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Air Fryer chicken tikka kebabs with cilantro served on a round plate atop a dark surface.
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Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Recipe

Air Fryer Chicken Tikka - Tender, juicy chicken marinated in a rich tikka paste and air fried until golden and perfectly charred at the edges. All finished off with simple coriander garlic butter!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Marinating time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 25 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: air fryer, How to make Chicken Tikka, kebab, summer
Servings: 6 skewers
Author Nicky Corbishley

Equipment

  • flat skewers I use these 20cm length skewers (make sure they fit your air fryer), you can also use wooden skewers, but soak them in water for an hour first.
  • Double Stack Air Fryer I recently upgraded to this double stack
  • Spray Oil I use avocado spray oil

Ingredients

Chicken Tikka

  • 3 chicken breasts (approx 500g/17.5 oz) - chopped into bite-size chunks
  • 120 g (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt or thick natural yogurt (full fat)
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp mild chilli powder
  • pinch cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • spray oil I use approx 10ml/2 tsp for spraying onto the chicken before air frying

Coriander Butter

  • 90 g (1/3 cup) salted butter chopped into small cubes
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped coriander (cilantro)

Instructions

  • Place the chicken breast pieces into a bowl or freezer bag with the yogurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, coriander, turmeric, cumin, paprika, chilli powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
    3 chicken breasts, 120 g (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt , 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp minced ginger, juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp mild chilli powder, pinch cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
  • Mix together so that everything is combined, then cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours.
    A glass bowl filled with pieces of raw chicken in a tikka marinade. The bowl is on a wooden table.
  • If you’re using wooden skewers, place them in water to soak while the chicken is marinating. This will help to prevent them from burning during cooking.
  • Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and thread onto skewers. Alternatively you can air fry the chicken pieces directly in the air fryer, without placing on skewers.
  • Place the chicken skewers in the air fryer basket in a single layer (you may need to work in two batches if your air fryer basket isn't big enough). If you're not using skewers, arrange the chicken in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
  • Spray with the oil and air fry at 210C/410F for 14-16 minutes, turning once, until fully cooked through and slightly charred at the ends. Make sure the chicken is cooked by slicing it into a larger piece and ensuring it's no longer pink in the middle.
    spray oil
    Three skewers of cooked Chicken Tikka sizzle in an air fryer basket, viewed from above.
  • While the chicken is cooking, make the coriander garlic butter. Place the butter and garlic in a small saucepan and melt over a low heat (alternatively melt in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl with a lid placed loosely on top). Heat until the butter is JUST melted.
    90 g (1/3 cup) salted butter, 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced, 3 tbsp finely chopped coriander (cilantro)
    Melted cilantro garlic butter in a small white bowl with a gold teaspoon sticking out.
  • Stir the butter, then add the chopped coriander and stir again. Put to one side.
  • Remove the cooked chicken from the air fryer and brush on the melted coriander garlic butter, then serve.

Notes

Can I make it ahead?

You can marinate the chicken up to a day ahead, but I wouldn't recommend cooking the chicken ahead and then reheating later, as this will dry the chicken out.
However, you can cook the chicken kebabs, cool them and serve them cold as part of a salad or wrap.
Or you can cook, cool then refrigerate or freeze them (be sure to fully defrost them in the refrigerator), and add to curries so they won't try out upon reheating. Add them to your curry and cook through for 10-12 minutes - until piping hot throughout.

Nutritional information is per skewer/kebab including one sixth of the coriander (cilantro) butter. 

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 404mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g

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