Smoky Chicken Tikka Rice: The One-Pot Meal That Tastes Like Takeout
What if your favorite grilled chicken tikka and fragrant basmati rice had a baby?
My Mom’s Chicken Tikka Rice: Less Work, More Flavor
This is the dish that made me forget about biryani for a week.
Growing up, Fridays meant biryani. Until my mom got tired and threw leftover chicken tikka into rice.
I was mad. Then I took one bite.
Now this smoky, spicy, yogurt-marinated chicken tikka rice is the recipe I beg her for — and now I’m sharing it
30-Minute Chicken Tikka Rice: All the Flavor, None of the Fuss
No layering for hours. No complicated steps. Just dump, dum, and devour.
Chicken Tikka Rice* - basically all the smoky tikka flavor mixed with fluffy basmati rice. So good 🔥
Here's how to make Chicken Tika Rice:
Ingredients:
For Chicken Tikka:
- Chicken: 500g boneless, cut into cubes
- Yogurt: 1/2 cup thick
- Ginger-garlic paste: 1.5 tbsp
- Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
- Spices: 1 tsp each of tikka masala, garam masala, red chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Oil: 2 tbsp
- Food color*l: pinch of red/orange - optional
- Charcoal piece: for smoky flavor - optional
For Rice:
- Basmati rice: 2 cups, soaked 20 min
- Onion: 1 large, sliced
- Tomatoes: 2, chopped
- Green chilies: 2, slit
- Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp
- Whole spices: 1 bay leaf, 2 cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick
- Chicken stock or water: 3.5 cups
- Salt: 1.5 tsp
- Oil/Ghee: 3 tbsp
- Fresh coriander + mint: for garnish
Method for making chicken tika rice:
1. Marinate tikka:
Mix yogurt, ginger-garlic, lemon, all spices + oil. Add chicken. Marinate 1-2 hours. Grill in oven/air fryer/pan till 80% cooked and slightly charred. For that dhaba smokiness, do a quick charcoal dum.
2. Start the rice:
Heat oil. Fry whole spices 30 sec. Add onions till golden. Add ginger-garlic, tomatoes, green chilies. Cook till soft.
3. Layer it:
Add 1/2 the grilled chicken tikka to the pot. Add drained rice + salt. Pour in hot stock.
4. Dum:
Bring to a boil, then layer remaining tikka on top. Cover tight and cook on low heat 15-18 min.
5. Finish:
Garnish with coriander, mint, and a squeeze of lemon. Mix gently so rice doesn’t break.
Serve with raita and salad.
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