Make Tandoori Chicken Tikka also know as Murgh Tikka at home – a simple recipe replicating the flavors of Indian takeout.
Marinated chicken breast with tandoori masala, garlic, and yogurt, skewered. Cook in the air fryer, griddle, pan, grill, oven, or BBQ.
About Chicken Tikka
Chicken Tikka consists of boneless chicken pieces marinated in spiced yogurt, threaded on a metal skewer, and cooked on live charcoal. Tikka translates to a piece or chunk. You’ll discover various types of tikka, like paneer, chicken, lamb, and mushroom tikka.
A cylindrical clay oven called tandoor is used for grilling tikkas and kebabs over live charcoal or wood fire. High temperature inside creates smoky flavor as food juices drip onto charcoal.
The cooked food is grilled, with a wonderful smoky scent. Sounds appealing, doesn’t it? The aroma is captivating, and you’ll quickly fall in love with tandoori dishes.
As we lack a tandoor at home, we can grill chicken for homemade tikka using an oven, air fryer, stovetop griddle, or grill. For a like smoky taste, you can smoking the chicken after grilling.
First, marinate chicken with spices and lemon juice. Yogurt, ginger garlic paste, and oil added later. Chicken marinates 8-48 hours before grilling.
HOW TO MAKE TANDOORI CHICKEN TIKKA KEBAB?
Make delicious homemade dry chicken tikka using our easy recipe below. View the recipe card for chicken tikka kebabs ingredients and instructions. Read the blog for more tips.
INGREDIENTS
To prepare tandoori chicken tikka marinade, combine tandoori masala, fat-free yogurt, garlic, and lemon in a bowl or bag.
Adjust the amount of tandoori spice blend used for how spicy you like it. 2 tbsp for strong, 1 tbsp medium, ½ tbsp mild flavor. Add more chili for heat If you want.
WHAT MAKES TANDOORI CHICKEN RED?
You can choose to add red food color to the tandoori yogurt mix, its optional but It’s the key to the vibrant red color in Indian restaurant-style chicken tikka.
We add six drops for deep red marinade color. It does not change the flavor, so you can leave it out it. Chicken tikka marinade has a natural orange colour without the food colouring!
CHICKEN KEBAB
Dice chicken into 1 ½ inch / 4 cm cubes. You can make the chicken pieces smaller or bigger but adjust cook time to avoid over/undercooking.
HOW LONG TO MARINADE?
For optimal outcomes, allow the chicken to marinate in the tandoori yogurt mix for 2 hours.
If you lack time to marinate chicken tikka, you can cook immediately. The taste remains excellent!
If making the day before, don’t include lemon in marinade. Add lemon before cooking.
Place in a sealed bag, refrigerate overnight.
THREADING KEBABS
We prefer wooden kebab sticks for tandoori chicken; they can be cut to match cooking size.
To stop wooden kebab sticks from burning and breaking, soak in water before skewering tandoori chicken.
Avoid overloading skewer with chicken for even cooking. it is best that each chicken cube is touching but not squashed together.
HOW TO COOK TANDOORI CHICKEN?
Tandoori Chicken Tikka is typically prepared on a tandoor, a circular clay oven fuelled by charcoal or wood.
Many UK and US folks lack tandoor ovens. Thus, we offer alternative methods for making chicken tikka kebabs at home.
Tandoori chicken is cooked best over dry heat. Our preferred quick way is using an air fryer. It requires only 15 minutes and doesn’t need flipping, as air circulates around.
You can cook chicken tikka skewers on a pan, griddle, hob, or oven. They all take between 20-30 minutes and require midway turning while cooking.
An excellent summer method is BBQ cooking for 20 mins, flipping at mid-point.
HERBS?
After cooking chicken tikka, add chopped coriander for extra flavor. Serve the Chicken Tikka appetizer with a side of salad, Mint Raita, and a lemon wedge. Or Serve chicken skewers with coconut rice, salad, or as chicken tikka wrap (lettuce, red cabbage) for lunch or main meal.
This recipe is great because it’s low-calorie, low-fat, and syn-free on the Slimming World diet.
Store leftovers in fridge. Use within 2 days. Consume cold or reheat in microwave (remove from stick before reheating).
CAN I FREEZE?
You can freeze marinated chicken tikka kebabs before cooking. Remember to defrost before cooking.
Leftover cooked chicken tikka skewers can be frozen too. Fully defrost before reheating.
FAQs
Chicken tikka is grilled marinated boneless chicken, often an appetizer. It can turn into Chicken Tikka Masala with grilled pieces added to tomato-onion gravy.
Tandoori chicken tikka is mildly spiced but the tandoori marinade contains a mix of warming spices that generate a subtle warmth in the body.
Both dishes share marinade and process, differing in meat cut. Tandoori chicken uses fattier bone-in drumsticks, while chicken tikka employs leaner boneless skinless meat.
RECIPE CARD
Equipment
- Wooden kebab sticks
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 Large Chicken Breast Cubed
- 4 tbsp Fat Free Yoghurt Can use full fat instead
- 2 tbsp Tandoori Masala Spice Blend Powder Can use Garam Masala instead
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 1 Lemon ½ for the juice, ½ sliced into wedges to serve
- Spray oil
Optional
- 6 drops Red Food Colouring To give Tandoori Chicken Tikka a red colour
- 1 tbsp Chopped Coriander to sprinkle on top of chicken after cooking
- Side salad of Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomatoes and Onion
- Mint ratia
Instructions
- It is best to soak wooden skewers in water whilst prepping the chicken. Cut them to the size of the pan or tray you are cooking them in.
- In a bowl or food bag, mix together yoghurt, tandoori masala, garlic and the lemon juice.4 tbsp Fat Free Yoghurt,4 tbsp Fat Free Yoghurt,2 tbsp Tandoori Masala Spice Blend Powder,2 cloves Garlic,1 Lemon
- Optional: Add red food colouring if you want your tandoori chicken red.6 drops Red Food Colouring
- Add cubed chicken breast and stir to coat.2-3 Large Chicken Breast
- For best results leave to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge.If you have not got the time, just get straight on with threading the kebabs; they will still be delicious!
- Thread the chicken onto the kebab sticks you should have between 4-6 sticks worth of chicken
Decide any of the following ways to cook them!
- Pan/griddle: Spray the pan with spray oil and bring to medium heat, cook for about 20 minutes (10 minutes on each side, turning only once)Spray oil
- Air fryer: Preheat to 180°C for 5 minutes, spray with oil and air fry for about 15 minutes. No need to turn halfway through.Spray oil
- Oven: Spray a foiled tray with oil and cook in a preheated oven at 200°C Fan / 220°C Conventional, 425°F / Gas mark 7 for about 25 minutes turning halfway through cooking timeSpray oil
- BBQ or Grill: spray bbq or grill with oil, cook on medium-high heat for 20 minutes, turning only once halfway through.Spray oil
- Whichever method you use to cook your chicken tikka skewers, always check the chicken is cooked throughout.
- Optional: Sprinkle finely chopped coriander on top when serving.1 tablespoon Chopped Coriander
- Serve with salad, ratia and a wedge of lemon. Or with rice or in a wrap!?Side salad of Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomatoes and Onion,Mint Ratia