Masala palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#C85A3A gently saturated red
#E8905C saturated orange
#F0D8C0 gently saturated orange
#3A1608 saturated orange

Chicken Tikka Masala Palette Contrast Matrix (WCAG 2.1)

Every color tested as text on every other color as background. Body copy needs 4.5:1 (AA), large text and UI components 3:1. AAA requires 7:1.

Text on Background Preview Ratio Grade Safe For
#3A1608 on #F0D8C0
Aa Sample Text
11.78:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#F0D8C0 on #3A1608
Aa Sample Text
11.78:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#3A1608 on #E8905C
Aa Sample Text
6.61:1 AA Body text, UI
#E8905C on #3A1608
Aa Sample Text
6.61:1 AA Body text, UI
#3A1608 on #C85A3A
Aa Sample Text
3.84:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C85A3A on #3A1608
Aa Sample Text
3.84:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#F0D8C0 on #C85A3A
Aa Sample Text
3.07:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C85A3A on #F0D8C0
Aa Sample Text
3.07:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#F0D8C0 on #E8905C
Aa Sample Text
1.78:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8905C on #F0D8C0
Aa Sample Text
1.78:1 Fail Decorative use only
#E8905C on #C85A3A
Aa Sample Text
1.72:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C85A3A on #E8905C
Aa Sample Text
1.72:1 Fail Decorative use only

Chicken Tikka Masala Color Psychology & Meaning

Chicken tikka masala is charred chicken in a creamy tomato-orange sauce, and this palette is that warm orange-red with pale cream. It feels rich and comforting, the color of the dish that has been called Britains national food.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Chicken Tikka Masala palette is built using a analogous relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.

Hue Wheel

A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.

History & Design Context

Chicken tikka masala is said to have been created in Glasgow in the 1960s when a chef added tomato soup and cream to chicken tikka for a customer who wanted sauce. It became the most popular curry in Britain and a symbol of multicultural cuisine.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the warm orange for rich surfaces, the tomato tones for accents, and the cream for text contrast. The deep brown grounds everything.

Industries This Palette Suits

Indian restaurants, curry brands, comfort food, food delivery, hospitality.

Colors That Pair Well With Chicken Tikka Masala

Need a fifth color? These three companions are computed from the palette's own hue positions on the color wheel, so they extend the scheme without breaking its harmony.

cyan-blue

directly opposite #E8905C on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow

30° beside #E8905C — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension

tinted neutral

a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers

Using Chicken Tikka Masala Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #E8905C for small UI elements on #C85A3A — at 1.7:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #3A1608 on #C85A3A — 3.8:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #F0D8C0 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Chicken Tikka Masala Color Scheme

To use this Chicken Tikka Masala color palette in your web project, you can copy the following CSS variables or Tailwind CSS configuration. These roles ensure your UI maintains accessibility and visual hierarchy.

Option 1: CSS Variables

:root { 
  /* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'}  --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'}  --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'}  --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'}  --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}

Web Design Tip

Use #C85A3A for the main background and #E8905C for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #3A1608 and #C85A3A is 3.84:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Chicken Tikka Masala Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Chicken Tikka Masala color palette?

The Chicken Tikka Masala palette contains #C85A3A, #E8905C, #F0D8C0, #3A1608. Click any swatch on this page to copy its value, or export all four at once as CSS variables, Tailwind config, SCSS or a Figma-ready list.

Is the Chicken Tikka Masala color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #3A1608 on #F0D8C0 reaches 11.8:1 (AAA). For body text always keep a 4.5:1 ratio and for large UI elements 3:1 — the full contrast matrix above shows the exact score for every color-on-color combination in this palette.

What colors go well with the Chicken Tikka Masala palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #5EB6E8, #DFCF68, #171312 extend it naturally: the complementary hue for high-energy accents, an analogous neighbor for calm transitions, and a tinted neutral for surfaces. All three are computed from this palette's hues on the color wheel.

What mood does the Chicken Tikka Masala palette create?

Chicken Tikka Masala reads as rich, creamy, spicy. Saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated red — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Chicken Tikka Masala color palette commercially?

Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Chicken Tikka Masala palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.

How do I add the Chicken Tikka Masala palette to Tailwind or CSS?

Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from Chicken Tikka Masala's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.

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