Tandoori Chicken Tikka Kebab is a flavor-packed appetizer in which chicken pieces and vegetables are marinated with yogurt and aromatic Indian spices, then threaded onto skewers and grilled until crisp and slightly charred.
With this quick and easy air fryer or oven recipe, you can enjoy this popular Indian street food in a little over 30 minutes!
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This tandoori chicken tikka is on repeat in my home! It's a great low-carb dish with just 4 grams of net carbs per serving. It is versatile enough to be served as an appetizer or main meal.
I serve it with fresh vibrant cilantro chutney mixed with plain yogurt, and that just elevates this chicken tikka kebab to another level.
What is Tandoori Chicken Tikka Kebab
The word 'Tikka' comes from the Turkish word 'tike', which means 'bits' or 'pieces', and 'tandoor' refers to a traditional clay oven. So, tandoori chicken tikka is essentially grilled pieces of chicken.
Chicken Tikka is one of the most popular appetizers in northern Indian cuisine, and was brought to the Indian subcontinent by the Mughals. It typically was made by skewering and grilling marinated chicken and vegetable pieces.
In this recipe, I include three different cooking options to achieve that tandoor-like finish, using an Airfryer, or an Instant Pot with an air fryer lid, or the oven. So pick whatever is most convenient.
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Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
Tikka Marinade: Plain Greek Yogurt, avocado or light olive oil, ginger and garlic paste, fresh lime juice, and spices including salt, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, Kashmiri red chili, and dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2-inch pieces (or chicken breast)
Veggies: Onion and bell peppers, cut into 2-inch pieces . Add any colored bell peppers or other vegetables like mushroom, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes.
Finishing Ingredients: Fresh Lime juice and chaat masala for garnish
Skewers: Bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Tandoori Chicken Tikka Kebab
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making Chicken Tikka kebab using an Air fryer, Oven, or air fryer that can be used in combination with an Instant pot.
Marinate Chicken
In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt, oil, lemon juice, crushed ginger, crushed garlic, and all the spices. (pic 1 & 2)
Add chicken pieces, capsicum, and onion to the marinade, and toss well till everything gets coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. If marinating for longer, marinate only chicken and add the veggies just before cooking. (pic 3)
Now, cook Chicken Tikka using one of the following ways: Air Fryer, or Crisplid with an Instant Pot, or Oven.
If you prefer to make Chicken Tikka skewers, soak bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes. Then, thread the chicken and veggies. I follow this order- onion, pepper, chicken, pepper, onion, then repeat.
Airfryer Method
Line the drip pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. This is optional though. Place the fry basket in the drip pan.
Arrange the chicken, onions, and peppers in the basket in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd them otherwise they won’t crisp up while cooking. If using skewers, place 2-3 skewers.
Insert the basket back. Using the temperature button set 360°F. Set the timer for 8 mins.
After 8 minutes, remove the veggies and keep them aside. Flip the chicken pieces and lightly brush or spray the tikka pieces with oil. This makes the exterior texture extra crisp.
Insert the basket back and cook at 360F for another 6 minutes. If using chicken breast, you might have to cook it for 7-8 mins instead, depending on the thickness of the pieces.
Follow the same process for the 2nd batch. It takes me two batches for 1-1.5 pounds of chicken.
Air Fryer Lid with an Instant Pot
Place the trivet in the cooking pot in your Instant Pot. Place the mesh basket on top of the trivet.
Layer the chicken, onion, and bell pepper evenly. Place the crisplid on the cooker and cook for 8 minutes at 400°F.
After 8 minutes, remove the veggies and keep them aside. Flip the chicken pieces and lightly brush or spray the tikka pieces with oil. Place the crisplid on the cooker and cook for 8 minutes at 400°F.
Oven Method
Turn on the oven broiler. Place the marinated chicken, onions, and peppers on an aluminum-lined baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet on the top rack and cook for 10-12 minutes until the chicken cooks through.
Grilling on an Outdoor Grill
Tandoori chicken pieces can be made on an outdoor grill too. Place the marinated chicken pieces or skewers on the medium-high heat area of a pre-heated grill for 10-12 minutes, or till the chicken cooks through.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer: Chicken Tikka Kebab is typically served as an appetizer, with a popular Indian dip called Cilantro Chutney. Sprinkle chicken tikka with fresh lime juice and chaat masala before serving.
Main Course: Serve this with a side of Saffron Rice or Butter Naan, and kachumber salad for a complete meal.
Low-Carb Meal: My husband and I enjoy this Chicken Tikka for dinner with a side of cauliflower rice and green salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette.
Curry: Dunk these chicken tikka bites in tikka masala sauce to transform this into chicken tikka masala!
How to Store
Uncooked Marinated chicken: You can refrigerate the marinated chicken for up to 24 hours.
Cooked chicken: Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Can I freeze chicken tikka? Cooked chicken tikka can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator when ready to enjoy it again.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Dry the chicken: Before marinating, always pat dry the chicken. This absorbs the extra moisture which leads to a crisper texture.
- Customize the veggies: Tikka recipes traditionally call for onions and peppers, but you can switch these for squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, etc, or skip them completely.
- Crispy exterior: Brushing the tikka with oil halfway through helps in achieving a crispier exterior. Don't skip this step.
- Bamboo skewers: If using skewers, soak the bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes. Then, thread the chicken and veggies. I follow this order- onion, pepper, chicken, pepper, onion, then repeat.
- Finishing touch: Sprinkle chicken tikka with fresh lime juice and chaat masala before serving, this extra step really elevates the tikka flavors.
