Chicken Tikka Recipes
Yoghurt-marinated chicken chunks grilled in a tandoor until charred and smoky. The foundation of tikka masala.
What is Chicken Tikka?
Yoghurt-marinated chicken chunks grilled in a tandoor until charred and smoky. The foundation of tikka masala.
Regional Variants at a Glance
| Variant | Region | Prep | Cook | Difficulty | Serves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lahori Chicken Tikka | Punjab | 30m | 25m | Medium | 4 |
| Karachi Chicken Tikka | Sindh | 20m | 25m | Medium | 4 |
| Punjabi Chicken Tikka | Punjab | 20m | 25m | Medium | 4 |
| Afghani Chicken Tikka | KP | 20m | 25m | Medium | 4 |
All Chicken Tikka Recipes
Lahori Chicken Tikka
Lahori chicken tikka — yoghurt and spice-marinated chicken pieces grilled in a tandoor until smoky, charred, and deeply flavoured. This is not the pale orange mild tikka of British-Indian restaurants; this is the real thing: fiery, caramelised, and smoky with a yoghurt-based marinade that has been doing its job overnight.
Karachi Chicken Tikka
Karachi Chicken Tikka is marinated overnight in a signature red-orange spiced yoghurt, then grilled over coal or broiled to achieve a charred exterior and impossibly juicy interior. This is the tikka that made Karachi's BBQ culture legendary.
Punjabi Chicken Tikka
Punjabi Chicken Tikka is the template from which all tikka derives — generously spiced, boldly marinated with yoghurt and mustard oil, and cooked in a clay tandoor for a smoky char that defines Pakistani BBQ culture.
Afghani Chicken Tikka
Afghani Chicken Tikka from KP brings the cooking traditions of the Pak-Afghan frontier — whole spices, yoghurt, and aromatic herbs create a pale, fragrant tikka that's deeply flavourful without a single dried chilli powder in sight.