Learn how to make irresistible tandoori paneer tikka with this easy and delicious recipe. These vegetable and paneer skewers are high protein, fuss free to make and are amazing for meal prep. Taste just like restaurant-style tandoori tikka but made using your air fryer!
I am also sharing oven, tawa (stove top), and grill methods to cook paneer tikka later in this post.
Are you ready to savor mouthwatering paneer tikka prepared effortlessly each and every time? A huge party favorite, these vegetable & paneer skewers are colorful to look at and a must for my parties or get togethers. This achari paneer tikka recipe is my another go to when I am entertaining.
This popular indian paneer appetizer is ideally cooked using a tandoor (clay oven), however the same taste can be re created at home with modern equipment like air fryer or oven + broiler and a few recipe tweaks.
I love my air fryer, what can I say! I have been getting wonderful results making different kinds of tikka (lamb tikka, malai chicken tikka) in it . Not just the taste but the texture is really amazing.
What is Paneer Tikka
In Indian cuisine, tikka refers to pieces of vegetables, paneer or meat marinated in a spiced mixture(usually yogurt based)and cooked on high heat until charred.
Tandoori paneer tikka, also know as grilled paneer or just paneer tikka is a sought-after indian vegetarian appetizer with soft & juicy chunks of paneer that delight the palate with every bite.
To make tandoori paneer tikka, cubes of paneer (Indian cottage cheese) are marinated in an aromatic, spiced yogurt mixture, then skewered (usually on metal rods) with bell peppers and onion petals, and thereafter traditionally cooked in a tandoor (clay oven). Cooking in tandoor makes them delightfully smoky (due to cooking over charcoal) and also gives a charred look & taste to the paneer tikka.
At home, you could thread the paneer tikka on metal or bamboo skewers and cook them in air fryer, over grill or in the oven.
My expectations from a well-cooked paneer tikka are pretty high—the paneer chunks should be substantial (thick-cut and large), with charred skins, while soft and juicy to bite into.The marinade should lightly coat the paneer, striking a delicate balance with milkiness of paneer without overwhelming the taste buds.
When served with fresh green cilantro chutney, onion slices and lemon wedges, tandoori paneer tikka makes for one of the most mind blowing appetizer.
Air Fryer Paneer Tikka is
- Authentic north indian style tikka made with flavors like mustard oil, besan(gram flour) and kasuri methi
- Gluten free, low carb and high protein
- Fuss free & nut free
- Easy to make at home
- Perfect for meal prep
- Crispy & charred on the outside and creamy on the inside
Jump to:
What is Tandoori Paneer Tikka Made of
- Paneer - Paneer is simply un-aged, firm indian cheese made by pressing together the milk curds. Use malai or full fat paneer from the stores or make your own paneer at home. Homemade paneer is preferred however if purchasing from stores, from stores, my favorites brands are Gopi or Verka. Besides indian grocery stores, paneer is easily available in the cheese section of stores like Costco, Sprouts and Whole Foods.
- Besan (Gram Flour) - Is used in indian tikka recipes for two reasons. It adds an undertone of nuttiness (without making marinade taste of gram flour) and also absorbs up moisture from the marinade and keeps it thick.
- Whole Yogurt - You could use plain whole greek yogurt (I use it) or regular yogurt. When using regular yogurt, make sure that the yogurt is thick and not too sour.
- Garlic, Ginger & Green Chillies - If you have ready to use garlic paste & ginger paste in the fridge, use it. Add green chillies to a mortar and pound to make a coarse paste.
- Ground Spices - chaat masala, garam masala powder, kashmiri chilli powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder & amchoor. You could also use store bought tandoori masala if you wish.
- Kasuri Methi - Or dry fenugreek leaves are a popular dried herb used in north indian cuisine. They are added to creamy curries and tikka marinades to add a unique aroma and flavor. Unfortunately, there is no substitute.
- Mustard Oil - This is a key ingredient and gives these tikka a smoky restaurant like taste. You wont taste the pungency of virgin mustard oil in the marinade.
- Bell Peppers & Onions - Onions are a must to add a sweetish bite to these tikka, you could skip bell pepper or use colorful ones if you wish.
Few Ingredient Substitutions
- Instead of paneer, use extra firm tofu or halloumi cheese (adjust the salt in marinade if using latter).
