🍢 Chicken tikka (Gulf style)
Gulf-style chicken tikka is boneless chicken thigh cut into cubes, marinated in yogurt with garlic, lemon juice, paprika and turmeric, then threaded on skewers and grilled over charcoal. The marinade keeps the meat juicy while the fire gives smoky, lightly charred edges. It is a staple of grill restaurants across the Gulf, served with salad, pickles and garlic sauce.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 800 g boneless chicken thigh, in 3 cm cubes
- 150 g plain yogurt
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt
Method
- Mix yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, turmeric, oil and salt.
- Coat the chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- Thread onto skewers and grill over hot charcoal for 10–12 minutes, turning, until charred and cooked through.
- Rest for 2 minutes and serve with salad and lemon.
How to make it lighter
- Use chicken breast instead of thigh to reduce fat.
- Choose low-fat yogurt for the marinade.
- Serve with a big salad and go light on sauces.
History
Tikka arrived in the Gulf from South Asian cooking and became a fixture of the region's grill houses, where it is adapted with local spice blends and served alongside kebabs and shish tawook.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →