Punjab cuisine
Lahori Tawa Chicken
Lahori Tawa Chicken is a traditional Punjab Pakistani dish. Lahori Tawa Chicken is the sizzling, intensely spiced dish cooked on a concave iron tawa (griddle) — whole chicken pieces stir-fried with tomatoes, green chillies, and generous amounts of butter right at your table in the best restaurants.
Tawa chicken occupies a unique place in Lahori food culture — it's not quite karahi (different vessel, different technique), not quite tikka (it's cooked in masala, not just grilled), but something wonderfully in between.
Lahori tawa chicken adapted this ancient surface for meat, producing a drier, more charred product than karahi cooking due to the reduced sides of the pan. The concave iron tawa creates a unique cooking environment where the masala pools in the centre while the chicken pieces are pushed to the hotter edges for searing. The result is chicken that's simultaneously seared and saucy — crispy edges, juicy interior, deeply spiced masala clinging to every piece. Lahori restaurants serve tawa chicken literally on the tawa — it arrives at your table still sizzling, the masala popping and crackling. Fun fact: the tawa's concave shape is ancient — it was designed for making flatbread, and the same shape that makes perfect roti also makes extraordinary chicken. Sometimes cooking vessels find their highest calling in unexpected ways.
Ingredients
Instructions
- SEAR ON TAWA: Heat a large concave tawa or heavy wok on highest flame. Add oil. When smoking hot, add chicken pieces and sear on all sides for 6-8 minutes. Unlike karahi, tawa chicken gets a firmer sear first. Remove and set aside.
- BUILD MASALA: In the same tawa, fry onions until golden, 6-7 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste, fry 2 minutes. Add Kashmiri mirch, regular chilli, coriander powder, black pepper, and salt. Fry spices 1 minute.
- TOMATO BASE: Add chopped tomatoes to spiced onion masala. Cook on high heat for 10-12 minutes until completely broken down and masala is thick. Mash tomatoes aggressively as they cook.
- RETURN CHICKEN: Return seared chicken to the masala. Add green chillies and toss to coat. The seared exterior of the chicken will absorb the masala differently than unseared chicken — creating layers of flavour.
- TAWA BHUNO: Cook on medium-high for 15-18 minutes, tossing every 3-4 minutes. The tawa's curved surface means the chicken naturally stays in the masala. Add 1 tbsp butter halfway through.
- FINISHING TOUCHES: Add remaining butter, garam masala, and crushed kasuri methi. Toss vigorously for 2 minutes. The butter will gloss the masala, the kasuri methi will perfume it. Top with ginger juliennes and serve sizzling.
Chef's Secrets
- The pre-sear before adding to masala is what gives tawa chicken its distinctive texture
- Kasuri methi at the end is the Lahori tawa chicken aromatic signature — don't skip
- Serve on the tawa itself if possible — the sizzle is part of the experience
- More black pepper than red chilli is characteristic of the best Lahori tawa chicken
Common Questions
How long does Lahori Tawa Chicken take to make?
Total time is 1h — 20m prep and 40m cooking.
How many servings does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 4 servings, and is rated medium difficulty.
Which region of Pakistan is Lahori Tawa Chicken from?
Lahori Tawa Chicken is from Punjab, Pakistan — one of the country's most distinctive culinary traditions.
What do you serve with Lahori Tawa Chicken?
Serve sizzling on the tawa with fresh tandoori roti. Accompany with sliced onions, mint chutney, and extra green chillies. The masala should be scooped up with the roti — don't waste a drop.
Goes Well With
Tawa Chicken — Lahori Street Style
Tawa Chicken is Lahore's most theatrical street food — bone-in chicken cooked furiously on a massive iron tawa over high heat with tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, and butter, all chopped and stirred with a wide metal spatula in a cloud of steam and sizzle. It's fast, loud, intensely flavoured, and absolutely addictive.
Karachi Tawa Chicken
Karachi Tawa Chicken brings Sindh's bold spicing and love of tomato to the tawa — cooked faster and more aggressively than Lahori style, with a saucier masala and distinctive Karachi additions that make it uniquely satisfying.
Dry Tawa Chicken
Dry Tawa Chicken is the masala-reduced, bhuno-intensive version of tawa chicken — where the masala is cooked almost completely away to leave behind intensely flavoured, almost dry chicken pieces with a sticky, caramelised spice coating.
What Cooks Are Saying
I've tried many recipes for this dish but this one is the best by far.
The instructions are so clear and easy to follow. Came out perfectly first try.
Leave a Review
Tried this recipe? Share your experience — your review helps other cooks.