Created by Vaibhu
Last edited February 28, 2026

Template:Distinguish


Template:Infobox food

Chicken tikka is a dish of roasted marinated chicken pieces traditionally cooked in a tandoor. It is associated with Mughal cuisine, reflecting Central and South Asian cooking techniques and the use of yogurt-based marinades and spices. It is now popular across South Asia and worldwide. The dish later served as the basis for the British curry chicken tikka masala.”

History

Template:Further

The English word "tikka" is borrowed from Urdu/Hindi (تکہ)/टिक्का tikkā "small pieces of meat", itself a borrowing from Classical Persian تکه tikka, "pieces".[1]

Chicken tikka was created in the reign of the Mughal Emperor Babur (r. 1526–1530) by marinating pieces of chicken meat in yoghurt and spices, and then grilling them in a tandoor oven.Template:Sfn

File:Evolution of Chicken Tikka Masala.svg
Chicken tikka was created in Mughal India using Persian marinading of meat in yoghurt and Central Asian tandoor roasting with Indian spices.Template:Sfn[2] In 20th century Britain, a sauce was added to satisfy the British liking for gravy with meat.[3] The dish has evolved further to a taco filling in the US,[4] and to a pizza topping in India.[5] Tacos originated from Mexico.[6] Pizzas originated from Italy.[7]

Dish

Chicken tikka consists of small pieces of boneless chicken baked after marinating in Indian spices and dahi (yogurt). It is flavourful and tender, essentially a boneless version of tandoori chicken.[8]

The pieces are brushed with ghee (clarified butter) at intervals, while being continuously fanned, to increase flavour. It is typically eaten with green coriander and tamarind chutney, served with onion rings and lemon, or used in preparing chicken tikka masala.[9]

Variants

It is a dish in Punjabi cuisine. The Kashmiri version is grilled over red-hot coals, and does not always contain boneless pieces.

A chicken tikka sizzler has the dish served on a heated plate with onions.

The Afghan variant is less spicy than those in the Indian subcontinent, and can use beef and lamb in place of chicken.[10][11]

In Britain, the dish was transformed in the late 20th century by the addition of tomato, cream, and spices into chicken tikka masala.Template:Sfn

See also

References

  1. Template:Cite Merriam-Webster
  2. Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors{{#if:Collingham|, Collingham}. Oxford University Press(2006). ISBN 0-19-517241-8
  3. Chicken tikka masala claims its origins in Scotland. The Sydney Morning Herald(2 August 2009). Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  4. The joy of eating : a guide to food in modern pop culture{{#if:Glenn|, Glenn}. Bloomsbury Publishing(2022). ISBN 978-1-4408-6210-6
  5. Food Culture in India{{#if:Sen|, Sen}. Greenwood Publishing Group(2004). ISBN 0-313-32487-5
  6. Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food. Hispanic American Historical Review({Template:Date).
  7. Pizza: A Global History{{#if:Helstosky|, Helstosky}. Reaktion(2008). ISBN 978-1-86189-391-8
  8. Curry Club Tandoori and Tikka Dishes{{#if:Chapman|, Chapman}. Piatkus(1993). ISBN 0-7499-1283-9
  9. Chicken Tikka Recipes. Deccan Chronicle(12 January 2019). Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  10. India: Food & Cooking{{#if:Chapman|, Chapman}. New Holland Publishers(2007). ISBN 978-1-84537-619-2
  11. Popular hariyali chicken tikka is mouthwatering. Gulf Times(17 January 2019). Retrieved 24 January 2019.

Sources

  • On the Curry Trail: Chasing the Flavor That Seduced the World{{#if:Iyer|, Iyer}. Workman Publishing(2022). ISBN 978-1523511211

Template:Chicken dishes Template:Indian Dishes Template:Pakistani dishes