To get a hand on a perfect tasty chicken tikka recipe is one challenge and then to even master the "technique" is another.
It doesn't mean that only you, the home cook, is facing this famous challenge alone.
In fact, in a place such as Goa, even though a popular tourist destination in India, you ll have a hard time hunting down a moist and flavorsome Chicken Tikka.
Just ask the locals in Goa and they will confess that they have to travel far to even find a decent chicken tikka take away.
Often the meat is dry, tough and the masala boring and the other tandoor items such as Tandoori chicken, kebabs and nans are served in a similar fashion, leaving you disappointed and each time craving for a far better Tikka meal.
At this point you might even swear to make your own at home.
Yes why don't you just go ahead now and make it at home?
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A homemade chicken tikka might just be the solution for your punjabi food cravings.
Alright I admit, cooking tandoori in a clay oven will give it more flavors with the charcoal smoke, yet who owns a tandoori oven at home?
Anyway it's easier with the common home oven and it's not that burning hot at least, so this shouldn't be a challange.
Mixing the masalas and other ingredients to a marination is a quick process and then you just have to leave the chicken in it, so that the flavors are absorbed.
The only part where you will be in action is when you take the chicken tikka into the oven to bake.
You ll have to take the skewers out frequently so to nurture them with a dollop of garlic butter.
You want the chicken to be moist and you want some kind of melting moment on your tongue therefore the brushing of the garlic butter is crucial!
Many Tandoor cooks either forget that or are too lazy to brush the tandoor meat frequently.
As some of you know, we used to run a popular tandoor take away here in Goa.
I know the procedures by heart!
Not that i was the tandoor cook, no we had a very talented Punjabi cook, who unfortunately had a drinking problem, yet I was there to help out and I was the one who was taking care that all orders were going out in time.
Also, I watched his "secrete" tricks and followed his wisdoms to perfection.
To get the masala right with quality spices is one thing, another important part is to leave the chicken to marinate.
Also as mentioned above, you need to brush your chicken frequently with melted garlic butter.
That's it!
For all the Vegetarians out there, I have also published a recipe for a vegetarian Tikka with Soya a few weeks ago.
This was another hit in our Tandoor take away and it does taste a lot like real chicken.
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Tikka Recipe
Ingredients
- 280 Grams Chicken breast
- 1½ Cilantro Fresh
- 1 Small Lemon
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger and Garlic Paste
- 1½ Teaspoons Turmeric Ground
- 1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Kitchen King
- 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1½ Teaspoon Chaat Masala
- 1 Tablespoon Tandoori Masala
- 1 Teaspoon Distilled White Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- Pinch Salt
- Pinch Black Pepper Ground
- Red Food Coloring
- 4 Tablespoons Yogurt
- Butter
- 2-3 Pieces Garlic Cloves
....and
- Wooden or metal Skewers
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine all the above mentioned ingredients starting with the fresh Coriander leafs and ending with the yogurt. Mix it to a smooth marination.
- Place your chicken into the marination and massage it with your hands into the chicken. Keep to rest aside minimum for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours and just before cooking preheat your oven to 220 Celsius.
- In a bowl add some butter and chopped Garlic and heat up and melt the butter. The garlic flavors will infuse into the melted butter. Keep aside.
- Grab your wooden skewers and wet them before you start adding your marinated chicken cubes. Add all the chicken cubes on the skewers, about 6 cubes on each skewer.
- Place them into the preheated very hot oven and cook them first for 5 minutes, then turn the skewers and bake for another 5 minutes or until you can see that they are getting dry in the oven. Take them out and brush them with a good load of melted butter garlic on all sides.
- Place them back into the oven and cook for another 5 minutes and then turn the tikkas again and allow them to cook for another 5 minutes. If they are getting too dry at this point, take out again and repeat your butter brushing and place them again back into the oven for another last 5 minutes.
- All together it takes about 20-25 minutes to bake the tikkas and if the color turns a bit blackish at some parts that's when they are ready. Nurture your meat with garlic butter to keep them moist inside. A tandoor cook uses a tandoori oven which is way hotter, so the chicken is kept for about 15 minutes in the oven, but in a home oven you ll need at least 20 minutes to get it right since the heat and environment is different. Enjoy!
