Recipe
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Chicken Tikka
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
Boneless Chicken Thigh
1 to 1.5 pounds, cut into bite-sized pieces
Garlic Cloves
8, peeled and finely crushed
Lime Juice
1 tablespoon
Canola Oil
5 tablespoons
Gram Flour
2 tablespoons
Turmeric Powder
1/4 teaspoon
Ginger
1 and 1/2 inch, peeled and finely crushed
Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
2 teaspoons
Salt
1 and 1/4 teaspoons
Carom Seeds
A generous pinch
Yogurt
3 tablespoons
Garam Masala Powder
1/2 teaspoon
Method
Step 1
In this recipe, the boneless chicken thigh pieces are marinated in two rounds. You can replace boneless chicken thigh with boneless chicken breast.
First, mix the chicken thigh pieces with 1 inch finely crushed ginger, 4 finely crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder, lime juice, and salt in a deep bowl. Let it sit for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
Note - Save rest of the crushed ginger and garlic and kashmiri red chili powder for second round of marination.
First, mix the chicken thigh pieces with 1 inch finely crushed ginger, 4 finely crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder, lime juice, and salt in a deep bowl. Let it sit for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
Note - Save rest of the crushed ginger and garlic and kashmiri red chili powder for second round of marination.
Step 2
While the chicken pieces are marinating, start preparing for the second round of marination. Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil (or another oil of your choice with a high smoke point) on medium heat and add the carom seeds. When the carom seeds start to sizzle, add the gram flour. Mix the ingredients well and cook on medium heat until the gram flour turns golden brown, and you get a nutty smell of the cooked gram flour.
Note - Save rest of the canola oil for later use.
Note - Save rest of the canola oil for later use.
Step 3
Mix together the cooked gram flour, yogurt, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder, finely crushed 1/2 inch ginger, finely crushed 4 garlic cloves, garam masala powder, and 2 tablespoons of canola oil to prepare the second round of marinade. Add the marinade to the chicken thigh pieces and mix the ingredients well. Let it sit for another 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Step 4
Preheat the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit/230 degrees Celsius. Add the bell pepper, onion, and tomato pieces to already marinated chicken pieces and coat the vegetable pieces with the marinade. Then, thread the marinated chicken and vegetable pieces on the skewers in a sequence.
Note - If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak the skewers in water for 20 to 30 minutes to prevent them from burning in the oven.
Note - If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak the skewers in water for 20 to 30 minutes to prevent them from burning in the oven.
Step 5
Layer a baking tray with a sheet of aluminum foil and place a cooling/roasting rack on top of the baking tray. Put the skewers with threaded chicken and vegetable pieces on the cooling/roasting rack.
If you do not want to use skewers, you can directly arrange the chicken and vegetable pieces on the cooling/roasting rack.
Note: The cooling/roasting rack will prevent the chicken and vegetable pieces from getting soggy while they cook. The water released from the chicken, vegetables, and marinade will drip in the baking tray, leaving the chicken and vegetable pieces nice and juicy, but not soggy in the leftover water.
If you do not want to use skewers, you can directly arrange the chicken and vegetable pieces on the cooling/roasting rack.
Note: The cooling/roasting rack will prevent the chicken and vegetable pieces from getting soggy while they cook. The water released from the chicken, vegetables, and marinade will drip in the baking tray, leaving the chicken and vegetable pieces nice and juicy, but not soggy in the leftover water.
Step 6
Roast the chicken and vegetable pieces for 10 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit/230 degrees Celsius and then set the oven to broil. When broiling, the food is cooked in an oven at a high temperature with heat coming from the top. Most of the ovens have the option to broil.
Broil the chicken and vegetable pieces for about 5 minutes on each side or until they are lightly charred. Brush the chicken and vegetable pieces with oil every 3 minutes to keep it tender and moist.
Note: Every oven heats differently, and your oven may take more or less time to roast and broil the chicken and vegetable pieces.
Your Chicken Tikka is ready. Get them out of the oven and let them rest for another 5 minutes before serving so that the tikkas are juicy and tasty. Serve with Cilantro-Mint Chutney or Raita (a side dish made with yogurt).
Click Chicken Tikka Masala for detailed recipe of Chicken Tikka Masala.
Broil the chicken and vegetable pieces for about 5 minutes on each side or until they are lightly charred. Brush the chicken and vegetable pieces with oil every 3 minutes to keep it tender and moist.
Note: Every oven heats differently, and your oven may take more or less time to roast and broil the chicken and vegetable pieces.
Your Chicken Tikka is ready. Get them out of the oven and let them rest for another 5 minutes before serving so that the tikkas are juicy and tasty. Serve with Cilantro-Mint Chutney or Raita (a side dish made with yogurt).
Click Chicken Tikka Masala for detailed recipe of Chicken Tikka Masala.
Share your thoughts and questions!
In this recipe, small pieces of boneless chicken thighs are marinated with yogurt, lime juice, finely crushed ginger and garlic, spices, cooking oil, and salt. Yogurt and lime juice help in tenderizing the chicken, while ginger, garlic, and spices infuse lots of flavor and color to the dish. The cooking oil protects the tikkas from overcooking while keeping them moist and juicy. Gram flour roasted with carom seeds is also added to impart a slight nutty and pleasantly pungent flavor to the dish.
A small quantity of cut vegetables (onions, bell pepper, and tomatoes) are mixed with the marinated chicken in the final stage of marination. The vegetables diversify the flavors and add brightness to the dish. The marinated chicken and vegetable pieces are then threaded onto wooden skewers and roasted in a convection oven on high temperature.
Chicken Tikka is traditionally served as an appetizer or can be added to a mildly spicy and creamy sauce to create a dish called Chicken Tikka Masala. Click Chicken Tikka Masala for detailed recipe of Chicken Tikka Masala.
Happy Cooking!