We show you how to make tandoori chicken tikka skewers. A quick and easy recipe that looks and tastes, like what you get from the Indian takeaway or restaurant.
Chicken breast marinated with tandoori masala spice, garlic and yoghurt, threaded on to kebab sticks, can be cooked in an air fryer, griddle, pan, grill, oven or BBQ.
How to make Tandoori Chicken Tikka Kebab?
Make the best homemade dry chicken tikka at home today by pressing the button below to jump straight to the recipe or continue reading for more helpful hints and tips.
Check out the recipe card for all the ingredients and how to make chicken tikka kebabs at home. Or continue to read the blog for all the best tips. We also have a tandoori prawn recipe you may like.
Ingredients
To make tandoori chicken tikka marinade simply mix tandoori masala spices, fat-free yoghurt, garlic, and lemon together in a bowl or food bag.
Adjust the amount of tandoori spice blend used for how spicy you like it we use 2 tablespoon for a strong flavour, use only 1 tablespoon for medium or ½ tablespoon if you like it mild.
If you want it spicy you can add extra chilli powder, flakes or chilli puree.
What makes tandoori chicken red?
Adding red food colouring to your tandoori yogurt marinade is optional, but it is the secret to the fantastic vibrant red colour on the Indian restaurant style tandoori chicken tikka.
We use six drops to make the marinade deep red in colour. It does not change the flavour, so you can leave it out it. Chicken tikka marinade has a natural orange colour without the food colouring!
Chicken kebab
Cut the chicken into even-sized cubes, about 1 ½ inch / 4 cm. You can make the chicken chunks smaller or bigger but may need to adjust cooking time to make sure they don't over or undercook.
How long to marinade?
For the best results, leave the chicken to marinate in the tandoori yoghurt marinade for 2 hours.
If you have not got the time to leave the chicken tikka to marinate, they can be threaded and cooked straight away, they will still taste amazing!
If making the day before, do not add the lemon to the marinade. Instead squeeze the lemon on just before you cook them.
Store in a sealed food bag in the fridge overnight.
Threading kebabs
We like to use wooden kebab sticks or skewers as they can be cut to the size of what you are cooking the tandoori chicken in.
To prevent wooden kebab sticks from burning and breaking, always soak them in water before threading the tandoori chicken tikka on the stick.
Do not push too much chicken on one stick as they will not cook evenly, it is best that each cube of chicken is touching but not squashed together.
How to cook Tandoori Chicken?
Traditionally Tandoori Chicken Tikka is cooked on a tandoor, a round clay oven fuelled by charcoal or wood.
Most people in the UK or US do not own their own tandoor oven, so we give you plenty of other ways to cook your homemade chicken tikka kebabs.
Tandoori chicken is best cooked over dry heat, our favourite and quickest method is in an air fryer. It only takes 15 minutes and as the air is circulated all around it does not need turning at all!
Chicken tikka skewers can also be cooked in a pan or griddle over the hob or in the oven, they all take between 20-30 minutes and all need to be turned halfway through cooking.
Finally, another great way to cook them in the summer is on the BBQ for 20 minutes turning once halfway through.
Herbs?
Once the chicken tikka has finished sprinkle some finely chopped coriander on top for extra herby flavour.
Serve Indian Chicken tikka starter with a side salad or Indian Salad, Mint Raita and a wedge of lemon.
Or serve your chicken skewers as part of your main meal with coconut rice and salad. Served as a chicken tikka wrap with lettuce and red cabbage for lunch.
One of the best things about this recipe is that it is low calorie, low fat, and syn free on the Slimming world diet.
If you have any leftovers, keep them in the fridge and use them within 2 days. Eat cold or reheat in a microwave (remove from the stick before reheating)
Can I freeze?
You can freeze the kebabs before cooking the marinated chicken tikka kebabs, make sure to defrost before cooking.
Leftover cooked chicken tikka skewers can also be frozen.
Make sure to defrost fully before reheating.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Tandoori Chicken Tikka Kebab
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 Large Chicken Breast - Cubed
- 4 tablespoon Fat Free Yoghurt - Can use full fat instead
- 2 tablespoon Tandoori Masala Spice Blend Powder - Can use Garam Masala instead
- 2 cloves Garlic - Crushed
- 1 Lemon - ½ for the juice, ½ sliced into wedges to serve
- Spray oil
Optional
- 6 drops Red Food Colouring - To give Tandoori Chicken Tikka a red colour
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Coriander - to sprinkle on top of chicken after cooking
- Side salad of Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomatoes and Onion
- Mint Ratia
Instructions
- It is best to soak wooden skewers in water whilst prepping the chicken. Cut them to the size of the pan or tray you are cooking them in.
