Air fryer chicken tikka
Chicken tikka in the air fryer, an easier way to prepare that delicious Indian dish that the whole family loves. Serve as an appetizer or main.
This Recipe includes:
 | Fresh or frozen boneless chicken |
 | Plain regular yogurt, low-fat yogurt, or greek yogurt. You can also use heavy cream. |
 | Lemon to cut into quarters and serve along side. |
Spices:
 | Garlic powder or flakes |
 | Red chili powder for that lovely red color |
 | Dried coriander; you can use fresh coriander (cilantro) as well. |
 | Turmeric, traditional ingredient for flavor |
 | Ground cumin for a bit of spiciness |
 | Garam masala for more spiciness (garam means warm, and masala means spice) |
 | Ground ginger for a bit of a bite |
 | Cayenne pepper, if you like things really spicy |
 | Pinch of salt and pepper |
Chicken tikka is one of the most popular Indian chicken dishes around. The traditional recipe involves marinated chicken grilled over charcoal in a tandoor, which sounds easy enough until you realise that most people don’t usually have tandoors lying around.
If you have an air fryer though, you can replicate the same great taste of a charcoal tandoor with this delicious chicken tikka recipe that is sure to be a hit.
You can use chicken thighs or boneless chicken, although typically chicken tikka is small pieces of boneless chicken. The trick is to marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes, and then place them in the air fryer.
Be sure to not over crowd the air fryer basket however, as the chicken will not crisp up as well. I recommend cooking in batches and shaking the basket occasionally so that the chicken gets evenly cooked.
Cooking tips
- Chicken tikka is typically made with small pieces of fresh boneless chicken. If using frozen chicken, let it defrost naturally for 1 hour beforehand.
- Garlic powder and dry herbs are the easiest to use to rub into the chicken, but you could use crushed garlic and fresh herbs as well.
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Air fryer chicken tikka
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 large pieces of boneless chicken unfrozen*
- 1 cup of regular or greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 4 teaspoons of red chili powder
- 2 teaspoons of garam masala
- 1 teaspoon of dried coriander
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
- pinch of salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon to cut into quarters and serve along side
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt and spices together.
- Chop the chicken pieces into small pieces.
- Add the chicken into the bowl and cover each one generously with the yogurt-spice mixture.
- Place in the fridge for an hour to allow it to marinate.
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
- Place the chicken on air fryer basket for 20 minutes, flipping the chicken every 5 minutes or so. (Don't overcrowd the basket, make in batches as necessary).
- Open the air fryer to see if they are crispy enough for you, and heat them for a couple more minutes if you wish.
- Serve while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
Chicken tikka is traditionally served as an appetizer with a raita (cucumber and yogurt dish) as it can be a bit spicy. But you can also serve it as a main dish along side some plain rice. (I usually turn on my rice cooker.)
But you can also serve it with naan or even with mashed potatoes, for something different.
How to store it?
You can easily prepare this air fryer chicken tikka in advance and leave it in the fridge. When ready to eat, just put them back in the air fryer at 380°F (190°C) for 5-7 minutes to make them crispy again.
