Global Food in Five: Chicken Tikka
We’re excited to continue sharing recipes from our Global Food in Five Series! This recipe is an Indian-inspired version of Chicken Tikka. It’s yogurt-marinated and spiced chicken thighs threaded on skewers that are grilled to perfection. I think you’re absolutely going to love this one!

How to make it:
- First, make the marinade. In a large glass bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, lemon, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, paprika, turmeric and salt. Add the chicken cubes and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. You can really let it marinate as little or as long as you’d like, as long as you cook it within 2 days of marinating. The longer, the better!
- Place 6 long wooden skewers in a dish filled with water for 30 minutes. This will keep wooden skewers from catching on fire when put on the grill. Thread the marinated chicken onto the soaked skewers.
- Preheat the grill or heat a grill pan to medium heat. Brush the grill or grill pan with the oil. Grill the chicken skewers 2-3 minutes per side or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees F when inserted into the center of the chicken cubes.
- Sprinkle skewers with cilantro and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
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Global Food in Five: Chicken Tikka
- Prep Time: 15-20 mins
- Cook Time: 10-15 mins
- Total Time: 25-35 mins
- Yield: Serves 6 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Indian-Inspired
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
- 4–5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Instructions
- In a large glass bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, lemon, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, paprika, turmeric and salt. Add the chicken cubes and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Place 6 long wooden skewers in a dish filled with water for 30 minutes. Thread the marinated chicken onto the soaked skewers.
- Preheat the grill or heat a grill pan to medium heat. Brush with the oil. Grill the skewers 2-3 minutes per side or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees F when inserted into the center of the chicken cubes.
- Sprinkle skewers with cilantro and serve immediately.
Notes
Cooking Tip: The longer the chicken marinades, the more flavor it will have. Cook within 2 days of marinating, though.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 247
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 448mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 103mg
Keywords: tikka, chicken, chicken thighs, global