Chicken Tikka Skewers in the Oven: Tandoor-Style at Home
Chicken tikka skewers with a proper charred outside, made in a very hot home oven instead of a tandoor. Boneless thigh, a two-stage marinade and less yogurt than traditional recipes keep the chicken juicy and let the char develop. They need just 10 to 12 minutes in the oven after marinating.
Equipment
- Baking / Roasting tray
- Wire / Cooling rack
- Mixing bowl / Bowl
- Chef's knife
- Chopping board
- Microplane / Fine grater
- Digital scales
- Measuring jug
- Measuring spoons
- Thermometer / Probe
- Pastry brush
- Skewers
- Spoon (table, dessert, tea)
Ingredients
- 350 g / 12.5oz Chicken thigh boneless & skinless
- 1/2 a lemon juiced 20-30ml
- 1 garlic clove medium to large
- 1 piece of ginger peeled same size as the garlic clove
- Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 heaped teaspoons chilli powder traditionally Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon mace if not then use 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 50 g / heaped tablespoon thick natural yoghurt or curd
- 1 - 2 tablespoons neutral tasting oil canola, sunflower etc etc
- Salt
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, grate the garlic and ginger using a microplane or fine grater. Add the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt. Mix everything together.
- Add the diced chicken thigh to the bowl and coat it well with the garlic, ginger, lemon, and salt mixture. Be gentle not to break up the chicken pieces.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the chicken for 30 minutes to marinate.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the chili powder, turmeric, cumin powder, mace (or nutmeg), and garam masala.
- Add the thick yogurt or curd to the spice mix and mix everything together.
- After the initial 30 minutes of marinating, loosen the yogurt spice mix with 1 to 2 tablespoons of neutral oil until it is the consistency of cream cheese (more oil if it is thicker, none if it is thinner). Add it to the chicken and gently mix well, coating every piece.
- Cover the bowl again and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.
- Preheat your oven to its highest temperature. If you're uncomfortable with very high heat, set it to at least 250 degrees Celsius (480 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Place a sheet tray with a rack in the oven. Brush the rack with some neutral-tasting oil.
- Skewer the marinated chicken onto double-pronged skewers (or wooden skewers soaked in water for at least an hour) tightly so they cook evenly.
- Season the outside of the skewers with a touch more salt on both sides.
- Place the skewers on the prepared rack in the hot oven for 6 minutes.
- After 6 minutes, turn the skewers 180 degrees and cook for an additional 4 to 6 minutes, depending on your oven and desired level of char.
- Use a thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 75 degrees Celsius (175 degrees Fahrenheit) for juicy and succulent thigh meat.
- Remove the skewers from the oven and serve them on a bed of rice or with your favorite Indian side dishes and sauces.
- Enjoy the delightful taste of Chicken Tikka Skewers, a true taste of India achieved at home in your oven! For more details, ingredient lists, and related videos, refer to the description below the video.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 348.4kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 36.5gFat: 19.5gSaturated Fat: 3.4gCholesterol: 167.8mgSodium: 479.2mgPotassium: 630.8mgFiber: 2.8gSugar: 2g
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