Everyone’s thumbs up preferred for a family-friendly meal, chicken tikka gets a major enhancement from the standard variety in this Afghani Chicken Tikka – Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Afghani recipe.
These chicken tikkas check all the boxes:
- Easily available ingredients.
- Super easy recipe
- Air fried and healthy
- And minimal mess.
What type of chicken do I use for Afghani Chicken Tikka – Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Afghani?
Either thighs or breasts. I have used 3 pounds of boneless chicken thighs. Using chicken thighs instead of breasts results in juicy and tender tikkas. Using thighs also reduces the marinade time. However, you can choose to pick either.
What do I serve this with?
- As an appetizer.
- Served with naan (Indian flat bread) as a part of a meal.
- Also, served as a side dish.
- In lettuce as a low carb wrap.
- Or with Coconut Cilantro Chutney
Steps:
Step 1:
Firstly, soak 2.5 tbsp raw skinless cashew nuts in 2 tbsp water for 20 minutes. Next, when 20 minutes are up, blend the water, cashew nuts and serrano peppers in a coffee grinder or a blender.
Step 2:
Further dice the chicken to 2 to 3 inch pieces.
Step 3:
Furthermore, make the marinade. Whisk the Greek yogurt, heavy whipping cream, ginger garlic paste, serrano pepper and cashew nut blended paste, ground black pepper, garam masala, corn flour, lemon juice, salt, dried fenugreek leaves, and 2 tbsp oil. Additionally, mix it well with a spoon. Consequently, after mixing well add in the chicken. Again give it a good mix and make sure the chicken is coated well in the marinade. 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.
Step 4:
When you are ready to cook, grease your Air Fryer basket with some 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.Turn the chicken using tongs at the mid-way mark (8 minute), to help the chicken brown more evenly. At this point drizzle some butter.
When done carefully remove the tikkas and serve hot. Garnish heavy whipping cream all over the tikkas.
Tried this recipe yet? Give us a rating, comment below in the reply section and let us know what you think.
Also, try some of our other recipes:
Afghani Chicken Tikka – Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Afghani
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken thighs {boneless}
- 2.5 tbsp cashew nuts {unsalted and skinless}
- 2 tbsp water
- 15 serrano peppers {small hari mirch}
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste (either freshly minced in equal quantities or store bought)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1.5 tbsp corn flour
- 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 and 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi/ kasuri methi)
- 3 tbsp oil {divided}
- 2 tbsp butter {melted and unsalted}
For garnish
- 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Prep
- Soak 2.5 tbsp raw skinless cashew nuts in 2 tbsp water for 20 minutes. Next, when 20 minutes are up, blend the water, cashew nuts and serrano peppers in a coffee grinder or a blender.
- Dice the chicken into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
- Whisk the Greek yogurt, heavy whipping cream, ginger garlic paste, serrano pepper and cashew nut blended paste, ground black pepper, garam masala, corn flour, lemon juice, salt, dried fenugreek leaves, and 2 tbsp oil. Additionally, mix it well with a spoon. Consequently, after mixing well add in the chicken. Again give it a good mix and make sure the chicken is coated well in the marinade. 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.
Cook
- When you are ready to cook, grease your Air Fryer basket with 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.Turn the chicken using tongs at the mid-way mark (8 minute), to help the chicken brown more evenly. At this point drizzle some butter.
- When done carefully remove the tikkas and serve hot. Garnish heavy whipping cream all over the tikkas either in a line or with little dots.
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Tried this recipe…several times…loved it!!! Thank you…keep up the good work!
HI Brenda. So glad you liked the recipe. Thank you for taking the time out to provide a feedback 😊. We really appreciate 🙏 it.