Chicken Tikka

By Chintan Pandya

Published Feb. 2, 2023

Chicken Tikka
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
45 minutes, plus 3 hours marinating
Rating
4(660)
Comments
Read comments

Traditionally, Indian chicken tikka — skewered boneless chicken pieces that have been marinated in assertive spices and cooling yogurt — is cooked in a clay tandoor oven, stacking layers of smoke upon layers of spice. But this murgh tikka recipe from Chintan Pandya, the chef and a partner at Unapologetic Foods, a New York restaurant group that runs Masalawala & Sons, Dhamaka, Semma and Adda Indian Canteen, captures the essence of the dish with the convenience of an oven. Juicy chicken thighs are marinated twice: The first marinade is a quick 10-minute rest in salt, vinegar and ginger-garlic paste, while the second is a 3- to 4-hour dip in yogurt punctuated with deggi mirch (a vibrant red chile powder), garam masala and turmeric. Don’t expect the yogurt to mute the flavors: It adds a level of creaminess, but the spices dominate this dish. — Alexa Weibel

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

    For the Ginger-garlic Paste

    • 1(2-inch piece) fresh ginger, peeled
    • 6garlic cloves, peeled

    For the Chicken

    • 2½pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1½-inch pieces
    • ¼cup malt vinegar
    • 1½teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
    • 4teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
    • ¼cup melted unsalted butter, for basting
    • Naan or Roomali roti (optional), for serving

    For the Yogurt Marinade

    • 1cup plain yogurt
    • 3tablespoons malt vinegar
    • 2tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons deggi mirch (red chile powder)
    • 1tablespoon garam masala
    • 1teaspoon ground turmeric
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
    • 4teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

419 calories; 19 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 42 grams protein; 698 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the ginger-garlic paste: Using a blender or mini food processor, mince or blend the ginger and garlic to form a paste, adding water (about ¼ cup) as needed to thin. The ginger-garlic paste makes more than you’ll need (about ⅓ cup total) and will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator, or you can portion and freeze in an ice cube tray.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the chicken: In a medium bowl, marinate the chicken with the malt vinegar, salt and 4 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste; let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, prepare the yogurt marinade: In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, malt vinegar, deggi mirch, garam masala, turmeric, salt and 4 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste. Squeeze the chicken, discarding excess liquid, and add the chicken to the yogurt marinade; stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before baking.

  4. Step 4

    Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Set a wire rack over an aluminum foil-lined large baking sheet. Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto skewers. Place the skewers on the wire rack, spacing apart. Bake until the chicken is just starting to brown on the ends, about 15 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Brush each skewer with the melted butter and continue baking until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more. Serve with naan or roti, if you’d like.

Ratings

4 out of 5
660 user ratings
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Comments

Lori Putnam

Unfortunately, as I started to make it, I realized we were out of two key ingredients! We live 30 miles from a grocery, so I had to make substitutions for the garam masala and the deggi mirch. So, if you have to make those same subs, let me offer what I used: For the deggi mirch: 1/2 T hot, smoked paprika + 1/2 T cayenne pepper. For the garam masala: 3 T coriander + 2 T cumin + 2 T cardamon + 2 T black pepper + 1 tsp nutmeg + 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1 tsp cloves. Yummmmmmm

Z S

What can I substitute for the malt vinegar?

cincynatty

Substitute malt vinegar with lemon juice. The two-step marination is the foundation of a lot of tikka recipes. Added step: during the second (yogurt marination), whisk in a tablespoon of Besan (chickpea flour) to the yogurt and spices. This aids the marinade to “stick” to the meat during the grilling/baking.

Pool Owner

I made this yesterday. It was well received. I substituted cayenne but it still came out well. Thanks for the recipe.

Vic

I was not a fan of this preparation. I found the vinegar marinade followed by a yogurt marination caused the chicken to break down more than I liked. The result was a bit doughy/mushy. I also think the yogurt marinade could be improved with some roasted ground cumin and ground cardamom, both of which would add a depth of flavor that was seemed missing here.

Tani

Wonderful taste, but would only marinate chicken for 2 hours next time as it got a little soft with 3 hours.

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