Introduction
Ready for a smoky, juicy, authentic and know How to Make Pakistani Chicken Tikka Recipe? It tastes just like a restaurant and like it’s coming off the barbecue pit. Marinate the tikka ahead and cook it in under 25 minutes!
This is one of the most tried recipes on the blog. Tandoori chicken is often called chicken tikka thigh or breast in Pakistan.
So if the bone in the tandoori chicken version is called How TO Make Pakistani Chicken Tikka Recipe in Pakistan, what is the boneless chicken tikka called? It’s called chicken tikka booty or chicken tikka kebab.
How TO Make Pakistani Chicken Tikka Recipe is so dear to us that it would be a crime to compromise on the authentic taste. Most home cooks rely on chicken tikka masala mix to make tandoori chicken and it’s really easy to do.
When I decided to post this recipe, I wanted to include the recipe for the tikka masala mix as well. Because many followers are skeptical about store-bought spices. So if you want the authentic flavor without the hassle, you can get a tikka masala mix. Spice mixes often contain MSG and artificial flavors that kick up the flavor. Today i will show you How TO Make Pakistani Chicken Tikka Recipe let’s start
Why does this recipe work?
While you might think there must be a secret combo of whole Indian spices that give a strong tikka flavor, the truth is that it’s best to stay away from whole spices and tone down the flavors of whole spices to bring out the flavor of the How TO Make Pakistani Chicken Tikka Recipe.
The smoke works great here. And you get a very delicious tikka flavor without the excessive thirst or burning that comes with using too many commercial spices.
The recipe below tastes very authentic like a restaurant without the pre-made spice mix but if you want a spicier flavor, you can replace the red chili flakes with a spice mix.
Ingredients
So here is a glimpse of the ingredients.
Chicken: Use medium-sized chicken pieces weighing 750 grams. (Live chicken weighs 1-1.25 kg) Smaller chickens tend to be more tender. Larger birds will need at least 8 hours of marinating.
Wet masala: Wet masala is a round plate of ginger, garlic, green chillies and papaya paste. The papaya paste is used as a meat tenderizer.
Typical Indian spices: Tikka doesn’t require tons of spices like marinated chicken. Dry spices are typical Indian spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, salt, red chilli flakes, and Kashmiri chilli powder.
Kashmiri chillies are bright red in color and have a mildly spicy flavor. You can replace Kashmiri chilli powder with paprika and additional chilli powder.
Curd: Curd adds a bit of tenderness and is also a meat tenderizer.
Lemon: Lemon helps in color.
How to make it?
Chicken Tikka on the stove
Step 1
Soak the chicken in a vinegar and salt solution for 20 minutes. Pro tip: This helps in cleaning the chicken and removes the blood from the chicken leg. You can read more about washing chicken on Cookist.com.
Step 2
After soaking, wash the chicken thoroughly and pat dry. Now pierce the chicken with a fork. Then make deep cuts across the grain. The cuts should be deep and the knife should touch the bone of the chicken.
Step 3
Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
Apply to the entire chicken and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Or keep it in a cool place at room temperature for 4-6 hours. Cover the container with a mesh or thin cloth to keep air out of the refrigerator.
Step 4
Cook the tikka in a wide pot on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Cover the pot while cooking. Then burn off excess water on high heat.
Pro Tip 1: Do not overcook the tikka, the meat should not fall off the bones. If the tikka is cooked completely and there is water left in the masala.
Remove the chicken pieces and place them on a separate plate. Then burn off excess water on high heat. Apply the dry masala to the chicken but do not overdo it.
Pro Tip 2: If you have any extra masala, save it for making both chicken tikka or chicken tikka masala or add it to any sauce.
Step 5
To smoke: Place the tikka in a wide pot with a tight lid. Place a piece of foil or a small metal bowl in the middle of the pot. Now, heat the charcoal on high heat until it turns red then carefully transfer the coals to the pan with the help of tongs. Sprinkle some oil on the coals and cover tightly with a lid to trap the smoke. Smoke for 7-10 minutes.
Step 6
Now heat the smoked tikka directly over the fire and serve until crispy. Alternatively, you can grill the tikka on a grill pan with a little oil until slightly crispy. Grill on low heat.
Pro tip: You can keep the grill on the flame and grill 2-3 tikkas at a time. Fresh tikkas taste best as most of the juices have been sealed. Reheating will dry out the juices but they are still delicious.
Cool BBQ and Oven Method in Recipe Card.
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Chicken Tikka Recipe Pakistani
- 1 whole skinless chicken, cut in 4 pieces, 2 legs and 2 breasts with wings
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 3 tablespoon vinegar
Tikka marinade
- 1½ tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder or paprika for color
- ½ tablespoon cumin powder, roasted and grounded
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder, roasted and grounded
- 1 teaspoon or ½ tablespoon red chilli flakes, skip for less spicy
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¾ tablespoon ginger paste
- ¾ tablespoon garlic paste
- ¾ tablespoon green chilli paste, use less or skip for less spicy
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon raw green papaya paste, simply process a piece of skinned raw green papaya into a smooth paste.
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon zarda color or red color, optional, see notes
- Oil, to grease pan and cook
Instructions
- Soak the chicken in a vinegar and salt solution for 20 minutes, then wash and pat dry. Make deep cuts in the grain.
- Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and apply to the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight or leave outside in a cool place for 4-6 hours.
- Cook the tikka in a wide pot over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. Cover the pot while cooking. Then burn off excess water on high heat.
- Pro Tip: Do not overcook the tikka, the meat should not fall off the bones.
- Heat a charcoal red-hot smoker over the chicken for 10 minutes.
- Now heat the smoked tikka directly over the fire until crispy and serve. Pro Tip: You can keep the grill on the flame and grill 2-3 tikkas at a time. Alternatively, you can grill the tikka on a grill pan with a little oil until slightly crispy. Grill over low heat.
NOTES
Marinate ahead.
You can marinate the tikka up to 4 weeks in advance and freeze it. Defrost the tikka by putting it in the fridge overnight and then leaving it on the counter for 2-3 hours before cooking to allow the chicken to come to room temperature. Then cook as directed.
If you want to know more about Pakistani Chicken Tikka Recipe
Oven-baked chicken tikka
1. Marinate the chicken as directed above.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a baking tray with foil and place a rack on the tray.
3. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess (reserve marinade), and place on a rack.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, then generously slather the marinade on both sides.
5. Bake for another 10 minutes, brushing with marinade again.
6. Bake for another 10 minutes and then brush with oil.
7. Increase the heat to 220C/450F. Bake for another 10 minutes until you get some nice charred spots on the chicken.
Chicken Tikka on a Coal Barbecue
1. After marinating the chicken overnight.
2. Heat the coals until they are red hot.
3. Remove the chicken from the marinade, stirring frequently.
4. Insert a flat metal skewer through the chicken leg and breast and place the skewer on the barbecue pit over the coals. Or place the tikka directly on the barbecue grill. Brush the tikka with a little oil as it cooks on both sides. Cook for 5 minutes on each side until the tikka is cooked through and has some charred marks.
Serving Suggestions
- Chopped onions, washed and drained.
- Green chutney.
- Tamarind chutney.
- Garlic curd
- Paratha or chapati
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1tikka ,Calories: 361kcal ,Carbohydrates: 7g ,Protein: 42g ,Fat: 18g ,Saturated Fat: 3g ,Trans Fat: 1g ,Cholesterol: 133mg ,Sodium: 1687mg ,Potassium: 617mg ,Fiber: 2g ,Sugar: 2g ,Vitamin A: 1423IU ,Vitamin C: 14mg ,Calcium: 83