- Using chicken breast instead: If using chicken breast instead of thighs in this recipe, the cooking time may have to be increased by 1-2 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces.
- Grilling outdoors: To make this on an outdoor grill place the marinated chicken pieces or skewers on the medium-high heat area of a pre-heated grill for 10-12 minutes, or until the chicken cooks through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken tikka refers to grilled chunks of marinated boneless chicken. It is mostly served as an appetizer. Chicken tikka pieces can be transformed into Chicken Tikka Masala, where the grilled chicken pieces are added to a tomato-onion-based gravy.
As per this recipe, one serving of chicken tikka kebab contains roughly 322 calories.
Chicken tikka is mostly made with boneless, skinless chunks of chicken, whereas, tandoori chicken can be made with bone-in or whole chicken as well.
Chicken tikka marinade or tandoori marinade is made by combining plain yogurt, ground ginger, garlic, and aromatic spices like coriander, cumin, garam masala, red chili, turmeric, and dried fenugreek leaves.
Tandoori chicken tikka kebab is not 'hot' spicy, but the tandoori marinade contains a mix of warming spices that generate a subtle warmth in the body.
The marinade and process are the same for both these dishes, so it comes down to the cut of the meat. Tandoori chicken can be made with bone-in chicken drumsticks, which tend to be fattier than the boneless skinless chicken used in chicken tikka.
More Tandoori Recipes Recipes
These recipes are part of the Indian Chicken Recipes Collection:
📖 Recipe
Tandoori Chicken Tikka
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Equipment
Ingredients
Tikka Ingredients
- 1½ lb Chicken thighs cut in 2-inch pieces, or 1.5 inch chicken breast cubes.
- 1 cup bell pepper or 1 cup rainbow peppers, de-seeded
and cut in 1.5 inch pieces - 1 cup onion cut in 1 inch chunks, separate the onion layers
Tandoori Marinade
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or light olive oil
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt or ⅓ cup plain yogurt
- 2 teaspoon ginger crushed or grated fine, about ½ inch ginger
- 2 teaspoon garlic crushed or grated fine, about 3 cloves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice about ½ a lime (fresh is better)
- ¾-1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1-1½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or 1 teaspoon paprika + ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoon kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
Garnish After Cooking
- Few drops of lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Chaat masala (1 teaspoon sprinkled all over)
Instructions
Marinate Chicken
- In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt, oil, lemon juice, crushed ginger, crushed garlic and all the spices.
- Add chicken pieces, capsicum and onion in the marinade, and toss well till everything gets coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. If marinating for longer, marinate only chicken and add the veggies just before cooking.
Cook Tikka using an Airfryer, Oven or Mealthy Crisplid (with an Instant Pot)
Airfryer:
- Line the drip pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. This is optional though. Place the fry basket in the drip pan.
- Arrange the chicken, onions and peppers in the basket in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd them otherwise they won’t crisp up while cooking. If using skewers, place 2-3 skewers.
- Insert the basket back. Using the temperature button set 360°F. Set the timer for 8 mins.
- After 8 minutes, remove the veggies and keep aside. Flip the chicken pieces and lightly brush or spray the tikka pieces with oil. This makes the exterior texture extra-crisp.
- Insert the basket back and cook at 360F for another 6 minutes. If using chicken breast, you might have to cook for 7-8 mins instead, depending on thickness of pieces.
- Follow the same process for the 2nd batch. It takes me two batches for a 1-1.5 pounds of chicken.
Mealthy Crisplid:
- Place the trivet in the cooking pot in your Mealthy Multipot. Place the mesh basket on top of the trivet.
- Layer the chicken, onion and bell pepper evenly. If using skewers, place 2-3 skewers. Avoid overcrowding them to get that golden crisp exterior. Place the crisplid on the cooker and cook for 8 minutes at 400°F.
- After 8 minutes, remove the veggies and keep aside. Flip the chicken pieces and lightly brush or spray the tikka pieces with oil. This makes the exterior texture extra-crisp.
- Place the crisplid on the cooker and cook for 8 minutes at 400°F. If using chicken breast, you might have to cook for 1-2 minutes longer depending on thickness of pieces.
- Follow the same process for the 2nd batch. It takes me two batches for 1-1.5 pound of chicken.
Oven Method:
- Turn on the oven broiler. Place the marinated chicken, onions and peppers on an aluminum lined baking sheet. If using skewers, place them 1 inch apart.
- Place the baking sheet on the top rack and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the chicken cooks through.
Outdoor Grill
- Place the marinated chicken pieces or skewers on the medium-high heat area of a pre-heated grill for 10-12 minutes, or till chicken cooks through.
Video
Notes
- Before marinating, always pat dry the chicken. This absorbs the extra moisture which leads to a crisper texture.
- Tikka recipes traditionally call for onions and peppers, but you can switch these for squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, etc, or skip them completely.
- Brushing the tikka halfway through helps in achieving a crispier exterior. Don't skip this step.
- Soak bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes. Then, thread the chicken and veggies. I follow this order- onion, pepper, chicken, pepper, onion, then repeat.
- Sprinkle chicken tikka with fresh lime juice and chaat masala (Indian Spice Blend) before serving, this extra step really elevates the tikka flavors.
- If using chicken breast instead of thighs in this recipe, the cooking time may have to be increased by 1-2 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces.
- To make this on an outdoor grill place the marinated chicken pieces or skewers on the medium-high heat area of a pre-heated grill for 10-12 minutes, or till the chicken cooks through.
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