Chicken Tikka kebabs in a fragrant, spiced yogurt marinade. Grill, barbecue or griddle them until slightly charred and cooked through for an easy, family-friendly dinner. Serve simply with rice or chapati, or create a larger spread—ideas are included below.
“This is my go-to chicken tikka recipe. I’ve made it many times on the BBQ and in the oven, with and without skewers. I actually have it in the oven now for sandwiches tomorrow. It’s so tasty.”
– Lynne Russell
Nicky’s Notes
This is a fantastic way to enliven plain chicken, adding deep flavour while keeping the meat juicy. These kebabs are especially useful on busy days—you can prepare and marinate them ahead and pop them on the grill 10–15 minutes before dinner.
We like them in homemade Greek-style flatbreads with garlic sauce and chopped coriander.
They also work brilliantly as an easy way to boost the chicken in many curries: use them in chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, madras or jalfrezi for extra depth and texture.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- Ingredients for chicken tikka
- How to make chicken tikka kebabs
- What to serve it with
- Pro tips for perfect kebabs
- Watch how to make it
- Chicken Tikka Recipe
- Can I make this in the air fryer?
- More fantastic Kebab recipes
Ingredients for chicken tikka
Chicken Tikka Marinade
- Greek yogurt or thick natural yogurt—full fat is best for flavour and less likely to split.
- Garlic, ginger and lemon juice
- Spices and seasoning: ground coriander, turmeric, cumin, paprika, mild chilli powder, cinnamon, salt and black pepper
Also:
- Chopped chicken breast
- Vegetable oil—for brushing before grilling
- Freshly chopped coriander to serve
How to make chicken tikka kebabs
Full recipe with ingredient amounts and timings is in the recipe card below.
- Put the chicken pieces into a bowl with yogurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and the spices: ground coriander, turmeric, cumin, paprika, chilli powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
- Mix well to coat the chicken, cover and marinate in the fridge for 2–3 hours (or up to a day).
- Thread the pieces onto skewers and brush lightly with oil.
- Cook on a hot griddle, under the grill (broiler) or over the barbecue for 8–10 minutes, turning until the chicken is cooked through and has charred edges.
- Finish with a sprinkling of freshly chopped coriander and serve.
What to serve it with
Try serving these kebabs with:
- Homemade chapati or flatbreads
- A simple tomato and onion salad or quick marinated onions
- Homemade sweet chilli sauce
- Steamed or boiled rice
- A rich masala sauce (turn these into a tikka masala)
- Wrapped in flatbread with salad for an Indian–Mexican fusion-style burrito
Pro tips for perfect kebabs
Skewers
Metal or wooden skewers both work. Metal skewers conduct heat and can help cook the chicken slightly faster from the center, but they get very hot—handle with care. Wooden skewers should be soaked for at least an hour before cooking to reduce the chance of burning and breaking.
Even pieces
Cut the chicken into similar-sized pieces and leave a little space between them so heat can circulate. Pieces should remain in contact with the griddle or grill to get even charring and cook through at the same rate.
Check the chicken
Always check a larger piece by slicing into it to ensure there’s no pink in the middle and it’s piping hot throughout.
Watch how to make it
Click the stars to rate or comment
Chicken Tikka Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts (approx 500g/17.5 oz) – chopped into bite-size chunks
- 120 g (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt or thick natural yogurt (full fat)
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp mild chilli powder
- pinch cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil for brushing before grilling
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
Instructions
-
Place the chicken pieces into a bowl or freezer bag with the yogurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and all the spices.
-
Mix until combined, cover and chill in the fridge for 2–3 hours.
-
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while the chicken marinates to prevent burning.
-
Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers, brush with oil and cook on a hot griddle, under the grill or over a barbecue for 8–10 minutes, turning a couple of times until cooked through.
-
Check by slicing a larger piece—there should be no pink in the centre and it should be piping hot.
-
Serve sprinkled with freshly chopped coriander.
Notes
Can I make it ahead?
You can marinate the chicken up to a day ahead. I don’t recommend cooking the kebabs and reheating them later, as reheating tends to dry the chicken. However, cooked kebabs make a tasty cold salad topping or sandwich filling.
Alternatively, cook and cool the kebabs, then refrigerate or freeze. When adding to a curry, defrost fully in the fridge and simmer in the sauce for 10–12 minutes until piping hot.
Can I scale this recipe?
Yes—halve or double the recipe using the same ingredient ratios.
Nutritional information is per skewer assuming the recipe makes six kebabs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
This chicken tikka recipe was first posted in July 2020 and has been updated with improvements since then.
Can I make this in the air fryer?
Yes. Chicken tikka works well in an air fryer—the method is quicker and still gives nicely charred edges. You can follow an air-fryer-specific version of the recipe and finish with a knob of coriander-garlic butter if you like.
More fantastic Kebab recipes
Street Food
Chicken Souvlaki
Appetizers
Lamb Kofta Recipe
BBQ
Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers
Chicken
Chicken Doner Recipe
Fish
Thai Fish Cake Skewers
Asian
Easy Chicken Satay with Peanut Chilli Sauce
Some links in this post may be affiliate links; if you buy through them I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Nutrition information is approximate.