Hariyali {Green} Chicken Tikka is a recipe that originally hails from the North of India. This region, otherwise known as Punjab, loves cilantro-mint-chutney as a condiment with many of their snacks and appetizers. This recipe uses a variation of the popular condiment as a marinade for boneless chicken pieces. These are then placed on a skewer and grilled to juicy and aromatic perfection!
My Story
Although Hariyali {Green} Chicken Tikka is not traditionally a Pakistani recipe, it has recently become very popular in my home country. Since India and Pakistan are neighbors and our culinary history is intertwined, food trends easily cross borders.
I have my dear friend Aasiya to thank for this recipe. I experimented with and and came up with it at her insistence. In her exact words, "once you try this, you won't ever go back to eating a traditional chicken tikka"!
The best part? It was super easy! Not only does the marinade come together really quickly, but due to it's ingredients, very little time is needed to tenderize the meat. The entire family voted it a new favorite!
Hariyali {Green} Chicken Tikka Recipe
I prefer to use chicken breast for my tikkas, but if you prefer dark meat, boneless chicken thighs are a good alternative. Make sure to try and cut the meat into 1 inch square pieces. The more even the size of the pieces, the easier and more even the cooking process.
The recipe card details cooking times and temperatures for both types of meat. I would highly recommend using a meat thermometer to insure perfect results. My personal favorite thermometer is the Thermapen MK4 by thermoworks.com due to it's precision. But by all means use one you already have if you prefer.
The marinade comes together quickly. SImply puree all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix well with the chicken. Refrigerate for 1 hour minimum and 2 hours maximum. Due to the acidic nature of some of the ingredients {lemons and vinegar} too much marination can have the reverse effect and actually toughen the meat.
Place about 5 pieces of chicken per skewer, distancing a little, to allow the pieces to cook properly. The distance allows the heat to get to each piece from all sides. This helps the pieces get the nice char they need.
The portions in the recipe card have been calculated based on 4 oz portions. Feel free to recalculate based on your family's personal requirements.
The picture below is about as done as you want the chicken to be. Any more charred than this and you run the risk of the chicken getting over dry.
Alternate Cooking Methods
Although the chicken skewers taste best when cooked on a grill there may be a time when you don't have time to grill but want to eat a green chicken tikka. Here are some detailed instructions for some alternative cooking methods:
Oven
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Lay the skewers on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes
- Broil for 5 minutes to get some charring
Smoke as per instructions below if desired to get a grilled effect and taste
Air Fryer
- Preheat the airfryer @350 degrees for 5 minutes
- Cook for 15 minutes
- Turn halfway through the cooking process
Smoke as per instructions below if desired to get a grilled effect and taste
Stove Top
- Preheat your grill pan (works best but you can use a skillet or fry pan instead)
- Drizzle some olive oil on the pan
- Place the skewers on the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes
- Turn halfway through to get an even char
Smoke as per instructions below if desired to get a grilled effect and taste
How To Smoke Chicken Tikka
Once your Hariyali Chicken Tikka is cooked using any one of the three methods above, you may want to smoke it to get that authentic, fresh off the grill taste. Here are the easy steps:
- Place the cooked chicken in a pot which has a tight lid, leaving a cavity in the middle
- Place a small square of foil in the middle cavity
- Light a single coal till it is red in color and place it on the foil
- drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the hot coal to make it smoke
- Close the lid on the pot immediately to let the smoke flavor the chicken
- Uncover the pot after 4-5 minutes , gently remove the coal and foil and carefully extinguish before discarding it.
Your chicken is now ready to enjoy! Eat it as an appetizer with some tamarind-dipping-sauce or as a main with naan or paratha and some raita and kachumber on the side.
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Hariyali {Green} Chicken Tikka
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs chicken breast SEE NOTES
- 1 ½ tsp garlic paste
- 1 ½ tsp ginger paste
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 lemons
- ½ cup yogurt
- ¼ cup mint
- 6 serrano chillies SEE NOTES
- 1 cup cilantro
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp amchur powder
Instructions
- Wash and trim the chicken and cut into 1 inch cubes
- Mix all of the remaining ingredients in a blender and mix to make the marinade
- mix the chicken cubes with the marinade and put in the fridge for an hour to marinate
- After an hour, place the meat on skewers and preheat your grill for 10 minutes at 450°
- Brush the skewers with a little olive oil and grill for 10-15 minutes, turning as necessary, halfway through, for even cooking.
- For perfect results, use a thermometer. For white meat (chicken breast) an internal temperature of 165° indicates the chicken is cooked through (SEE NOTES)
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