Chicken Leg Quarter Tikka
A home-style recipe for Chicken Leg Quarter Tikka. Serves 4, ready in about 60 minutes, with steps for the usual way and for the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken leg quarters (about 1.2 kg), skin removed
- ½ cup (125 g) thick yogurt
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 3 tbsp tikka masala (from a packet) / 1½ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp oil, plus more for basting
- A pinch of red food colour (optional)
- Onion rings, lemon wedges and green chutney, to serve
Missing something?
- No chicken? Use mutton or beef (cook longer), or soya chunks.
- No yogurt? Use milk with 1 tsp lemon juice, rested 10 minutes.
On the grill
- Cut 3–4 deep slits in each leg quarter, down to the bone.
- Mix the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, tikka masala, salt, lemon juice, oil and food colour. If you use packet masala, use only half the salt. Add the chicken and rub the marinade well into the slits.
- If you have time, leave it for 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge; if not, cook it right away.
- Grill over medium coals for 35–40 minutes, turning and basting with oil, until charred in places and the juices near the bone run clear.
- No grill? Bake on a rack over a tray at 200°C for 40–45 minutes, turning halfway, then put under the grill for 2–3 minutes to char.
- Serve with onion rings, lemon and chutney.
Tip: For a smoky taste, put a hot piece of charcoal in a small foil cup with the cooked chicken, add a drop of oil to it and cover for 2 minutes.
In the air fryer (about 55 min)
- Score chicken leg quarters and marinate in yogurt, tikka masala and lemon for several hours.
- Air fry at 190°C for 25 to 30 minutes, turning halfway, until charred and the juices run clear.
Air fryer tip: Two leg quarters fit most baskets. Cook in batches rather than stacking them.
Air fryer basics: Heat the air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes first. Don't fill the basket more than halfway. Brush or spray a little oil. Turn or shake halfway. Use paper liners with holes. Air fryers vary, so check a few minutes early the first time.