Easy! Pan Grilled Hariyali Chicken Tikka, made with a cilantro mint marinade and paired with mint yogurt chutney. It makes for a healthy appetizer or a healthy meal paired with Indian Naan Bread or Pita and salads
This Hariyali Chicken Tikka, is
An Excellent Appetizer, and snack idea or make it as a part of a kebab platter
It is amazing as a dinner idea while paired with Indian Naan Bread or Pita bread with Green Chutney Hari Chutney and salad
Can be prepped ahead - Marinate the chicken well in advance.
Perfect Freezer meal Idea - Marinate and freeze, bake, or grill them as and when required
Jump to:
- This Hariyali Chicken Tikka, is
- What is Hariyali Chicken Kebab?
- Ingredients For Chicken Hariyali Tikka
- Instructions - Step by Step
- Variations & Substitutions
- Equipment
- Tips & Tricks
- Storage & Shelf life
- What to Serve Hariyali Chicken Tikka With
- Drinks To Serve With Hariyali Chicken Tikka
- Top Pro Tip
- FAQ's on Hariyali Chicken Tikka
- 📖 Recipe
What is Hariyali Chicken Kebab?
Hariyali Chicken Tikka is pieces of boneless chicken marinated in a green (Hariyali meaning Green) cilantro mint base, usually and traditionally baked with skewers in a tandoor( a clay pot oven) or baked in an oven, air fryer, or pan grilled. There are a vast variety of tandoor-baked kebabs like the famous Chicken Tikka, Malai Tikka. or Tangdi Kebab The roots of Tikka recipes are from Persia, But are famous in north Indian Cuisine, and loved everywhere in India and Globally.
Ingredients For Chicken Hariyali Tikka
Hariyali Chicken Tikka is based on a green marinade made with coriander mint and other spices
- Chicken - Boneless thigh or breast cut into 2-inch cubes. I recommend using Fresh Chicken. If you are using frozen chicken, then completely thaw before marinating.
- Cilantro/Coriander - Use fresh coriander/cilantro
- Mint/pudina - Fresh Mint leaves.
- Green chilies - For this recipe, Indian green chilies are usually used. You may want to skip this because of the heat levels. And in that case, replace it with some smoked paprika or cayenne. The color will be a little dull green
- Ginger and garlic - you can use ginger garlic paste or whole ginger and garlic.
- Whole Spices - Cinnamon, cloves, and green cardamom
- Yogurt- greek yogurt or Hung curd
- Salt - to taste
- ghee - a little for the marinade and some for basting.
- Gram flour or Corn Flour/Starch
- Ground Cumin - Cumin powder/Jeera powder
- Amchur powder - dry mango powder optional
- Chat powder - optional
- Coriander - for garnish optional
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions - Step by Step
Here is a detailed step-by-step process for making Hariyali Chicken Tikka
Marinating And Pan Grilling the Tikka
Step 1
In a food processor, add the ingredients for the marinade -mint, yogurt, cilantro/coriander, ginger garlic paste, whole spices, and green chilies. Grind to a smooth paste.
Step 2
Add the ground hariyali marinade, gram flour, cumin, ghee, and salt to the chicken pieces. (Optionally add amchur powder)
Step 3 :
Mix Well. Store covered in an air-tight container or ziplock and Marinate overnight. or min 2 hours.
Step 5:
Once the pan is hot, place the marinated hariyali chicken, flat on the grill. Let it cook for about 6 mins on one side.
Step 4:
To make Hariyali chicken tikka - Place a grill pan on medium heat, and brush some ghee, butter, or olive oil.
Step 6:
Flip the chicken tikkas and let it cook on the other side for another 6 mins. Remove and Serve hot.
Variations & Substitutions
- Whole Spices - Instead of whole spices cinnamon, clove, and green cardamom - you may use garam masala powder or ground garam masala that is either store-bought or homemade.
- Ginger garlic - ginger and garlic are used in the ground marinade. So here you may use whole fresh ginger and garlic or use a paste that is either store-bought or Homemade.
- Green Chillies - Indian Green Chillies are super hot and generally do not go well with subtle palates. So you may skip the green chilies altogether and use some paprika or cayenne or some red chili powder, in that case, hariyali green chicken tikka will be light brownish in color.
- Black Salt - you may add in a pinch of black salt
Equipment
You will need a good grill pan, or a normal fry pan or skillet.
If not, this Hariyali chicken tikka can be made in an air fryer or oven.
Tips & Tricks
There are several ways to make Hariyali Chicken Tikka .
Can be baked in Oven, Air fryer, outdoor grill, electric grill or even pan grill.
Just like we do in this recipe.
Grilling on the pan is one of the most easiest way to make these Hariyali Chicken Tikka.
- Use Fresh Chicken and thigh boneless is always preferred for tikkas. They are soft, tender, moist, and tasty.
