By Zainab Shah
Updated June 12, 2024
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- 5(154)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Commonly cooked in restaurants and street stalls across India and Pakistan, chicken tikka is typically prepared with marinated bone-in pieces and cooked on coals or in a tandoor. This preparation of chicken tikka uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs and a broiler for the same effect — layered, slightly smoky flavor from charred edges of otherwise juicy, tender chicken thighs. With minimal cleanup, this dish is delicately sweet, deeply spiced and has a confetti of textures. The chicken is marinated in ginger, garlic and a mix of heady South Asian spices — red chile powder, cumin, garam masala — and yogurt is used as a tenderizer. Thirty minutes of marination does the trick but overnight is better. Bell pepper and onions sweeten during broiling and their edges char and crisp up too. Plus, juices from the spiced chicken further flavor the vegetables. Eat any leftovers in a salad or sandwich.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2tablespoons full-fat Greek or Indian yogurt
- 1teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
- 1teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
- 1½teaspoons Kashmiri red chile powder
- 1½teaspoons garam masala
- 1½teaspoons ground cumin
- ½teaspoon ground turmeric
- Salt
- 2tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2large bell peppers, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1red onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds
- Cooked rice, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
315 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 688 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, chile powder, garam masala, ground cumin, turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Add the chicken and stir until the thighs are completely coated. Using a fork, thoroughly stab the chicken thighs so the marinade may penetrate the meat. Set aside for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight to marinate.
Step
2
On a medium sheet pan, about 13- by 9-inches, toss the bell peppers and onion with the cumin seeds and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Lay the ingredients out in a single layer. Using a fork, hold up a chicken thigh over the bowl and scrape the excess marinade off with another fork, and lay it on the vegetables. Repeat the process for the remaining thighs.
Step
3
Turn the broiler on high. Place the sheet pan on a rack about 3 inches below the broiler. Broil for 7 to 10 minutes. Flip the thighs and broil for another 7 to 10 minutes, until parts of the chicken and vegetables are charred and crisp on the outside and chicken is cooked through (when a thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh reads 165 degrees). Serve with rice or as is, spooning the juices from the sheet pan over the chicken as sauce.
Ratings
5
out of 5
154
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
Squirrel Butler
Just a heads-up (that most of you already know, but some may not, hence this note!) that dark meat (chicken thighs, legs) are best cooked to an internal temp of at least 175-180, with many credible sites saying 180-190. Spruce Eats, America's Test Kitchen, Epicurious and many more give that advice, as the higher temp breaks down the connective tissue in dark meat and makes the texture far better. It won't be dried out, unlike breast meat cooked to 180 or more
Gaily Tucson
This was perfect for one serving from toaster oven on 108 degree day, cut recipe about in half. 1 inch onion wedges and bi thigh skinned had nicely charred bits. Baked first and then broiled. Did sub buttermilk and New Mexico chile powder and didn't scrape off marinade. Will try again with mini peppers for more colorful dish. Not trimming thigh yielded decent amount of juices for brown rice. And no leftovers!
Lisa G
Wonderful easy recipe. I left on a lot of the yogurt mixture and it was fantastic.I served it with pearl couscous cooked with petite peas. Raw cukes and cherry tomatoes. This is going into the regular repertoire!
tanrw
Doubled all the spices and used a single serve cup of Greek yoghurt, baked at 300 for 20/25 mins before broiling both sides. I also did the vegetables separately at 400 for 15/20 mins and put them under the broiler for the last 5 mins - turned out perfect and the marinade was delicious! Will be making this again
Vic L
I made this on a charcoal grill tonight. I put the veggies in a grill basket and the chicken on top. Cooked the veggies directly over the heat for 10 min. Push the grill basket to the back of the grill (off direct heat) and grill the chicken for 7 min per side. Turned out great!
Kesdonahue
What temp did you bake at before broiling?
BetsyS
I made this last night. It was good served with rice flavored with cinnamon, cumin and cloves. The negative about this recipe is the smoke generated by using the broiler to cook the chicken and vegetables. It was a good thing my hood has a powerful fan to manage the smoke that poured out of the oven. If you don't have a fan like that maybe you might not want to use this technique in your kitchen.
zia mia
Its the acid in the yogurt that does the tenderizing. you can substitute with lemon or lime juice. You can moderate the spice level by using less or milder version of red chilli powder. Note that the garam masala also provides heat of a different kind, use accordingly.
