Skewers of tandoori chicken tikka are coated in spiced yogurt marinade and gritlled to perfection for flavorful chicken bites you can scoop with fresh naan. The tandoori-style chicken is easy to make, and like joojeh kabobs, this meal is a crowd-pleaser.
What is Tikka?
Tandoori chicken tikka refers to chicken pieces (quarters, legs, bite-sized pieces) that are skewered and lowered into a tandoor. Tandoors are cylinder clay pots heated by an open flame. The result is chargrilled chicken packed with a smoky masala flavor.
Since a tandoor is something few people have in their backyard, recreate the Indian cooking technique on the grill for juicy chicken. You won’t even be able to tell that it was grilled instead of being cooked in a tandoor.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Marinade: Create a homemade paste to coat the chicken. All you need is full-fat yogurt, garlic and ginger paste, kosher salt, garlic powder, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, garam masala, Kashmiri chili powder, fresh lemon juice, and sliced onion.
- Chicken: I cut chicken breast into 2-inch pieces for this recipe. You can also use chicken thighs, but adjust the cooking time accordingly; the safe temperature for chicken is 165°F (74°C).
How to Make Tandoori Chicken Tikka
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine ingredients for the tandoori masala (apart from the sliced onions) in a food processor or blender.
Step 2: Process into a smooth paste and transfer it to a mixing bowl with the chicken pieces and sliced onions. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 6 hours (at least 30 minutes).
Step 3: Preheat a gas grill by setting all the burners to high heat for 10 minutes. Then, use a wooden grill scraper to clean the grates. Hold a wide metal skewer with one hand and slide the chicken pieces onto it. Repeat with the remaining chicken until the skewers are loaded.
Step 4: Set the skewers onto the grill or over the flavor bars and cook on high heat for 5-7 minutes.
Grilling Tip
Avoid opening the grill or moving the chicken during the first several minutes of cooking; this helps the chicken develop a nice char, and the heat locks in the moisture.
Step 5: Flip the chicken skewers and cook for 5 minutes. Check the temperature with a food thermometer and continue cooking until it reaches 165°F (74°C).
How do you know when the chicken is done?
You can tell the chicken is done cooking when it reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest piece of the chicken.
Step 6: Remove the chicken from the grill and transfer it to a cutting board to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- Marinate the chicken. Coat the chicken pieces in the tandoori masala and marinate for 6 hours, but at least 30 minutes.
- Start with room-temperature chicken. Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.
- Preheat the grill. Start grilling on a hot, hot grill. Do this so the chicken sears immediately, locking in the moisture and developing a nice char.
If you enjoy tandoori chicken tikka, try more Indian recipes!
Serving Suggestions
If you’re deciding what to serve with tandoori chicken, here are a few of my favorite side dishes:
- Bread: Naan, Spinach Protein Wraps
- Sauce: Raita, Chutney, Serrano Crema
- Rice: Basmati Rice, Yakhni Pulao, Saffron Rice
- Vegetables: Roasted Potatoes, Cauliflower Rice, Grilled Zucchini
- Salad: Vegetable Chopped Salad, Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad, Kachumber Salad
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover chicken pieces in an airtight container for 3-4 days. They are perfect for weekly meal prep to toss in a salad or make a quick wrap.
- Freeze: Let the chicken cool, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Tandoori chicken tikka freezes for up to 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the chicken in the fridge overnight for the best results.
- Reheat: Reheat defrosted or leftover chicken in the oven at 400°F (204°C) for 5-10 minutes.
- Repurpose: Make chicken tikka masala, butter chicken masala, or chicken tikka biryani with the leftover chicken, or use it to top a pizza, quesadilla, or sandwich.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between tandoori chicken and chicken tikka?
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the terms tandoori chicken and chicken tikka, and many use them interchangeably.
Charga: Similar to how I prepare Peruvian chicken or tandoori turkey, chicken charga refers to a marinated whole chicken that’s grilled or cooked.
Tikka: Most people in the West consider small pieces of chicken (usually chicken breast) to be tikka when chicken tikka can also be leg quarters or legs, similar to the ones I use to make BBQ chicken legs. However, the term also covers the bite-size pieces of chicken I use in this recipe since the word ‘tikka’ just means pieces in English.
Tandoori: Tandoori chicken is chicken (whole or parts) that cooks in a tandoor oven. Since most kitchens aren’t tandoor-equipped, you will find grilled and baked tandoori chicken recipes that attempt to recreate the cooking technique.
What does tandoori chicken tikka taste like?
The bite-sized pieces of chicken are melt-in-your-mouth juicy. They have a subtle spice from the tandoori masala and smokiness from grilling over an open flame. But the tandoori chicken tikka isn’t spicy. I know the red color of the chicken may appear that way, but it’s pretty mild.
While the chicken isn’t overly spicy, they are loaded with flavor and warm Indian spices. If you prefer less spicy chicken, I recommend leaving out the cayenne pepper and reducing the amount of Kashmiri chili powder.
Can I make the recipe ahead of time?
Absolutely! And since the grilling part doesn’t require much time, I recommend cutting the chicken and letting it marinate for up to 24 hours before you want to prepare the meal.
If you need to go beyond 24 hours, I recommend leaving the fresh lemon juice out of the marinade. You can store the marinated chicken in the fridge this way for up to 2 days.
More Chicken Recipes:
Tandoori Chicken Tikka
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- lemon juice, 2 lemons, plus wedges for garnish
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 pounds chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Combine ingredients for the tandoori masala (apart from the sliced onions) in a food processor or blender. Process into a smooth paste and transfer it to a mixing bowl with the chicken pieces and sliced onions. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 6 hours (at least 30 minutes).
- Preheat a gas grill by setting all the burners to high heat for 10 minutes. Then, use a wooden grill scraper to clean the grates. Hold a wide metal skewer with one hand and slide the chicken pieces onto it. Repeat with the remaining chicken until the skewers are loaded.
- Set the skewers onto the grill or over the flavor bars and cook on high heat for 5-7 minutes.Tip: Avoid opening the grill or moving the chicken during the first several minutes of cooking; this helps the chicken develop a nice char, and the heat locks in the moisture.
- Flip the chicken skewers and cook for 5 minutes. Check the temperature with a food thermometer and continue cooking until it reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Remove the chicken from the grill and transfer it to a cutting board to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Marinate the chicken. Coat the chicken pieces in the tandoori masala and marinate for 6 hours, but at least 30 minutes.
- Start with room-temperature chicken. Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.
- Preheat the grill. Start grilling on a hot, hot grill. Do this so the chicken sears immediately, locking in the moisture and developing a nice char.