- Use a Thick bottom pan, preferably a grill pan.
- Cook on medium flame. Or low medium
- If using wooden skewers, then Dip them wooden skewers in water, so it does not burn.
- About 6 to 8 mins on each side should give a well done chicken tikka. Over done chicken tikka will turn hard on cooling down and lose out all that tenderness and moistness from the chicken.
- For a Smoky flavor (optional step) - in a small bowl, add hot charcoal add some ghee close the pan with a lid. this will lend the chicken tikka a smoky flavor. That is so close to baking in a tandoor oven.
Storage & Shelf life
Hariyali Chicken Tikka, tastes best when served hot just out of the pan or oven.
So I recommend, marinating the chicken and using it as and when needed.
You may refrigerate or freeze cooked chicken hariyali tikkas, but to serve, thaw and reheat.
Marinated chicken - Chicken hariyali Will hold good for weeks when marinated and frozen. Once marinated store them in an airtight container or a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer.
What to Serve Hariyali Chicken Tikka With
Hariyali Chicken is best served as an appetizer before the main course.
You can Serve Hariyali Chicken with accompaniments like Hari chutney
Peshawri Naan, pita bread, Indian Naan, Jeera pulao or Ghee Rice.
Or have it solely as a salad pairing it with a good helping of fresh veggies
Drinks To Serve With Hariyali Chicken Tikka
There are some best Indian Beverages that are best, when paired with these Chicken Tikka. These drinks make a complete starter and drink combo.
These ideas are perfect when you are hosting a large party, These drinks can be make totally ahead and all ready in a pitcher or a Jug.
Serve Hariyali Chicken Tikka with these varieties of Lassi like Amritsari Lassi, Strawberry Lassi, or this classic sweet lassi
Chass or buttermilk or Jaljeera or with Masala Nimbu pani Shikanji
Top Pro Tip
Marinate Well Ahead. Pan Grill or oven bake the Tikkas as and when required. This recipe is a good option for freezer meals.
FAQ's on Hariyali Chicken Tikka
Hariyali literally translates to green. So it is made of fresh cilantro(coriander), mint leaves, green chillies
Yes, first marinated the chicken with hariyali marinade and transfer it to an air-tight container and store them in the freezer.
Cooked Hariyali Chicken tikka, can also be stored in the refrigerator.
But, freshly made tikkas are always the best tasting.
Literally, hariyali means Green, In Indian food, colloquially any dish made with herbs such as mint, coriander, and green chilies, that gives that green colour is suffixed or prefixed as Hariyali like Hariyali chicken tikka or Chicken Hariyali and so many more.
📖 Recipe
Easy Pan Grilled Hariyali Chicken Tikka |Green Chicken tikka
Ingredients
Hariyali Chicken Marinade
Grind to a smooth paste - Hariyali Marinade
- ¼ cup hung curd (or greek yogurt)
- 1 cup Cilantro/Coriander
- ¼ cup Mint Leaves
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 2'' stick cinnamon
- 3 pods green cardamom
- 4 nos cloves
- 3 green chillies (or paprika, cayenne)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (jeera powder)
Other Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken thigh boneless (or breast cut into 1 to 2 inch cubes)
- salt (to taste )
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ½ teaspoon amchur powder (Dry mango powder optional)
- 3 tablespoon gram flour (or corn starch)
Instructions
Marinate The chicken
- Make the Hariyali Marinade In a food processor, add cilantro/coriander, mint leaves, green chillies, ginger garlic paste, hung curd or yogurt, whole spices (cinnamon,clove and green cardamom) or garam masala. Grind to a smooth paste.
- In a mixing bowl, add the chicken pieces, then the ground hariyali marinade salt, ground cumin, gram flour or corn starch. optionally amchur powder and ghee. Mix well. Let it marinate for a minimum of 30 mins or overnight whichever is convenient.
- If Using Bamboo Skewers - (Optional Step) If not go to the next step Dip the bamboo skewers in water. Thread the chicken pieces on to skewers
- Heat a grill pan on medium heat1- place the skewers and cook for about 5 to 8 mins on each side or place the marinated tikkas flat on the heated grill pan. Cook for about 5 to 8 mins on each side
- Then flip the tikkas and let the other side cook for another 5 to 8 mins. Once done, remove immediately from the pan and serve.
- Serve with yogurt mint chutney or Green coriander mint chutney and salad
Notes
- You can use chicken breast as well. but make sure you cook for about 5 mins on each side and not more.
- Do not overcook the chicken. Once overcooked, it will lose all the moistness and tenderness and will no longer be succulent.
- For recipe substitutes and swaps, you can read the substitutes section in the blog post. There are many substitutes and swaps you can use for this recipe
- Fresh chicken is what I recommend. If using frozen, thaw completely and then marinate the chicken.
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