- If you cannot find besan, use chickpea flour or even all purpose flour will work.
- Chaat Masala & Amchoor (Dry Mango Powder) - Use extra lemon juice. Also add a bit of cumin powder.
- Smoked paprika is a good substitute for Kashmiri red chilli powder.
- Instead of mustard oil, use ghee or clarified butter. You could use neutral oil like avocado too.
How To Make Paneer Tikka in Air Fryer
Preparation
- Place the paneer on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut into large (about 2 inch) squares or cubes.
- Peel and cut 1 medium onion into square shape pieces about the same size as paneer. Similarly, de stem and discard the core of bell pepper and cut in about the same size as onion.
- Pound the green chillies using your mortar pestle into a coarse paste. If you are making ginger garlic paste at home, you can pound them together with green chillies.
- In a pan, on low heat dry roast the besan (gram flour) for 4-5 minutes to do away its raw smell. Keep a close eye as besan burns easily.
- Optional Step - Some people are quite sensitive to the taste and aroma of mustard oil. I use raw mustard oil in the marinade. However, you can warm up the oil till you see ripples on its surface, let cool down and then use in the marinade. Heating up the mustard oil before using reduces its strong aroma and taste.
Make The Tandoori Marinade
- In a large bowl, add the greek yogurt along with ginger-garlic paste, green chillies paste, all the ground spices (red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chaat masala, amchoor, cardamom powder, nutmeg) ,roasted besan, kasuri methi, lemon juice and mustard oil.
- Using a whisk, beat the yogurt marinade until it's smooth and thick.
Tip - If time allows, let this marinade sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours to deepen the flavors. Yes, marinate the marinade- its a thing!
Marinate Paneer Tikka
- Add the paneer cubes to the marinade and using a spatula or with your hands gently mix taking care that the paneer doesn't break. Cover and let sit for 1-2 hours or up 6-8 hours. If your paneer is soft(the kind you get from halwai(indian sweet shops), don't marinate beyond 2-3 hours.
Note - Don't marinate the vegetables else they will get watery due to salt in the marinade. If you want to add flavor to the vegetables, save 3-4 tablespoon of the marinade and toss the reserved marinade with capsicum and onion 6-8 minutes before you are ready to make tikka.
- If using metal skewers, brush the skewers with oil before threading the paneer. Skewer the marinated paneer, bell pepper and onion onto wooden or metal skewers. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to cooking to avoid burning.
Tip - When skewering paneer, thread the paneer with the flattest side facing up(see image 5). This way the tikka will get maximum exposure to heat while cooking.
Air Fry Paneer Tikka
- Pre heat your air fryer at 360F (180C) for 2 minutes.
- Arrange 4-5 skewers or more/less depending on size of your air fryer basket in a single layer making sure that the skewers arent touching each other. Spray or liberally brush avocado oil or you could also use ghee to brush on the tikka. You could line the air fryer basket with a perforated sheet for easy cleaning.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes at 360F. Using tongs, flip the skewers after 5 minutes. Spray some oil on other side and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side.
- Remove using tongs and sprinkle and char the tikka over stove flame. I am writing different charring methods below.
- Sprinkle with chaat masala while the paneer tikka is still warm. Serve with lemon wedges & green chutney.
Tip :- The only downside of air fryer method is that you can cook maximum of 6-7 skewers (in an 8 qt air fryer). This limits its convenience when making paneer tikka for parties or for a large group of people. If that's the case, use oven to make paneer tikka.
How To Make Paneer Tikka in Oven
You can make paneer tikka in oven if you wish.
Preheat the oven to 450F (250C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tikka liberally with oil. Make sure that the skewers are not touching each other. Bake for 12-14 minutes, flip midway or until the edges start getting charred.
Paneer Tikka on Gas/Stove Top Tawa
This was (and still is) one of my favorite methods to make paneer tikka at home from when I didn't have an air fryer.
Warm up a cast iron skillet, stove top grill pan or any heavy tawa you have at home. Brush with oil once hot. Layer the paneer skewers on the tawa and let brown up. Flip and brown on the other side. Add oil as needed.
Making Paneer Tikka On Outdoor Grill
Liberally spray oil on your grill else the paneer will stick.
Line the paneer tikka skewers on the grill. Spray oil on the tikka itself. Grill for a total of 8-10 minutes or until you see grill marks on the paneer. Flip once midway.
