Dinner Recipes

Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Wraps

Chicken tikka is one of the most popular foods throughout South Asia — from India to Bangladesh to Pakistan — with origins tracing back to the Mughal dynasty. No wonder it’s an enduring favorite: the little pieces of boneless meat are marinated for hours in yogurt and spices until they’re super tender and bursting with flavor. Traditionally, chicken tikka (and tikka of all varieties) is cooked in a tandoor. But if, like us, you aren’t lucky enough to have a tandoor in your kitchen, you’ll be delighted to hear the air fryer works, too!

The air fryer doesn’t give the tikka the uniquely smoky quality of the wood-fired tandoor. But thanks to the spice-packed yogurt marinade — think coriander, chili powder, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, ginger, and garlic — we don’t even miss the smoke. The juicy, air-fried chicken is warm, bright, earthy, and fragrant, with the perfect amount of heat and just a touch of char.

We like to tuck the air fryer chicken tikka into warm, pillowy naan with cool cucumber, juicy tomato, and spicy-sweet red onion — and then drizzle a zippy, creamy homemade cilantro-mint chutney all over. It’s the ideal lunch or weeknight dinner: once the meat is marinated, the rest comes together quickly. For that same reason, it’s a great one for when friends come over to dinner — so laid-back yet so incredibly satisfying.

Our tip: No naan on hand? Pile the air fryer chicken tikka and its fixings onto some white or yellow rice instead!

Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Wraps
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Dinner

Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Wraps

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the chicken tikka:

1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 ½” pieces
2 tsp ground coriander
1 ½ tsp Gelson’s chili powder
1 ¼ tsp garam masala
1 tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp Gelson’s ground cumin
½ tsp freshly ground Gelson’s black pepper
¼ tsp Gelson’s organic ground turmeric
¼ tsp Gelson’s mustard powder
¼ tsp Gelson’s cayenne pepper
½ cup Greek yogurt
2 garlic cloves, grated
1” piece ginger, peeled and grated
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp Gelson’s 100% California extra virgin olive oil
Spray oil, for the air fryer
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, for brushing

For the mint chutney:

Leaves and tender stems from 1 bunch cilantro
1 cup packed mint leaves
1 serrano, stemmed and seeded
2 garlic cloves, smashed
½” piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 ½ tsp Gelson’s ground cumin
½ tsp honey
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup Greek yogurt

For serving:

4 pieces garlic naan, warmed
1 tomato, cut into wedges
¼ English cucumber, halved and sliced thin
½ red onion, sliced thin

Directions

  1. To prepare the chicken tikka: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and place it in a medium bowl. Add the coriander, chili powder, garam masala, salt, cumin, black pepper, turmeric, mustard powder, and cayenne. Stir to coat well.

  2. Add the yogurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, and olive oil to the chicken, and stir to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours and up to 36.

  3. To make the mint chutney: Combine the cilantro, mint, serrano, garlic, ginger, cumin, honey, lemon juice, and yogurt in a blender. Blend on medium-high speed until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use and for up to 4 days.

  4. To cook the chicken: Preheat an air fryer to 400º. Spray the basket with oil, add the chicken in a single layer, and cook for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Brush the chicken with the melted butter and cook for 2 minutes more, until crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165º.

  5. Layer the chicken and vegetables on a warm piece of naan. Drizzle with mint chutney and enjoy!

Calculate nutrition information for this recipe.