Recipe guide · 4 min read
How to Make Restaurant Style Chicken Tikka
In brief: Chicken tikka needs small details done right. Use boneless thigh if possible because it stays juicy under high heat. Cut even pieces and marinate with lemon juice, salt and ginger-garlic paste first. After twenty minutes, add hung curd, Kashmiri chilli, coriander powder, cumin, garam masala, black pepper, kasuri methi and mustard oil.
Boneless tandoori-style chicken tikka that stays juicy, smoky and ready for chutney.
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless chicken thigh
- 1/2 cup hung curd
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- Lemon, butter and salt
How to make it
- 1Cut chicken into even pieces and make a first marinade with lemon, salt and ginger-garlic.
- 2Add curd, spices, mustard oil and kasuri methi. Rest for two to four hours.
- 3Thread with small gaps and cook hot and fast on a grill, tawa or in an oven.
- 4Baste with butter, then finish with chaat masala, lemon and mint chutney.
Chef tips
- Thigh meat stays juicier than breast.
- Keep gaps between pieces for better browning.
- Turn only after the edges begin to char.
Why this recipe works
Chicken tikka needs small details done right. Use boneless thigh if possible because it stays juicy under high heat. Cut even pieces and marinate with lemon juice, salt and ginger-garlic paste first. After twenty minutes, add hung curd, Kashmiri chilli, coriander powder, cumin, garam masala, black pepper, kasuri methi and mustard oil.
Rest the chicken for a few hours, then thread it on skewers with slight gaps between pieces. Cook hot and fast in an oven, grill pan or tandoor. Baste once with butter and turn only when the edges begin to char. This keeps the tikka moist while giving it the smoky crust that makes restaurant starters so satisfying.
Finish with chaat masala, lemon and a little melted butter. Serve with mint chutney and sliced onions, or fold the pieces into wraps. If you want a second flavour layer, toss the cooked tikka for one minute in a hot pan with butter, garlic and crushed kasuri methi.
The restaurant finish comes from patience more than heavy cream or extra masala. Taste at the end, rest the dish for a few minutes, and serve it hot with naan, roti or jeera rice. At Sardaar Ji Dhaba, we look for the same balance every time: a gravy that clings, spice that stays warm, and a final bite that still feels generous.
The first bite should make you look up from the table.
Kitchen note · Sardaar Ji Dhaba