- In a bowl or food bag, mix together yoghurt, tandoori masala, garlic and the lemon juice.4 tablespoon Fat Free Yoghurt, 2 tablespoon Tandoori Masala Spice Blend Powder, 2 cloves Garlic, 1 Lemon
- Optional: Add red food colouring if you want your tandoori chicken red.6 drops Red Food Colouring
- Add cubed chicken breast and stir to coat.2-3 Large Chicken Breast
- For best results leave to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge. If you have not got the time, just get straight on with threading the kebabs; they will still be delicious!
- Thread the chicken onto the kebab sticks you should have between 4-6 sticks worth of chicken
Decide any of the following ways to cook them!
- PAN/GRIDDLE: Spray the pan with spray oil and bring to medium heat, cook for about 20 minutes (10 minutes on each side, turning only once)Spray oil
- AIR FRYER: Preheat to 180°C for 5 minutes, spray with oil and air fry for about 15 minutes. No need to turn halfway through.Spray oil
- OVEN: Spray a foiled tray with oil and cook in a preheated oven at 200°C Fan / 220°C Conventional, 425°F / Gas mark 7 for about 25 minutes turning halfway through cooking timeSpray oil
- BBQ or Grill: spray bbq or grill with oil, cook on medium-high heat for 20 minutes, turning only once halfway through.Spray oil
- Whichever method you use to cook your chicken tikka skewers, always check the chicken is cooked throughout.
- Optional: Sprinkle finely chopped coriander on top when serving.1 tablespoon Chopped Coriander
- Serve with salad, ratia and a wedge of lemon. Or with rice or in a wrap!?Side salad of Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomatoes and Onion, Mint Ratia
Video
Nutrition
Once the weather gets better we will get a picture of our chicken tikka kebabs cooking on the BBQ.
More Kebab Skewer Recipes
Takeaway Style Recipes
Looking for more Indian recipes, try out our Chicken Pathia Curry or King Prawn Masala Curry. Or try something different.
We hope you enjoyed this healthy Indian tandoori chicken tikka, let us know how you cooked and served yours?
Nicholas John Hill says
Is this chicken suitable to be added to a sauce? Or would it be too dry?
Massala sauce
Butter sauce
Madras sauce ect ect?
I will try anyway but just asking your opinion?
Luke and Kay says
You can absolutely add the tandoori chicken tikka to a sauce like masala, butter, Balti, bhuna, pathia or madras.
Just make sure not to overcook the chicken when preparing it initially, so it retains some juiciness before adding it to your sauce. Trying it with different sauces is a great idea—it should work well!
Hope you enjoy the recipe, please let us know how it comes out ?
Rohit Kumar says
Absolutely love the flavours, tandoori dishes are simply mouthwatering. 😋🍗
Shiji Chacko says
Can you leave chicken in marinade overnight or is that too long?
Kay says
Hi Shiji, Yes, you can leave the chicken in marinade overnight. Thanks for reaching out!
Robert claridge says
Forgot to give you a rating 👍
Robert claridge says
This will be my second time I have tried your recipe, so easy to do added a bit of extra heat this time, will post after we try it over the weekend, mine are in the marinade already for cooking on Saturday.
Kay says
Thank you so much for your feedback Robert! We're glad to hear that you're enjoying our tandoori chicken tikka recipe and that you're adding your own personal touch to it. We can't wait to hear how it turns out after cooking! We have just added a chilli paneer recipe to our curry selection which is nice if you like things spicy! Thanks again for your support.
Jere Cassidy says
I only get this at a restaurant so thanks for posting a recipe that is easy to make at home.
Kay says
Thank you Jere for the comment and rating 🙂
I hope you enjoy the chicken tikka kebab recipe, let us know what you think when you make it at home?
Natalie says
Oh wow, this sounds so delicious. What a lovely family dinner idea. Easy and so healthy. I can't wait to make this! Thanks!
Kay says
Hi Natalie
Thanks for the comment and rating:)
Hope you enjoy the kebab recipe, if you do make them let us know what you think?
Debra says
Super easy and delicious too. We ate our over salad and it was perfect.
Kay says
Thanks, Debra for the comment 🙂
Really glad you liked the recipe, they always go well with a good salad!
Faith Still says
I have never made anything like this or tried tandoori. It looks delicious and like something worth trying.
Kay says
Hi Faith
Hope you do enjoy the recipe if you do make the tikka kebabs, let us know what you think?
Michelle | Taste As You Go says
Tandoori chicken is one of my favorite dishes to order out. I'd love to start making something similar at home, and I love how easy these skewers sound to prepare!
Kay says
Thanks, Michelle
Hope you do make them and enjoy them as much as we did 🙂
Let us know your thoughts if you make the recipe soon?
Ramona says
MMMM, these kebabs really make me drool so I have planned to make them at the weekend since we have planned a BBQ. I really cannot wait to make this recipe. It looks amazing !
Kay says
Thanks, Ramona for the comment:)
Hope you all enjoy the Tandoori tikka kebabs at your BBQ at the weekend, let us know how they go?