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Chicken Tikka

Warmly spiced with the flavours of cumin, coriander, cardamom, chilli and garam masala, these melt in the mouth chunks of tender chicken are cooked to perfection, on the barbecue or in the oven.

Course Dinner, light supper, Lunch
Cuisine Indian
Keyword chicken, tikka
Servings 4
Author Susan

Ingredients

  • 400 – 600g grams chicken breast or thigh meat. Breasts and thick thighs should be halved horizontally
  • 1 lemon, juice only
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt

Marinade:

  • 100g plain yoghurt
  • ½ red onion, peeled and chopped (around 65g prepared weight)
  • 16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 16g fresh peeled ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1½ teaspoons garam masala
  • 1½ teaspoons paprika 
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 1½ teaspoons Indian spice mix OR extra ½ teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder, ⅛ teaspoon chilli powder (See Recipe Notes.)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil if cooking the chicken in the oven

To serve:

  • naan bread
  • raita or yoghurt
  • mango chutney
  • salad of tomatoes, cucumber, red onion
  • wedges of lemon

Instructions

  1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  2. Prepare the chicken: slice the chicken breasts on half horizontally.

  3. Mix the salt with the lemon juice in a glass bowl and add the chicken. Mix well and leave on one side to marinate for 30 minutes.

  4. Make marinade: put all the marinade ingredients in the food processor and blitz until throughly blended.

  5. When the chicken has been marinating in the lemon juice and salt for 30 minutes, add the marinade and mix thoroughly. I find it is easiest to use your hands.

  6. Cover and leave to marinate for a minimum of a further 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours in the fridge.

  7. Cook the chicken on the barbecue: preheat the barbecue on high

  8. Before you add the chicken, reduce to a medium heat. Lay the chicken on the grill and cook for for roughly 4 – 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. If you use a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the meat should read 165°F or 75°C.

  9. Cook the chicken in the oven: preheat oven to Fan Oven 200°C/220°C/425°F/Gas 7.

  10. Brush some oil over a baking tray and pop in the oven for 2 minutes to heat up.

  11. Lay the chicken on the tray and cook in a preheated oven for between 8 – 15 minutes depending on how thick the chicken is. If you use a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the meat should read 165°F or 75°C.

  12. When cooked transfer to a heated plate and cover. Rest the chicken for 5 – 10 minutes. You can either serve the breasts whole or slice them before you serve.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

  • chopping board and knife
  • kitchen scales
  • measuring spoons
  • citrus reamer
  • food processor/blender
  • barbecue or oiled baking sheet  (line with foil or baking parchment if your food is likely to stick on the tray)
  • hot plate and foil to cover when resting the meat 

Indian Spice Mix

See here for the Indian Spice mix recipe. Alternatively you can use:

  • extra ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon chilli powder