Chicken tikka is absolutely first choice when we talk about any kebabs. A juicy, succulent and crisp cubes of Chicken with green chutney is always everyone's favorite. 

Chicken tikka kebab is a versatile dish and healthy too. You can have those perfectly charred shewers of kebab with some fresh salads. And the best part of this recipe is you can make them without an oven or tandoor. Here I bring you the step by step guide on how to make Chicken Tikka Kebab at home by easy method with less ingredients. The best thing about kebab is the smoky flavour. These are the perfect choice for any cocktail party or dinner events.

You can either use chicken legs or breasts to make chicken tikka kebab but leg boneless is recommended as it doesn't become dry quickly. Marination is very important to make any tikka or kebab perfectly. If you want the kebab to be juicy and tender then you need to follow a good marination process. We at restaurants always prefer a two step marination process.  These not only helps to make the kebab soft and juicy but also tender and succulent.

 Here are some more tikka and kebab recipes that you can make at home.

Boneless chunks of chicken marinated in a spiced yoghurt based marination and cooked traditionally in a charcoal fire till crisp, succulent and tender is called chicken tikka kebab. These juicy tikka kebabs are best to serve with cilantro mint chutney.

Traditionally these chicken tikka kebabs are cooked over charcoal fire either by using a tandoor or bbq grill to the perfection. Smoky is a distinct flavor  which you can get while cooking over fire.

It is not possible for everyone to have a tandoor at home so the best alternatives are  Oven, Pan, tawa or air fryer.

The total time taken to make these tikka kebab is around thirty minutes which includes fifteen minutes of preparation time and another fifteen minutes of cooking time. The time required for marinating them is excluded which may vary. The ideal time to marinate them is around two to three hours. Overnight marination is best. 

Serve these delicious and yummy chicken tikka kebab with green chutney, lemon wedges and onion slices.

Squeeze some lemon juice and sprinkle some chat masala over them can make a huge difference in its taste and flavour.

You can take some green salads and breads for a complete meal with them. I love some tossed green salad and butter naan with these juicy kebab.

You can keep the marinated chicken for upto three days in freezer and remove them fifteen minutes before your dinner or other social events. Just thread them in shewer and cook for 15 minutes. Keep them in a zip lock bag.

There are some basic ingredients required to make and most of them are available in your pantry. Or you can easily get them at any grocery store.

Chicken : generally they are made by using boneless and skinless chicken legs. But you can use chicken breast as well. All you need is to cut the breasts into thin slice cubes as shown below picture.

Yoghurt : less sour yoghurt is good for the marinate. It is best to use overnight hung curd for best result.

Lemon : a must to have ingredients for a juicy and succulent chicken tikka kebab.

Spice powder :  basic spices powder like red chilli powder, turmeric powder, roasted cumin powder, garam masala powder.

Ginger and garlic : they are especial for making any tikka and kebab. I have used the paste, you can either use grated or chopped.

Oil : vegetable oil, olive oil or even mustard oil can be used. Mustard oil has a high burning point so it is good to use while cooking over fire.

Salt and chat masala : chat masala gives an extra twist when you sprinkle them before serving.

Coriander leaves : Finely chopped for garnish

Chilly paste :  if you want to make a restaurant style chicken tikka kebab then you need to add this Kashmir red chilly paste. It gives the distinct red color appearance and make the marinate more smooth. Red food color is an option in place of it. Otherwise you can escape it and use little bit more red chilli powder.

If you are using chicken legs then first trim the chicken and remove the fats. Then cut them into bite size cubes. And if using chicken breasts then slice them into two parts and then into small strips.

For the first marination add ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, chili powder and little amount of oil with the chicken. Rub amd mix them gently. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes. 

This step is important to absorb the salt and chilli. And also helps to marinate quickly. You get the nice red color as well.

Take the thick yoghurt or overnight hung curd in a mixing bowl. Then add ginger garlic paste, red chilly paste, red chilli powder, cumin powder,  garam masala powder, chat masala, salt, lemon juice and cooking oil. 

Now start to mix everything nicely to make a smooth masala paste known as tandoori masala paste.

Add the first marinated chicken and mix  evenly with this masala from all sides of the chicken pieces.

Cover and keep marinated for 2 to 3 hours or overnight to absorb all the flavours.

Bring the chicken after the marination period is over and start to thread in  shewers. Keep a minimum gap in between them while threading the chicken. This will help to cook them evenly from all sides.

If you are using wooden sticks then soak them in water for half an hour before threading.

You can even cook then without threading in a shewer. For this first line a baking tray with aluminium foil and brush with some butter. Then place the marinated chicken pieces over it. 

 And place the in a preheated oven. Cook them for 7 to 8 minutes then remove the tray. 

Flip the chicken to another side and brush some more butter over them. Place the baking tray again in the oven and cook further for 7 to 8 minutes or till crisp and tender.

Similarly place the shewers over the baking tray and cook till done.  While cooking them in a tandoor first thread then on some long iron shewers. Then place then in a preheated tandoor. The temperature of the tandoor should not be very high. Cook the chicken in a medium heat temperature at around 180° C.

While cooking rotate the shewers and brush butter at regular intervals. In tandoor it will take around 8 to 10 minutes to completely done the kebabs.

Alternatively you can cook them on a non stick pan or iron skillet or tawa. I have a detailed recipe about chicken tikka cooking on a pan or tawa. You can have a look for the recipe from chicken tikka on tawa.

You don't have to worry for the leftover chicken tikka kebab as they can remain in good condition for upto 24 hours in freezer. And next day you can use them to make some other delicious dishes like 

Chicken tikka kebab is juicy, tender and succulent spiced yoghurt based kebab which is perfectly charred. Serve by topping with chat masala and squeezing lemon juice over it for a satisfying bites.

                            (serving size 250 gm )