How to Create Charred Taste At Home
Use ONE of the two methods mentioned below to get rrestaurant style taste on your paneer tikka skewers after you are done cooking them.
Char directly on the flame of stove (I use this method)
For this method make sure that the skewers are long enough so that you can hold them on both sides. I wear baking mittens to be extra careful.
Switch on the stove flame on high and rotate the skewers over it (without touching the flame) to get an even char on all sides. Takes about 45 seconds to 1 minutes. This methods makes the paneer tikka irresistibly smoky.
Under The Broiler
You can char the tikka for a total of 2 minutes under the broiler. Rotate after 1 minute for char on other side.
Dhungar (Charcoal Smoking)
This method wont char that tikka but infuse a smoky taste. Place the cooked paneer tikka in a large bowl or rectangular tray with lid. Place a small bowl in the center and add a burning piece of charcoal to the bowl. Add a few drops of ghee on the charcoal. Immediately you will notice smoke. Cover with a lid and let smoke infuse for a minute or so.
Recipe Tips
- If using frozen paneer chunks, make sure to thaw them completely before adding to the marinade.
- You can make paneer tikka without skewers in oven, air fryer or pan. Place the paneer chunks apart from each other.
- Don't skimp on oil else the tikka will be dry and stick to the pan.
- Vegan Tikka- For vegan version of this recipe, use firm tofu instead of paneer. Instead of yogurt, use dairy free yogurt (cashew yogurt works great!).
Troubleshooting Paneer Tikka
- Marinade Consistency - If you feel that the marinade is runny, add ½ to 1 tablespoon roasted besan. We want the marinade to cover the paneer without sliding off. Alternatively, add 1-2 tablespoon of yogurt if needed in case the marinade becomes very thick after adding spices.
- Marinade Separation: If you notice that the marinade is separating and not coating the paneer, it could be due to watery yogurt. To fix it, sprinkle a little bit of besan, the besan will absorb extra moisture.
- Paneer Sticking to The Pan or Grill - Happens whenever there is in adequate oil. Drizzle some oil so release the paneer.
- Dry Or Soggy Paneer Tikka- Both these situations happen due to overcooking the tikka (becomes dry) or undercooking at low temperate (starts releasing water). Make sure to follow the times mentioned in the recipe card.
Storage
Paneer Tikka is best enjoyed hot. However, you can make it ahead and store in an air tight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the air fryer or use microwave. I don't recommend freezing paneer tikka.
Serving Ideas
- Serve as an appetizer or snack with two kinds of chutneys like green chutney, tamarind chutney, sliced onion and lemon slices. Add a refreshing drink like mango lemonade.
- You could serve as a main meal with naan or steamed rice, a side of methi dal and boondi raita.
- These paneer tikka also pair well with all sorts of pulao like mushroom pulao, soya chunks pulao or egg pulao.
- Wrap up panner tikka in paratha or roti to make rolls.
More Paneer Recipes
Tandoori Paneer Tikka in Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 350 g Paneer
- 1 large onion yield ¾ cup onion petals
- 1 medium green bell pepper yield ¾ cup (use colored bell peppers if you wish)
- Oil for cooking the tikka
For The Tandoori Marinade
- 200 g plain whole greek yogurt or thick regular curd
- 4 tablespoon besan gram flour or use chickpea flour
- 1.5 tablespoon ginger garlic paste homemade or store bought
- 1 tablespoon green chilli paste I use indian green chillies (use serrano paste if not available), adjust quantity to taste
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 1.5 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder or use smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (hot) adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala or use extra lemon jucie
- 1.5 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon green cardamom powder
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder fresh grated
- 3 tablespoon mustard oil or use melted ghee
- ½ teaspoon amchoor dry mango powder (or use lemon juice)
- 1.5 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1-2 drops red food coloring optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Place paneer on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut into large (about 2 inch) squares or cubes.
- Peel and cut 1 medium onion into square shape pieces about the same size as paneer. Similarly, de stem and discard the core of bell pepper and cut in about the same size as onion.
- Pound the green chillies using your mortar pestle into a coarse paste. If you are making ginger garlic paste at home, you can pound them together with green chillies.
- In a pan, on low heat dry roast the besan (gram flour) for 4-5 minutes to do away its raw smell. Keep a close eye as besan burns easily.
