Get ready for a smoked, delicious Pakistani chicken tikka recipe from the Indian subcontinent that you can enjoy with your family. It tastes just like a restaurant, and just like a BBQ that’s been sitting out on the grill for a while. Marinate the chicken in advance, and then cook it quickly in a pressure cooker or in the microwave. Then serve it with sides in the background.
It is one of the most tested recipes on the blog. You’ll enjoy this recipe with all of its spices and delicious flavors. In India, the boneless version of tandoori chicken is called tandoori chicken. Tikka refers to the meat pieces that are marinated, spiced, and grilled in a barbecue or grill. The dish is called chicken tikka boti and is served in Indian restaurants.
The Pakistani grilled chicken tikka that we love dearly is so precious to us that compromising on the authentic taste is a grave sin. A home cook can use this easy tikka spice recipe to make the best-tasting, tandoori chicken in minutes. When I decided to post this recipe, I also wanted to include a tikka spice mix.
WHY DOES THIS RECIPE WORK?
The spice mixture that most tikka masala recipes call for is a mixture of whole spices that brings out the flavor of the dish. The smoking does a good job, and you get a very tasty tikka flavor without all the heartburn and extra thirst from commercial spice mixes. This is a perfect tikka masala blend. It has a nice amount of heat, and you won’t have to drink gallons of water after eating it! This delicious meal has a very authentic taste. It’s similar to how a restaurant tastes without premade-spice mix, but you can use spice mix instead if you prefer a sharper taste.
Ingredients for making chicken tikka
Chicken: When choosing small chickens for this recipe, go for ones weighing 750 grams. Smaller chickens have tender meat. A large bird such as a chicken or duck requires 8 hours of marination to soften the meat and make it more tender.
Wet spices: There’s garlic, green chili, and papaya paste on the round plate. The best meat tenderizers are papaya. It’s a natural product that contains enzymes.
Common Indian spices: Chicken tikka masala is not as spicy as achari chicken and doesn’t require as many spices. You’ll find that most of the dry spices are commonly used in Indian dishes like cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, salt, red chili flakes, and Kashmiri chili powder. Chili flakes have a bright red color and a moderately spicy taste. You can substitute Kashmiri chili powder with paprika, and add extra chili powder if desired.
Yogurt: Yogurt is an excellent addition to a meat tenderizer.
Lemon: Lemon helps with the tanginess.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
- Soak chicken in a solution of 1 cup of white vinegar, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 2 cups of water. Soaking chicken in vinegar and salt solution for 20 minutes makes it taste amazing. This is a great way to clean the chicken, remove the blood and save your knife!
- Take a long-handled fork, and puncture the chicken deeply. Then make cuts across the grain. The cuts should go deep into the meat, and the knife should contact the bone.
- Now mix all the ingredients of marination in a bowl. Pour the mixture on the chicken and let marinate overnight in the fridge. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Wrap the lid of the pot with cloth or mesh to let air circulate when the pot is placed in the fridge
- Cook chicken tikka on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. Make sure you cover the pot while cooking. Then burn excess water on high heat.
- Put the chicken pieces into a separate bowl. Turn down the heat. Mix the ground masala with a little warm oil.
- To smoke: Place the tikka in a wide pot with a tight-fitting lid, and place a piece of foil or a small metal bowl. Now, heat charcoal on high flame until it turns red hot, then carefully transfer the red hot coals to a pan. If you use a bit of oil, drizzle it over the coal and then cover the pan tightly to trap the smoke. Smoke it for 7-10 minutes. Now heat the smoked tikka over direct flame until crispy and serve. Another option is to use a grill pan, which has little oil on it and place tikkas in it until slightly crispy. Grill on low heat.
Pro Tips
- You can start grilling 2-3 tikka at the same time. Fresh chicken tikka tastes best because most juices are locked in the chicken. If you heat something up in the microwave or oven it can dry out the juices but they still taste delicious.
- If you have any extra masala keep it for making chicken tikka masala. You can also add it to sauces or mix it into any marinade to give it a great flavor.
- You don’t need to cook the meat too long. You just want to make sure that, if the chicken breast is fully cooked and there is still liquid in the marinade.
