Chicken Tikka
Boneless chicken marinated twice — first in lemon and chili, then in spiced yogurt — and grilled over high heat until charred at the edges and juicy inside. The original of the famous curry.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
First marinade
Toss the chicken with the lemon juice, 1 tsp chili powder and the salt. Leave for 15 minutes — the acid starts tenderising the meat.
Second marinade
Mix the yogurt with the ginger-garlic paste, remaining chili powder, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, kasuri methi and oil. Coat the chicken thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
Skewer
Thread the chicken onto skewers, leaving small gaps between pieces so the heat can reach all sides. Soak wooden skewers in water first.
Grill hot
Grill over a very hot barbecue, or under an oven grill at its highest setting, for 12–15 minutes, turning every few minutes and basting with a little oil, until charred at the edges and cooked through.
Serve
Serve hot with onion rings, lemon wedges and mint chutney, sprinkled with chaat masala.
First marinade
Toss the chicken with the lemon juice, 1 tsp chili powder and the salt. Leave for 15 minutes — the acid starts tenderising the meat.
Second marinade
Mix the yogurt with the ginger-garlic paste, remaining chili powder, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, kasuri methi and oil. Coat the chicken thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
Skewer
Thread the chicken onto skewers, leaving small gaps between pieces so the heat can reach all sides. Soak wooden skewers in water first.
Grill hot
Grill over a very hot barbecue, or under an oven grill at its highest setting, for 12–15 minutes, turning every few minutes and basting with a little oil, until charred at the edges and cooked through.
Serve
Serve hot with onion rings, lemon wedges and mint chutney, sprinkled with chaat masala.
The Story Behind the Dish
'Tikka' means pieces or bits, and chicken tikka is simply boneless chicken cooked like tandoori chicken. The clay tandoor oven has been used in Punjab for centuries, but tandoori dishes became famous nationwide in the mid-20th century through restaurants in Delhi.
From there, chicken tikka travelled to Britain, where it inspired chicken tikka masala.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Smoky, tangy and tender, chicken tikka is the most popular kebab in Indian restaurants worldwide.
💡 Fun Fact
The double marinade is the secret: acid first to tenderise, then yogurt to carry the spices and create the charred crust.
Punjab
31.63°N, 74.87°E
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