Helen,
What's Kitchen King, pls?
It's a spice blend. I will try to share a recipe soon for the kitchen king masala otherwise it can be bought online or in special asian/indian grocery stores.
Helene, Can I keep the chicken tikkas in the marinade in the fridge overnight instead of keeping for 2 hours, coz I may not be in time to marinate it for 2 hours ?
Hi Ninette.
Sure feel free to keep them over night, I ended up doing this in the past too. I suggested a minimum marination time, however if you marinate over night it will get more flavorful and turn out tastier.
I've never thought about trying this at home. I think I could do it! It sounds wonderful, Helene.
This looks glorious Helene, I'd love to make it, if only I could hunt down all the spices needed for it. What exactly is yogurt butter? Can it be replaced?
Oh the yogurt and butter are separate ingredients in the list. For the spices, I hope to be able to post fresh masala mixtures soon. Just waiting for the rainy season to go a bit. Less humidity is better. =)
I've only made Chicken Tikka at home once, Helene. I was quite surprised that it wasn't dry but I think it may have been because I brined it for a few hours before. Mine, however, did not have your gorgeous color and as many fragrant spices and herbs. I may just try it again with your recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing, Helene...
oh now that is just delicious looking. A great way to do chicken differently. I bet my kids would love this as well
Chicken Tikka is a great dish. And I don't have a good recipe for it. Or at least I didn't until I saw yours - now, of course, I do! Thanks for this.
The tip of brushing chicken frequently with melted garlic butter is really the start of the recipe! Thanks for posting this. We have a long weekend coming up here in India with Ramzan Eid on Friday and am gonna surely try this chicken tikka recipe.
So mouth watering first thing in the morning. Now I wish for these chicken tikka skewers for b'fast!
Yum, yum, super yum. I love the ti of keeping your chicken moist with garlic butter. I will def try that.
Look at all of those seasonings! I bet every bite of chicken is a huge burst of flavor!
Perfectly made, Helene!!! Thanks for all your tips 🙂
you have made the tikkas so perfectly...we do one thing to get that charcoal smell without fuss...after making the tikkas, we transfer them to a heat proof dish and place another small empty bowl in between the pieces...burn a charcoal over fire and with tongs transfer it into the small bowl and cover the dish for 20 minutes...the pieces get infused with the charcoal flavor and tikkas seem quite like tanddor ones....try it out, hope it works...
HAPPY COOKING!!!
I love chicken tikka and your recipe sounds mouthwatering. Made me hungry:) Thanks for sharing Helene.
This looks HEAVENLY! I love chicken tikka and I'm so eager to try making it at home now. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
Yum, those look so delicious! Chicken tikka is probably one of my favorite tandoor dishes.
So tempting ur write up is. Yes, eating a moist & succulent chicken tikka is a bliss in itself.. Bookmarking this 🙂
Chicken tikka is one of my favorite dishes to order when we go to an Indian restaurant here in the States... I love the color of your dish. 🙂 I always just add paprika for redness... but it never comes this pretty.
I couldn't agree with you more on getting the chicken tikka recipe right. Your skewers look perfectly delicious and why shouldn't they be, you know the secret tricks of your Punjabi cook.
I like you nail paint.
I´ve always wanted to start making more indian dishes, the spices are so wonderful and tasty. I´ll be making this soon Helene, but will try to find the different masalas first!
They certainly don't look dry or overcooked, I think you've definitely mastered this one! I love the spices and the look of this recipe has me licking my lips. Perhaps I'll have to change my weekend menu plan to include chicken tikka! Thanks for sharing your tips Helene.
Yummers!! I love a good chicken tikka. This looks so delish, Helene 🙂
loved your last picture with the beautiful nail color. A good tikka is succulent, perfectly spiced and all of that shows on your plate.
Corrr, I could just dive into a plate of that right now!
It looks great 🙂
Janie x