Sheet-Pan Chicken Tikka Thighs

Name: Sheet-Pan Chicken Tikka Thighs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: indian, pakistani
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons full-fat Greek or Indian yogurt; 1 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger; 1 teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic; 1 1/2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chile powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric; Salt; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 2 large bell peppers, chopped into 1-inch pieces; 1 red onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

By Zainab Shah

Updated June 12, 2024

Sheet-Pan Chicken Tikka Thighs — Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Total Time: 1 hour
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Rating: 5(2,074)
Comments: Read comments

Commonly cooked in restaurants and street stalls across India and Pakistan, chicken tikka is typically prepared with marinated bone-in pieces and cooked on coals or in a tandoor. This preparation of chicken tikka uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs and a broiler for the same effect — layered, slightly smoky flavor from charred edges of otherwise juicy, tender chicken thighs. With minimal cleanup, this dish is delicately sweet, deeply spiced and has a confetti of textures. The chicken is marinated in ginger, garlic and a mix of heady South Asian spices — red chile powder, cumin, garam masala — and yogurt is used as a tenderizer. Thirty minutes of marination does the trick but overnight is better. Bell pepper and onions sweeten during broiling and their edges char and crisp up too. Plus, juices from the spiced chicken further flavor the vegetables. Eat any leftovers in a salad or sandwich.

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

2tablespoons full-fat Greek or Indian yogurt
1teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
1teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
1½teaspoons Kashmiri red chile powder
1½teaspoons garam masala
1½teaspoons ground cumin
½teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt
2tablespoons vegetable oil
1pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2large bell peppers, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1red onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1teaspoon cumin seeds
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, chile powder, garam masala, ground cumin, turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Add the chicken and stir until the thighs are completely coated. Using a fork, thoroughly stab the chicken thighs so the marinade may penetrate the meat. Set aside for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight to marinate.
Step 2
On a medium sheet pan, about 13- by 9-inches, toss the bell peppers and onion with the cumin seeds and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Lay the ingredients out in a single layer. Using a fork, hold up a chicken thigh over the bowl and scrape the excess marinade off with another fork, and lay it on the vegetables. Repeat the process for the remaining thighs.
Step 3
Turn the broiler on high. Place the sheet pan on a rack about 3 inches below the broiler. Broil for 7 to 10 minutes. Flip the thighs and broil for another 7 to 10 minutes, until parts of the chicken and vegetables are charred and crisp on the outside and chicken is cooked through (when a thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh reads 165 degrees). Serve with rice or as is, spooning the juices from the sheet pan over the chicken as sauce.

Ratings

5 out of 5

2,074 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Ann11 months ago

For anyone not familiar with it, Kashmiri Red Chile powder is not spicy. It's much more like paprika, so if you can't find Kashmiri chile powder, maybe just use paprika and a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper.

Squirrel Butler1 year ago

Just a heads-up (that most of you already know, but some may not, hence this note!) that dark meat (chicken thighs, legs) are best cooked to an internal temp of at least 175-180, with many credible sites saying 180-190. Spruce Eats, America's Test Kitchen, Epicurious and many more give that advice, as the higher temp breaks down the connective tissue in dark meat and makes the texture far better. It won't be dried out, unlike breast meat cooked to 180 or more

tanrw1 year ago

Doubled all the spices and used a single serve cup of Greek yoghurt, baked at 300 for 20/25 mins before broiling both sides. I also did the vegetables separately at 400 for 15/20 mins and put them under the broiler for the last 5 mins - turned out perfect and the marinade was delicious! Will be making this again

RobinC2 days ago

The beauty of this meal is that it is quick and easy. I’m not going to bake the chicken and veggies and THEN broil them. Just broiling worked perfectly. I did use a pound and a half of chicken because 1 pound is just not enough for four hungry adults. Really delicious made just as written.

cfxk1 week ago

I get a kick out of all the modifications made without first trying the recipe. This is a broiled meal on a single sheet pan. It's not something baked then broiled, or baked only. It's not something cooked in separate sheet pans, or with a lot of added stuff It's marinated chicken broiled on a bed of peppers and onions. That's it. And broiling chicken thighs will not set off your smoke alarm. Wouldn't it be nice if people cooked the meal presented before commenting and giving us their own?

Nicole1 week ago

Made exactly per the recipe. Was delicious. No notes.

Private comments are only visible to you.