Chicken Tikka
چکن تکہ
Chicken tikka is the star of every Pakistani barbecue night, but most homes don't have a coal grill. This version gets very close on the stove: bone-in pieces soak overnight in a tangy yogurt and spice marinade, cook covered in a until juicy, then go uncovered on high heat to char at the edges. A few minutes of at the end adds the smoky flavour of the street-side tikka shop.
- ⏱ Total: 55 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 35 min
- Medium
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Make 2–3 deep cuts in each chicken piece, down to the bone, so the marinade can get inside.
In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste, all the powdered spices, ajwain, salt and 1 tablespoon of oil into a thick red paste. Add the chicken and rub the marinade into every cut with your hands.
Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Take it out 30 minutes before cooking.
For the chutney, blend the mint, coriander, green chilies and a pinch of salt with 2 tablespoons of water to a smooth paste, then stir it into the yogurt.
Heat the remaining oil in a over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken in a single layer and sear for 3–4 minutes per side, until the marinade sets and the underside is browned in spots.
Lower the heat, cover and cook for 15–18 minutes, turning once, until the thickest piece is cooked through and its juices run clear (12–14 minutes for boneless).
Uncover and turn the heat to high. Cook for 4–5 minutes, turning the pieces, until all the liquid has dried and the edges are charred and blistered.
Optional : turn off the heat, set a small steel bowl in the middle with a glowing piece of coal, pour half a teaspoon of oil over it and cover tightly for 3–4 minutes.
Sprinkle with chaat masala and a squeeze of lemon, and serve hot with the mint chutney, sliced onions and naan.
Kitchen notes
Thick yogurt matters. Watery yogurt slides off the chicken and stews it instead of clinging and charring. Hang it in a muslin cloth for 30 minutes if needed.
Don't marinate for more than 24 hours. The lemon and yogurt start to make the surface of the chicken mushy.
Shop tikka gets its orange-red colour from a pinch of food colour. It is optional; Kashmiri chili powder gives a natural deep red.
A barbecue favourite, made on the stove
Chicken tikka is sold from coal grills in every Pakistani city, usually as a whole leg or breast quarter, deeply slashed, red with spice and charred at the edges. It is eaten with naan, a sharp mint chutney and raw onion rings, and it is a fixture of family barbecues, Eid gatherings and late-night food streets. This recipe brings that flavour into a home kitchen with nothing more than a karahi and a lid.
The marinade and the two-stage cook
The marinade does two jobs. Thick yogurt and lemon juice tenderise the chicken, and the spices, ginger, garlic and a little ajwain give tikka its familiar taste. Cutting deep slashes down to the bone lets the flavour reach the middle, and a long rest in the fridge, ideally overnight, makes the biggest difference of all.
On the stove the cooking happens in two stages. First, a covered stage on low heat cooks the bone-in pieces through gently in their own juices, so they stay moist. Then the lid comes off and the heat goes up: the juices evaporate, the marinade fries in the oil and the edges blister and char. That final high-heat stage is what turns a curry-like chicken into tikka.
Smoke and variations
The step adds a light smokiness that recalls a coal grill. It is optional but worth doing. For tikka boti, use boneless thigh cubes threaded on skewers and cook them for less time. For malai tikka, replace half the yogurt with cream and leave out the red chili.
Serving and storing
Serve straight from the karahi with naan or paratha, the mint chutney, onion rings and lemon wedges. Leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge; reheat in a hot pan for a few minutes per side, or shred them into rolls with chutney and onions.
Questions people ask
Can I make it in the oven or on a grill?
Yes. On a coal grill, cook the pieces 15–20 cm above the coals for 20–25 minutes, turning and basting with oil. In an oven, roast at 220°C for 25–30 minutes, then grill for 3–4 minutes to char.
Why is my tikka dry?
Usually breast meat was cooked too long, or the heat was high during the covered stage. Use leg pieces or thigh, keep the covered cooking on low and stop as soon as the juices run clear.
Is the coal smoke safe indoors?
Use it with the kitchen window open or the extractor on, keep the lid on for only a few minutes and remove the coal bowl before serving. Never leave burning coal unattended.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 380
- Protein
- 42 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
