Chicken Malai Tikka Kebab is a quick and easy recipe to make at home. These kababs are so tender and juicy and loaded with flavours and make a perfect recipe for any party.
This recipe is a crowd-pleaser and you could marinate these chicken tikkas in a simple marinade in advance and grill them when needed.
Chicken Malai Tikka Kebab has very few ingredients and makes a good appetizer or starter. Indian kebabs are generally grilled in a tandoor which gives them a mild smoky flavour but you could still make them at home. This exquisite dish is known for its tender and succulent chicken pieces marinated in a rich, creamy blend of yogurt, spices, and cream. Each bite is a heavenly experience, as the flavours melt in your mouth, leaving you craving for more.
But when making tikkas or kababs at home, you grill them in an oven, air-fry, or even pan-fry them. Either way, the kebabs will still be delicious.
Malai or cream in the marinade helps to keep the chicken pieces tender and succulent, hence the name Chicken Malai Tikka Kebab.
Table of Contents
- How to Make Chicken Malai Tikka Recipe at Home
- Preparing the Chicken Malai Tikka Marinade
- Skewering the chicken
- Chicken Malai Tikka Kebab on Tawa
- Chicken Malai Tikka Kebab in Air Fryer
- Tips for Making the Perfect Chicken Malai Tikka
How to Make Chicken Malai Tikka Recipe at Home
- To make tender and juicy kebabs, the key is to marinate the chicken pieces overnight or at least for 3 – 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Then, in a blender or processor make a paste of almonds, garlic, ginger, green chillies, spices, and seasonings and add this to the chicken.
- Add hung yogurt, cream cheese or cheese spread, fresh cream, lemon juice, and salt. Leave this to marinate for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.
- Now thread the chicken tikkas on to the skewers and then grill tikkas in an oven, pan-fry, or air-fry them. This way you will end up with flavorsome, tender, and juicy chicken tikkas
- To enjoy simply dip the chicken tikka in Mint and Coriander chutney and pop it into your mouth. The juicy melt in your mouth tikkas with its delectable marinade is simply worth the effort taken.
Preparing the Chicken Malai Tikka Marinade
The key to a perfect Malai Chicken Tikka recipe lies in its marinade. Add all the marinade ingredients and allow the Chicken to rest in the refrigerator as long as possible for succulent Malai Tikka Kebabs.
You could then skewer these chicken tikkas on bamboo skewers or any skewers you have and grill them in hot oven, on a tawa or even an air fryer.
I prefer to keep the marinade mild without overpowering it with either ginger-garlic or spices.
- Chicken Breast – I use boneless pieces of chicken breast for tender malai tikkas.
- Almonds – You could use either almonds or cashew nuts for the tikka marination. I prefer to use almonds to give a little more richness to the tikkas.
- Green chillies – Use green chillies to suit your taste buds. Since these tikkas are on the milder side, use only a few green chillies for this recipe.
- Garlic & Garlic – Use a tablespoon of ginger garlic paste in the marination for a mild flavour that is not overpowering.
- Cream Cheese – Use Cream cheese or Cheese Spread or even cheese cube works fine.
- Yogurt -Hung curd or yogurt works best for this recipe.
- Fresh Cream – add a little fresh cream to make a creamier and melt in your mouth chicken tikkas (optional)
- Pepper powder
- Nutmeg & Mace powder
- Cardamom powder
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt to taste
Skewering the chicken
1. Before you pre-heat your air fryer, grill or oven, soak the wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes. This will prevent them from burning during the cooking process.
2. Once the skewers are soaked, thread the marinated chicken pieces onto them, making sure to leave some space between each piece for even cooking.
3. If you’re using metal skewers, you can skip the soaking step.
Chicken Malai Tikka Kebab on Tawa
Add oil/butter in a fry-pan or grill-pan or tawa. Skewer the marinated chicken kebabs and place the skewer on the pan.
