indianchickenlowfatbakedbeginnertandooriweeknight

Chicken Tikka

Name: Chicken Tikka
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 28 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 300 g skinless chicken breast, cut into 3 cm pieces; 100 g low-fat plain yogurt; 12 g tandoori masala; 10 g fresh ginger, finely grated; 8 g garlic, finely grated; 15 ml lemon juice; 2 g ground cumin; 2 g sweet paprika; 4 g salt; 5 ml neutral oil; 80 g red onion, cut into wedges; 2 wedges lemon wedges; 5 g chopped fresh coriander

Chicken Tikka is juicy, tangy, and warmly spiced, with a lightly charred yogurt coating and tender bites of chicken. This low-fat oven version keeps the dish simple and beginner-friendly while still delivering bold tandoori-style flavour.

28 min

2 servings

227 kcal

Indian

Ingredients

Marinade

300 gskinless chicken breast, cut into 3 cm pieces
100 glow-fat plain yogurt
12 gtandoori masala
10 gfresh ginger, finely grated
8 ggarlic, finely grated
15 mllemon juice
2 gground cumin
2 gsweet paprika
4 gsalt
5 mlneutral oil

For baking and serving

80 gred onion, cut into wedges
2 wedgeslemon wedges
5 gchopped fresh coriander

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 240°C and line a tray or small baking sheet with foil or baking paper. If you have a wire rack, set it over the tray so the chicken cooks more evenly and excess marinade can drip away.
2
In a medium bowl, mix the low-fat plain yogurt, tandoori masala, fresh ginger, garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin, sweet paprika, salt, and neutral oil into a smooth marinade. Mixing the spices into the yogurt first prevents clumps and helps the chicken coat evenly.
3
Add the skinless chicken breast, cut into 3 cm pieces, and turn well to coat. Let it marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature while the oven finishes heating. A short marinade still works well because the chicken is cut small and the yogurt-spice mixture is concentrated.
4
Arrange the red onion, cut into wedges, on the prepared tray or rack. Place the marinated chicken pieces on top in a single layer, leaving a little space between them so they roast rather than steam.
5
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once halfway, until the chicken is lightly charred at the edges and cooked through. The center should no longer be pink, and the thickest piece should reach 74°C.
6
Rest for 3 minutes so the juices settle, then transfer to plates. Finish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.

Nutrition per serving

227 kcal

Calories

37g

Protein

Carbs

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•For a stronger char, switch to the grill/broiler for the last 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully so the yogurt coating does not burn.
•If you can plan ahead, marinate the chicken for up to 8 hours in the refrigerator for deeper flavour.
•Serve with cucumber salad or steamed vegetables to keep the meal low-fat.
•If using wooden skewers, soak them first and thread the chicken before baking for a more classic tikka presentation.

Background

Chicken tikka is a classic North Indian dish of spiced, marinated chicken cooked in intense heat, traditionally in a tandoor clay oven. Home versions are commonly baked or grilled, preserving the dish's characteristic smoky spices and charred edges. It is closely related to tandoori-style cooking, but tikka usually refers to boneless pieces.

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