Pakistani Chicken Tikka (Grill, Oven or Air Fryer)

Pakistani Chicken Tikka (Grill, Oven or Air Fryer)

Pakistani chicken tikka is the star of every BBQ house from Lahore to Karachi: bone-in chicken pieces, deeply scored and marinated in yoghurt, lemon, ginger, garlic and a bright red spice mix, then cooked over hot charcoal until smoky and charred at the edges. It is not the boneless cubes in creamy sauce that most UK and US restaurants call chicken tikka masala. This is the original, dry, fiery grilled version.

Two marinades make the difference. The first, lemon, salt and ginger-garlic, seasons the meat right to the bone. The second, thick yoghurt with spices and a little mustard oil, clings to the chicken and chars on the grill. Leave it for at least four hours, ideally overnight.

You can cook chicken tikka on a charcoal or gas grill, in a hot oven, or in an air fryer, and the steps for all three are below, along with the charcoal smoke (dhuni) trick for indoor cooking. Serve with naan or paratha, mint chutney, sliced onions and lemon wedges.

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) chicken legs and breast quarters, bone-in and skinless, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (first marinade)
• 1 teaspoon salt (first marinade)
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste (first marinade)
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste (first marinade)
• ¾ cup (180 g) thick Greek-style or strained yoghurt (second marinade)
• 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder, for colour (second marinade)
• 1 teaspoon hot chilli powder (second marinade)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (second marinade)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander (second marinade)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (second marinade)
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric (second marinade)
• ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain), crushed (second marinade)
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (second marinade)
• ½ teaspoon salt (second marinade)
• 2 tablespoons mustard oil or vegetable oil (second marinade)
• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed (second marinade)
• ¼ teaspoon red food colour (second marinade, optional)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, for basting
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• 1 piece of charcoal, for smoking (optional)
• Naan, mint chutney, sliced onions and lemon wedges, to serve

Directions

1. Cut 3 to 4 deep slashes into each chicken piece, down to the bone.
2. Rub the first marinade (lemon juice, salt, ginger and garlic) into the chicken and leave for 20 minutes.
3. Whisk all the second marinade ingredients together. Coat the chicken thoroughly, pushing the marinade into the cuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
4. Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
5. Grill: cook over medium-hot charcoal or a gas grill for 25 to 30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes and basting with butter, until charred in places and cooked through (74°C/165°F at the thickest part).
6. Oven: heat to 230°C (450°F, gas 8). Place the chicken on a rack over a lined tray and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once and basting with butter. Finish under a hot grill (broiler) for 3 to 4 minutes to char.
7. Air fryer: cook at 200°C (400°F) for 20 to 22 minutes, turning halfway and basting with butter.
8. For indoor smoke, put the cooked tikka in a pot, heat the charcoal until red hot, place it in a small foil cup in the pot, drizzle with a few drops of oil and cover tightly for 3 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve hot with naan, mint chutney, onions and lemon.