This Air Fryer Hariyali Chicken – Hariyali Chicken Tikka rivals any Indian restaurant! Why go eat out when you can outdo restaurant style chicken at home???
The meaning of tikka is an Indian dish made with small pieces of meat, chicken, or vegetables marinated in a spice mixture. Hariyali means green.
Authentic hariyali chicken tikka is usually made with chicken marinated in plain strained yogurt and spices, char-grilled in a clay oven known as a tandoor for remarkable barbecue flavors. Using a grill or an oven is a good alternative to a tandoor. I attempted this chicken recipe in an air fryer, and it turned out great.
What type of chicken do I use for Air Fryer Hariyali Chicken – Hariyali Chicken Tikka?
Either thighs or breasts. I have used 1.8 pounds of chicken thighs bone-in. You can use boneless chicken too. 1.8 pounds bone-in would roughly translate into 1.5 pounds boneless thighs. Using chicken thighs instead of breasts results in juicy and tender tikkas. Using thighs also reduces the marinade time.
What ingredients do I need for Air Fryer Hariyali Chicken – Hariyali Chicken Tikka?
Greek yogurt: This is key. Plain yogurt won’t cut it. It tends to get watery. You need plain Greek yogurt or strained yogurt also known as hung yogurt in India. It basically means that the excess water is strained or drained out.
Fresh cilantro leaves, Serrano peppers, and mint leaves are needed for the hariyali flavor. The spices needed include: red chili powder, mango powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, and garam masala.
Oil, salt, some water, and lemon juice.
Some people also use spinach but I haven’t. I love the flavor of mint and cilantro on its own.
Ginger garlic paste: I used packaged ginger garlic paste from the Indian store. You can also mince equal quantities of fresh ginger and garlic to make your own paste.
Lemon juice: I used the store-bought bottled lemon juice for the convenience factor. You can use either freshly squeezed lemon juice or store bought…..whichever works better for you.
What do I serve Air Fryer Hariyali Chicken – Hariyali Chicken Tikka with?
- It can be served as an appetizer.
- It can be served with naan (Indian flat bread) as a part of a meal.
- Served as a side dish.
- It can also be served in lettuce as a low carb wrap.
Steps:
Step 1: Firstly, grind the mint leaves, cilantro leaves, and Serrano peppers with 3 tablespoons of water in a blender.
Step 2: Further, add in all the spices, 1.5 tbsp oil, yogurt, lemon juice, and salt. Mix well.
Step 3: Then add the chicken and give it a good stir. Let it stay in the marinade for a minimum of 30 minutes. Ideally 6 hours is perfect. But if you are in a time crunch 30 minutes is good.
When you are ready to cook, grease your air fryer basket with some of the remaining oil. I grease mine by rubbing, brushing, or spraying, a little bit of oil on the bottom grate. Then, follow your air fryer directions for preheating to 350°F for 5 minutes. When it’s preheated, working in batches, place the chicken in a single layer. Air fry for 15 minutes, at 360°F. Finally, shake the basket throughout the cooking process to help the chicken brown more evenly.
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Air Fryer Hariyali Chicken – Hariyali Chicken Tikka
Ingredients
- 1.8 pounds chicken thighs chopped into 2 to 3 inch pieces (bone-in or 1.5 pounds boneless)
- 2 Serrano peppers (hari mirch)
- 3 tbsp water
- 1.5 cup fresh cilantro leaves (dhaniya ke patte)
- 1/2 cup mint leaves (pudeene kee pattiyaan)
- 3 tbsp oil of choice (divided)
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tsp red chili powder
(cayenne pepper)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
(jeera powder)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
(dhaniya powder)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
(haldi)
- 2 tsp mango powder
(amchur)
- 2 tsps garam masala
- 1 and 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Prep
- Chop the chicken pieces into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
- Grind the Serrano peppers, water, cilantro, and mint leaves in a blender.
- Mix 1.5 tbsp oil with all the other ingredients except chicken. Stir well.
- Add chicken in the marinade and coat it well. Let it sit in the marinade for a minimum of 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Ideally 6 hours marinade time is perfect but in a time bind 30 minutes is good too.
Cook
- When you are ready to cook, rub inside of air fryer basket with oil.
- Preheat the air fryer at 350°F for 5 minutes.
- Once it is preheated, place chicken it in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air fry at 360°F for 18 minutes. Toss and flip the chicken at the 8 minute mark.
- Remove the air fried chicken at the 18 minute mark. Repeat the steps until you run out of the marinated chicken.
- Serve with Indian flatbread or with lettuce wraps. It can be served as an appetizer on its own.
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