Chicken Tikka

First marinade

Mix the chicken pieces with the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of the chili powder and the salt in a bowl. Leave for 15 minutes so the acid starts to tenderize the meat.

• 700g chicken
• 1 lemon juice
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt

✅ Done when: chicken looks slightly paler on the surface

Yogurt marinade

Mix the yogurt with the ginger-garlic paste, the remaining chili powder, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, kasuri methi and oil. Stir this into the chicken until every piece is coated, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best flavor.

• 150g yogurt
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp remaining chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp kasuri methi
• 2 tbsp oil

✅ Done when: chicken is fully coated with no yogurt streaks

Skewer the chicken

If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes so they do not burn on the grill. Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers, leaving small gaps between pieces so heat reaches every side.

• 8-10 wooden skewers
• as needed water for soaking
• all of it marinated chicken from step 2

✅ Done when: chicken is evenly threaded with small gaps between pieces

Grill on high heat

Cook the skewers on a very hot barbecue, or under the oven grill on its highest setting, for 12-15 minutes, turning every few minutes and brushing with a little oil. The chicken is done when charred at the edges and cooked through with no pink inside.

• all skewers skewered chicken from step 3
• 1 tbsp oil for brushing

✅ Done when: chicken reaches 74°C / 165°F and is charred at the edges

Serve

Serve the chicken hot straight off the skewers, with the red onion rings on the side.

• all skewers grilled chicken from step 4
• 1 red onion rings