Chicken Tikka Kebab

Chicken Tikka Kebab is a delicious appetizer that is packed with flavor. It starts with chicken pieces marinated in yogurt along with lime juice and aromatic spices, then threaded onto skewers and cooked to create a delicious appetizer. Make it in the air fryer or oven to serve at the gathering, or include it into your meal prep for the week! 

When we go to Indian restaurants, one of our favorite appetizers to order is Chicken Tikka Kebab, and for good reason. It's arguably the most popular Indian appetizer not only in India, but in Indian restaurants all over the world.

I've been looking for ways to make my favorite dishes for my spice-loving family more easily, and this quick and easy Chicken Tikka Kebab recipe is no exception.

Marinate the chicken and then cook it in less than 20 minutes. This is a great option for serving at dinner parties or family gatherings similar to my Tandoori Chicken Wings recipe.

If you like fusion recipes, check out this Chicken Tikka Masala Pasta and this Indo-chinese favorite Chilli Chicken.

Check out my post for 15+ Air Fryer Indian Recipes.

Additionally, this Chicken Tikka recipe is very versatile. You can customize the kebabs with your favorite veggies, and even make a big batch while you're doing your weekly meal prep, then enjoy it all week long!

This chicken tikka recipe is a great low carb Indian recipe. Below I'll share different techniques including air fryer, grill and oven for cooking Chicken Tikka Kebab at home, along with tips for preparation, serving, and more.

If you want a vegetarian version, check out my Tandoori Paneer Tikka, Mushroom Tikka, and Hariyali Paneer Tikka recipe.

Chicken Tikka vs. Chicken Tikka Masala

You may be wondering what is the difference between Chicken Tikka and Tikka Masala? Both Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tikka Masala start with essentially the same idea.

Chicken Tikka is traditionally made by cooking small pieces of boneless, skinless chicken over a fire pit. Chicken tikka is marinated in a mixture of yogurt and spices, including Garam Masala.

It can be served right from the skewer or added to a curry sauce, to make the popular dish called Chicken Tikka Masala.

Ingredients Needed for Chicken Tikka Skewers

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-2 inch cubes)
• Red onion
• Green & red bell pepper (cut into 2 inch cubes)
• Lime wedges & onion rounds for garnish

Feel free to add other veggies to your skewers if you like. Some ideas are: yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, mushrooms or grape tomatoes. You could even add pineapple chunks for a little sweetness.

For the Marinade:

The indian marinade for this Chicken Tikka includes basic ingredients such as yogurt, ginger, garlic, flavorful Indian spices, and lime juice. This marinade is super flavorful and the addition of Kashmiri red chili powder gives the chicken a gorgeous red color. The lime juice gives this chicken dish a tangy flavor that will keep your family coming back for more.

I recently used this marinade to make paneer tikka for a BBQ, and now I have become the designated person to bring this to every grilling event. So try and share it at your own risk 😉

How to make Chicken Tikka Marinade?

Here's the secret to nailing any Kebab recipe: All you need is to get the marinade, the cooking time & the cooking temperature right.

• Just combine all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, then toss the chicken in the marinade, making sure  that it's evenly coated.
• Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Allow the Tikka Kebab meat to marinade for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together and infuse into the chicken. You can marinade it up to 8 hours or overnight for a deeper flavor.
• When you're ready to cook the marinated Chicken Tikka, simply remove it from the refrigerator, toss the vegetables in the marinade with the chicken. Then thread the chicken and veggies on your skewers alternating chicken, onion and bell pepper.

How to make Chicken Tikka Kebab in Instant Pot using CrispLid?

• Brush oil all over the inside of the CrispLid basket to prevent the chicken from sticking.
• Lightly brush the chicken skewers with oil and place them in the fryer basket.
• Place the CrispLid trivet in the inner steel pot inside the Instant Pot, then place the fryer basket with the chicken inside on top of the trivet.
• Set the CrispLid over the inner steel pot and plug it in.
• Set the cooking temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the chicken for about 8 minutes.
• Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 7 minutes or until it is lightly charred on the outside.

When cooking, be sure not to overcrowd the fryer basket. Work in batches if needed.

You can use skewers or even place the marinated chicken directly in the CrispLid basket. You can call this Chicken Tikka Bites.

My daughter loves these chicken tikka bites with buttered naan!

How to make Chicken Tikka Kebab in the Air Fryer?

There's not much difference from the Instant Pot and CrispLid method. Here's what you'll need to do.:

• Lightly grease the air fryer basket.
• Arrange the chicken sticks in airfryer Cook at 180 degrees or 360F for 10 minutes.
• Turn the chicken sticks and cook for 7 more minutes, then serve.

As you can notice, I skipped the veggies when cooking in the Philips air fryer below, as my daughter just wants the chicken!

How to make Chicken Tikka Kebab in the Oven?

• Prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper or foil.
• Place a rack over top.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degress
• Place the skewers on the rack, then bake for 15-20 minutes until chicken is well cooked.
• Turn on your oven's broiler and broil the Tikka Kebabs for about 5 minutes to get the char marks. Be sure to keep an eye on the chicken while it broils so that it doesn't burn.

Other ways to cook Chicken Tikka:

• Grill it on skewers on your backyard grill.
• Char it in a cast iron grill pan on the stove (To ensure that the chicken cooks thoroughly, you may want to cook it without the skewers if using this method.)

How to Serve Chicken Tikka Kebab?

• Garnish with lime wedges and red onion. Serve with Mint Cilantro Chutney on the side for dipping.
• Serve as an appetizer at a party on the skewers or without skewers as Chicken Tikka bites. Serve with Mint Chutney or other dipping sauces as desired.
• Slice them to add to a salad or make a wrap with lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and Mint Chutney.
• Add it to my easy Curry Sauce for a quick delicious curry in minutes.
• Serve with saffron rice and raita for a filling lunch or dinner.

Tips to make the best Chicken Tikka Kebab

• Marinate for at least 30 minutes, but longer is ideal for more tender Chicken Tikka.
• For best results cook the meat only until done. This will result in soft, juicy & tender chicken kebabs. Overcooked meat can result in chewy kebabs.
• Make a batch of this marinated chicken and freeze for later use or meal prep for the week.

Popular questions

Why you will love this Air Fryer Chicken Tikka?

• It's easy to prepare. It only takes a few steps and about 20 minutes to have this easy Chicken Tikka cooked.
• It's healthy. Chicken Tikka Kebab is low carb and gluten free.
• It's not too spicy, which makes it great for children. My daughter loves these kebabs with her parathas.

Other Indian chicken recipes to enjoy:

• Chicken Saag - Another delicious north Indian dish made with chicken and a spinach curry sauce
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken - An extremely popular chicken curry recipe made with lots of butter and cream
• Instant Pot Chicken Korma - Chicken marinated in yogurt and spices cooked with onions and finished with cashew paste
• Low Carb Tandoori Chicken - Flavorful chicken marinated in yogurt, spices, and lemon juice then cooked in the air fryer