Catarina in New Mexico
I followed the advice of a few of the other cooks above and baked this at 350 for about 20 mins and then broiled on low broil for 5 mins each side. Came out perfectly! I also added a few sliced mushrooms just because I love them.
Freshie
No need to scrape off the yogurt mixture. I doubled the garlic and ginger, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and it was amazing. How is a meal that is so easy to make so incredibly delicious? One of the highest flavor to effort ratios ever!
live your life
This is so easy, quick and delicious! I also left the marinade on the chicken, and used 1/4 tsp of cumin on the veggies as I didn’t have cumin seeds. Also held the chili powder for non-spicy eaters. Otherwise made as written, topped with chopped cilantro and lots of sriracha (for myself) and it’s a very fine weeknight meal. I like broiling the thighs like this, might try it with other ideas like shawarma.
Anne
My husband and I are on a low-carb diet. This recipe was a brilliant and delicious substitute for traditional tikka, minus the rice. We didn't scrape off the marinade; loved the char on the juicy chicken.
Kate
I baked in a roasting pan with the vegetables underneath the chicken at 425 for 30-32 mins and it came out perfect! We will definitely make this one again, so easy and delicious!
Kp
Somewhere around halfway, maybe when turning the chicken, I'd turn the pan, too. Maybe it's my oven, but the peppers and onions at the back of the oven got a bit too blackened. Otherwise, an easy & flavorful recipe.
Sunny
I followed the recipe to a T and it was perfect. The juices from the chicken nicely blended with the caramelized onion and peppers. I serviced it with curry lentils. If I had this dish in a restaurant would go back in a heartbeat!
vinaigrette
Outstanding recipe. I doubled the fresh ginger, swapped in a teaspoon of cayenne for the Kashmiri chili powder. Left the marinade on during broiling and served the chicken over rice with pistachios and chopped dates, adding the juices from the pan, and steamed Swiss chard.
Freshie
No need to scrape off the yogurt mixture. I doubled the garlic and ginger, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and it was amazing. How is a meal that is so easy to make so incredibly delicious? One of the highest flavor to effort ratios ever!
Kevin
This was great. I left all the marinade on, as some others had suggested. It turned out fine
Jacob
One of the first recipes I made as a beginner cook, and was super delicious and easy! Only things I recommend: more than 1 pound of chicken thighs are necessary to eat as many servings, go heavy on the seasonings, don’t scrape the yogurt off the chicken, and one whole red onion is certainly overkill, especially with the given pan size.
Catarina in New Mexico
I followed the advice of a few of the other cooks above and baked this at 350 for about 20 mins and then broiled on low broil for 5 mins each side. Came out perfectly! I also added a few sliced mushrooms just because I love them.
CM
Suggestions please for Kashmiri red chile powder substitutes. That is one spice, maybe the only, I dont have! Thanks.
Carole
I used Aleppo pepper because that's what I have on hand. I tasted the spice mixture before adding the chicken and it was delicious.
Laura
Any thoughts on whether I could move this to the grill? Love sheet pan dinners but hate to turn the oven on when it’s a steamy day
Squirrel Butler
Just a heads-up (that most of you already know, but some may not, hence this note!) that dark meat (chicken thighs, legs) are best cooked to an internal temp of at least 175-180, with many credible sites saying 180-190. Spruce Eats, America's Test Kitchen, Epicurious and many more give that advice, as the higher temp breaks down the connective tissue in dark meat and makes the texture far better. It won't be dried out, unlike breast meat cooked to 180 or more
Jeff Fields
Outdoor cooking method:Season Bone-in, Skin-on thighs per redipeHeat outdoor gas grill to max temp - approximately 600 degreesPlace thighs on UPPER RACK - not on grill grate!Cook 20 - 25 minutes until skin is dark golden brown and crispy.Drizzle withlime juiceSprinkle with cilantro
marglott
Made it just as written. Broiled for about 15 mins, flipping once and keeping a close eye so it did not burn. I did not scrape off the marinade and it turned out great. Easy weeknight meal.
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