Cook on a medium flame for 5 – 6 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes or till done.
Do not over-cook the chicken tikka kebab to avoid charring or hard tikkas.
Chicken Malai Tikka Kebab in Air Fryer
Pre-heat the air-fryer on 200 deg C for 10 minutes.
Place the skewered chicken tikka kebabs in the air-fryer basket and set the timer for 12 minutes, flipping them over once. Baste the tikkas once again if you feel it dry.
After 12 minutes the chicken kebabs are done, now remove from the air-fryer and baste them again with melted butter.
Using an air fryer not only saves time but also yields succulent Chicken Malai Tikka Kebab that literally melts in your mouth.
Tips for Making the Perfect Chicken Malai Tikka
– For the best results, use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. Thigh meat is more tender and flavourful, making it ideal for this dish.
– Make sure to marinate the chicken for at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight if possible. This will allow the flavours to develop and make the chicken tender and succulent.
– If you don’t have hung curd, you can strain regular yogurt in a muslin cloth for a few hours to remove the excess moisture.
– Feel free to adjust the spices according to your taste preferences. You can add more pepper for a spicier kick or reduce the amount of pepper powder if you prefer a milder flavor.
– If you don’t have an air fryer, grill or oven, you can also cook the Chicken Malai Tikka on a stovetop grill pan or in a regular non-stick pan. Just make sure to cook it on medium-high heat and turn the skewers occasionally for even cooking.
Serving suggestions
1. Transfer the Chicken Malai Tikka Kebabs to a serving platter.
2. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and a sprinkle of chaat masala for an extra burst of flavour.
3. Serve Chicken Malai Tikka Kebab with Coriander Mint Chutney as an appetizer. You could also simply roll the chicken tikkas in a chapati for a quick snack or your kid’s lunch box.
4. Enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of the Chicken Malai Tikka Kebabs!
Other Starter or Appetizer Recipe You May Like to Try
Stir Fry Chicken Breast and Vegetable Recipe
Easy Creamy Garlic Chicken Breast Recipe
Chicken Drumsticks in Air Fryer
Printable Recipe
Chicken Malai Tikka Recipe | How to make Chicken Malai Tikka
Ingredients
Chicken Malai Tikka Kebab Ingredients
- 250 grams Boneless chicken breast
- 8 – 10 Almonds, blanched
- 3 – 4 Green chillies
- 5 – 6 Garlic cloves
- 1 inch Ginger
- 2 tbsp Cream Cheese or Cheese Spread or Cheese cube
- ½ cup Yoghurt (hung)
- 2 tbsp Cream
- ¼ tsp Pepper powder
- ½ tsp Nutmeg & Mace powder
- ¼ tsp Cardamom powder
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
How to make Chicken Malai Tikka
- Wash and drain the chicken breast and cut into desired cubes. Add salt and lemon juice and set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a blender or processor add almonds, chillies, ginger, garlic and grind to a smooth paste.
- Add this paste to the chicken pieces and mix well. Add hung yoghurt, cream cheese, fresh cream, pepper, cardamom, nutmeg and mace powders. Mix well and marinate overnight or at least for 3 – 4 hours in the refrigerator. Adjust salt.
- Put the chicken pieces into a skewer and pan-fry them till done. Alternatively, you can air-fry the chicken malai kebabs in a pre-heated air-fryer for 10 minutes. Baste with melted butter. Do not overcook the kebabs. Serve kebabs with mint chutney.
Notes
- If you do not have skewers just place them on a fry-pan or grill pan and cook till done.
- If using cheese cube, grind this along with the almonds, chillies, ginger and garlic.
- Pre-heat the air-fryer before placing the skewers in the air-fryer basket.
- Do not over-cook the kebabs.
- Serve with mint chutney or roll them in a chapati for a quick snack.
- Marinate the chicken kebabs for 3 to 4 hours or overnight for best results.
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Mouth watering recipe. I will try this starter.