- Optional Step - Some people are quite sensitive to the taste and aroma of mustard oil. You can warm up the oil till you see ripples on its surface, let cool down and then use in the marinade. Heating up the oil reduces its strong aroma and taste.
Make The Marinade
- In a large bowl, add the greek yogurt along with ginger-garlic paste, green chillies paste, all the ground spices (red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chaat masala, amchoor, cardamom powder, nutmeg) ,roasted besan, kasuri methi and mustard oil.
- Using a whisk, beat the yogurt marinade until it's smooth and thick.Tip - If time allows, let this marinade sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours to deepen the flavors. Yes, marinate the marinade- its a thing!
Marinate the Paneer
- Add the paneer cubes to the marinade and using a spatula or with your hands gently mix taking care that the paneer doesn't break. Cover and let sit for 1-2 hours or up 6-8 hours. If your paneer is soft(the kind you get from halwai(indian sweet shops), don't marinate beyond 2-3 hours.Note -Don't marinate the vegetables else they will get watery due to salt in the marinade. To add flavor to the vegetables, save 3-4 tablespoon of the marinade and toss the reserved marinade with capsicum and onion 6-8 minutes before you are ready to make tikka.
- Brush the skewers with oil before threading the paneer. Skewer the marinated paneer, bell pepper and onion onto wooden or metal skewers. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to cooking to avoid burning.Tip - When skewering paneer, thread the paneer with the flattest side facing up. This way the tikka will get maximum exposure to heat while cooking.
Air Fry The Paneer Tikka (See other methods in notes)
- Pre heat your air fryer at 360F (180C) for 2 minutes. Arrange 4-5 paneer tikka skewers or more/less depending on size of your air fryer basket in a single layer making sure that the skewers art touching each other.
- Spray or liberally brush avocado oil or you could also use ghee to cook the tikka. Don't forget to line the air fryer basket with a perforated sheet for easy cleaning.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes at 360F. Using tongs, flip the skewers after 5 minutes. Spray some more oil on other side and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side.
Char The Tikka for Smoky Taste (Optional but recommeneded)
- Make sure that the skewers are long enough so that you can hold them on both sides. I wear baking mittens to be extra careful. Switch on the stove flame on high and rotate the skewers over it (without touching the flame too much) to get an even char on all sides. This methods makes the tikka irresistibly smoky. Read other methods to get char taste in blog post above.
- Sprinkle paneer tikka with chaat masala while still warm. Serve with lemon wedges, sliced onion & green chutney.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition facts mentioned are an estimation only.
- Please refer to the written blog post for extra details and tips.
- If using frozen paneer chunks, make sure to thaw them completely before adding to the marinade.
- You can make paneer tikka without skewers in oven, air fryer or pan. Place the paneer chunks apart from each other.
- Don't skimp on oil else the tikka will be dry and stick to the pan.
- You could add food coloring to the marinade to give it a restaurant like look.
- If you don't want to use besan, use cornstarch or all purpose flour instead.
- For vegan version of this recipe, use firm tofu instead of paneer. Instead of yogurt, use dairy free yogurt (cashew yogurt works great!).
- Marinade Conistency- If you feel that the marinade is runny, add ½ to 1 tablespoon more roasted besan. We want the marinade to cover the paneer without sliding off. Alternatively add 1-2 tablespoon of greek yogurt if you need to thin out the marinade(but don't make it runny)
- Marinade Separation: If you notice that the marinade is separating and not coating the paneer, it could be due to watery yogurt. To fix it, sprinkle a little bit of besan, the besan will absorb extra moisture.
- Paneer Sticking to The Pan or Grill - Happens whenever there is in adequate oil. Drizzle oil so release the paneer.
- Dry Or Soggy Paneer Tikka- Both these situations happen due to overcooking the tikka (becomes dry) or undercooking at low temperature (starts releasing water). Make sure to follow the times mentioned in the recipe card.
- Serve as an appetizer or snack with two kinds of chutneys like green chutney, tamarind chutney, sliced onion and lemon slices. Add a refreshing drink like mango lemonade.
- You could serve as a main meal with naan or steamed rice, a side of methi dal and boondi raita.
- These paneer tikka also pair well with all sorts of pulao like mushroom pulao, soya chunks pulao or egg pulao.
- Wrap up panner tikka in paratha or roti to make rolls.
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