Chicken Tikka is an Indian grilled chicken which is similar to tandoori chicken. A popular Indian chicken side which is grilled with spices and vegetables.
This grilled chicken variety is a lot different from the regular one. It is mainly because of the preparation method and the ingredient that are used.
Marinate the chicken with spices:
The secret of making a good tikka is in the marinating process. Add all the ingredients listed in the recipe below and marinate the chicken with spices for at least 2 – 6 hours. The longer time you marinate the chicken it will more flavorful.
Use thick whole milk yogurt, hung curd or Greek yogurt for marinating the chicken, this will help you to get that richness in chicken.
Make sure the spices coated evenly on chicken, to do that I usually check the chicken once every 30 mins and toss the whole mix upside down so the seasoning can spread evenly.
Using thick yogurt will help the spices stick to the chicken during marinating. If you do not have thick yogurt, you can still make thick yogurt from the regular one.
In order to do that place the yogurt on white muslin cloth for about an hour and drain away the excess amount of moisture from it. The remaining yogurt will be thick and ready for marinating.
Since we are grilling, it is important to cut the chicken into equal sizes. I usually prefer to cut it into cubes, so it is easy to turn the chicken and make sure it is evenly cooked.
To cook a tasty tikka, I prefer the boneless, skinless chicken breast, but you can try with thighs too. Make sure to cut the chicken into equal size cubes. This will help the chicken to cook properly inside without getting burned on outer side.
Soaking bamboo skewers for the tikka:
Many varieties of skewers like are available in the market now. Each skewer is different from other. I use bamboo skewers for making chicken tikka, which is cheap, efficient and easy to use.
I soak the skewers in cold water for minimum 30 minutes prior to cooking; this method helps to avoid burning the skewers while grilling on fire.
Always arrange the ingredients with a sufficient gap in skewers, this will help in cooking evenly. If you arrange it too close to each other, the chicken might not cook evenly on all sides.
Grilling the chicken breasts with vegetables:
Adding few vegetables to the mix will take the tikka to next level. Vegetables like bell peppers, onions and tomatoes gives a fresh flavor to the chicken. Moreover, it can be consumed as a side while serving too.
Remember veggies can cook faster than chicken, so make sure to check and turn the positions in between cooking to keep the vegetables moist from burning.
Entertaining party appetizer:
Chicken tikka is a perfect party appetizer for kids and adults, because of its taste and flavor everyone will enjoy this as an appetizer or a snack. Especially it is a great appetizer when you want to grill outdoor during summer.
Healthy Chicken Breast Recipe:
Chicken Tikka is one of the healthy chicken recipes you can cook easily at home, without compromising on the taste. The recipe made with best Indian spices, herbs on chicken breasts and grilled without using oil or any grease. Tikka is low in calories, high in protein and has many good spices to top off.
Chicken Tikka with Mint Chutney:
Although the tikka tastes great by itself without any sauces, adding mint chutney to it makes it even more delicious.
When you serve the tikka, serve it with fresh onions, lemon wedges and a small cup of mint chutney.
Chicken Tikka is an Indian grilled chicken which is similar to tandoori chicken. A popular Indian chicken side which is grilled with spices and vegetables.
- 1 lb CHICKEN (boneless and skinless)
- 1 tsp CORIANDER POWDER
- 1 tsp RED CHILI POWDER
- 0.50 cup THICK YOGURT
- 1 no SWEET PEPPERS GREEN RAW
- 2 tbsp CANOLA OIL
- 1 tsp SALT TABLE
- 1 tsp GINGER GARLIC PASTE
- 1 tsp GARAM MASALA
- 0.25 tsp TURMERIC GROUND
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Chop the chicken and sweet peppers into equal size cubes. In a bowl add thick yogurt, salt, red chili powder, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder and mix well. Make sure to make a smooth paste without any lumps.
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Add the cubed chicken pieces, oil and mix well. Cover and marinate the chicken in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
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In the mean time soak bamboo skewers in cold water. After 6 hours pull out the chicken from refrigerator and arrange the chicken cubes and sweet peppers on skewers.
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Preheat the oven to 420 degrees, arrange the skewers on a baking tray and bake it for 12 - 15 minutes. Turn the chicken on other side and bake for another 12 - 15 minutes or until chicken is completely done. You can also grill chicken tikkas, make sure to apply the generous amount of oil on grill grates and cook until chicken is done.