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An image of freshly cooked air fryer chicken tikka still in the air fryer basket
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5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Chicken Tikka

All the flavour of a tandoor but minus the fire, this air fryer chicken tikka is weeknight-friendly and celebration-worthy.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Snacks & Appetisers
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Halal
Servings: 4 people
Author: Richa

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken marinade

  • 500 gms chicken thigh boneless, cut into 2 inch pieces, see note 1
  • ¼ cup whisked thick curds, see note 2
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
  • ¼ cup kashmiri chilli powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons kasuri methi roasted & crushed
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 ½ tablespoons mustard oil
  • 1 tablespoon roasted besan

For tikka

  • 4-5 skewers
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons cooking oil for brushing

For dhungar / smoking

  • 2-3 inches long charcoal
  • 1 teaspoon ghee or oil

Instructions

Marinating chicken

  • Take all ingredients for chicken marinade except chicken in a bowl & whisk well to combine all the ingredients. The marinade should be thick and not runny.
    ¼ cup whisked, 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ¼ cup kashmiri chilli powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons kasuri methi, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 2 ½ tablespoons mustard oil, 1 tablespoon roasted besan
  • Add chicken, toss until all chicken pieces get well coated with the marinade.
    500 gms chicken thigh

Dhungar / smoking chicken

  • Place charcoal on the gas flame and heat it for 5-6 minutes till it turns red.
    2-3 inches long charcoal
  • Meanwhile, keep a small steel katori or bowl in the centre of the marinated chicken bowl & keep a proper lid for the marinade bowl to trap the smoke.
    1 teaspoon ghee or oil
  • Hold the hot charcoal with tongs and put it in the bowl, pour ghee on it and immediately cover the lid. Rest it for 3 minutes, discard the charcoal bowl and keep the marinated chicken resting for 30 mins - 1 hour.

Air frying chicken tikka

  • Preheat the airfryer to 200C. Brush the airfryer basket with oil.
    1 - 2 teaspoons cooking oil for brushing
  • Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers and place them on the airfryer basket with some gap in between. Brush them with oil and air fry at 200C for 3 minutes, flip once, brush with oil & air fry at 200 C for another 3-5 minutes or until they are cooked through & slightly browned around the edges and serve.
    4-5 skewers

Video

Notes

  1. Chicken thigh pieces are more juicy & tender which may be replaced with chicken breasts.
  2. Thick curds are used so that the marinade is thick and not runny.
  3. Mustard oil is used for marination for the authentic flavour which may be replaced with a cooking oil of your choice.
  4. Chicken can be marinated a day in advance & refrigerated. Take it out of the fridge 1 hour before air frying.
  5. Air fry in batches if needed but do not overcrowd the basket.
  6. Leftovers will stay good for 3-4 days when refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat at 180C for 2-3 minutes until heated through & serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 658mg | Potassium: 643mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4505IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 4mg