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 in 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 also in Indian restaurants around 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 in the air fryer is no exception. I made it in my new Cosori Iconic air fryer.
Marinate the chicken and then cook it for less than 20 minutes. This is a great option for serving at dinner parties or family gatherings, similar to my Tandoori Chicken Wings and Chicken 65 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 25+ 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 of this Indian BBQ recipe, check out my Mushroom Tikka, and Hariyali Paneer Tikka recipes.
Table of Contents
- Chicken Tikka vs. Chicken Tikka Masala
- Ingredients Needed for Chicken Tikka Skewers
- Chicken Tikka Marinade
- How to make Chicken Tikka Kebab in the Air Fryer?
- How to make Chicken Tikka Kebab in the Oven?
- More Ways to Cook Chicken Tikka
- How to Serve Chicken Tikka Kebab?
- Meeta’s Tips
- Common Questions
- More Indian Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Tikka Kebab Recipe
Chicken Tikka vs. Chicken Tikka Masala
You may be wondering what the difference is 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), You can also use chicken tenders if you like
- Red onion
- Green & red bell pepper (cut into 2-inch cubes)
- Lime wedges & onion rounds for garnish
- Marinade
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.
Chicken Tikka Marinade
The Indian marinade for this Chicken Tikka includes basic ingredients such as yogurt, ginger, garlic, flavorful 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 the perfect tangy flavor. Mustard oil and dried fenugreek leaves add that restaurant-style flavor.
I recently used this marinade to make paneer tikka for a BBQ, and now I’m the designated person to bring it to every grilling event. So try and share it at your own risk 😉
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 the marinade ingredients in a bowl, then toss the chicken in the marinade, making sure it’s evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate it. Allow the chicken kebab meat to marinate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together and infuse into the chicken. You can marinate it for 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, and optionally, add a little heated mustard oil. This adds that authentic restaurant-style flavor.
- Toss the vegetables with the chicken in the marinade. Then thread the chicken and veggies on your skewers, alternating chicken, onion, and bell pepper.
How to make Chicken Tikka Kebab in the Air Fryer?
Lightly grease the air fryer basket. Arrange the chicken skewers in the air fryer. Lightly brush or spray with oil.
Cook at 190°C or 380°F for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken skewers halfway through, then serve.
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 these Chicken Tikka Bites.
My daughter loves these chicken tikka bites with buttered naan!
How to make Chicken Tikka Kebab in the Oven?
- Prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper or foil.
- Place a rack over the top.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Place the skewers on the rack, then bake for 15-20 minutes until the 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.
More 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 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, and drizzle some on top of the skewers.
- 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, kachumber salad, and raita for a filling lunch or dinner.
Meeta’s Tips
Marinade: Marinate for at least 30 minutes, but longer is ideal for more tender Chicken Tikka. If you have mustard oil, make sure to heat it until it smokes, then add it to the marinade. It gives the chicken tikka a very authentic Indian restaurant-style flavor.
Do not overcook: 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.
Meal prep: Make a batch of this marinated chicken and freeze it for later use, or use it to meal prep for the week.
Common Questions
Yes, it is perfect for weekly meal prep. You can make this quick Chicken Tikka in advance and refrigerate or freeze it for later. You can keep it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
*Cooked vegetables may lose their crispness after freezing. To avoid this, you can freeze the chicken by itself and add the vegetables when reheating.
Store Chicken Tikka meat in an airtight container with a lid, or in an airtight gallon-sized freezer bag, for best results.
To reheat from frozen, place the kebabs in the refrigerator to defrost overnight. Reheat for 4 minutes in the air fryer at 375F. You can also reheat in the oven at 300F for 10-15 minutes.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Chicken Saag (Chicken Spinach Curry)
Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken
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Chicken Tikka Kebab
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken thighs, boneless skinless, cut into 1.5-2 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon Mustard Oil, optional, heat the oil until it smokes, then use it
- 1/2 cup Red Onion, cut into 2 inch cubes, layers separated
- 1/2 cup Green Bell Pepper, cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper, cut into 2 inch cubes
- Lime wedges, to garnish
- Onion rounds , to garnish
For marinade
- 1/2 cup Yogurt, Greek (also called hung curd)
- 3/4 tablespoon Ginger , grated
- 3/4 tablespoon Garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- 2-3 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, mild, adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
- 1/2 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi)
- 1 teaspoon Salt, adjust to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and mix well. Add chicken and coat each side with the marinade. Let it rest for anywhere between 30 minutes and 8 hours in the refrigerator.
- When ready to cook, add the oil, onions, green and red bell pepper to the marinade. Mix well.
- Thread the marinated chicken, peppers, and onions in the skewers alternating between each.
AirFryer Method:
- Preheat the air fryer. Arrange the chicken skewers in airfryer. Lightly brush or spray with oil. Cook at 190°C or 380°F for 10 minutes, turning halfway through. (For extra char marks, cook for an additional 2 minutes. Check the internal temperature has reached 165F.)
- Serve warm with lime wedges and onion rounds, along with mint cilantro chutney for dipping or drizzling on top. You can also serve with saffron rice and salad for a complete meal.
Oven Method:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper or foil. Place a rack over the top.
- Place the skewers on the rack, lightly brush or spray with oil, then bake for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is well-cooked.
- Turn on your oven's broiler and broil the Tikka Kebabs for about 5 minutes to get the char marks.
We made wraps instead of using skewers. Tasted absolutely delicious. Thank you for this recipe!
Succulent and absolutely delicious over hot coals with a hint of smoking pellets. These are great the day after …even straight from the fridge in wraps.
Absolutely delicious! Tried this Chicken Tikka recipe, and it was a flavor packed delight.
Hi,
I live in luxembourg. Whenever I make boneless chicken skewers here, chicken turns rubbery,m non succulent and hard in spite of marinating it for more than 10 hours.
Any tips to make it succulent?
Hi Anjum – Are you using chicken thigh meat? The thighs are more succulent and have higher fat content, which keeps them moist after cooking. Sometimes, overcooking the chicken can also make it rubbery, so make sure only to cook as much as necessary (to an internal temperature of 165ºF/75ºC).
I am Indian from Bombay and my parents are the absolute best chefs. In other words, I know good Indian food and THIS IS IT. Yum. Yum. Yummy. I made this in the airfryer. I added cilantro to the finished product and it was outstanding. Definitely will be making this again and again and again. So far everything I have made from your website has been outstanding. Thank you!
Hi Liane – So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing back 🙂
Made this tonight and it was delicious, thank you for the recipe.
Hi Jessica – So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing it 🙂