Paneer Tikka is a popular Indian Grilled Paneer Recipe. Make restaurant style Paneer Tikka in an air fryer, oven, stovetop, or outdoor grill using my easy recipe. This paneer tikka masala recipe highlights chunks of marinated paneer ( Indian cottage cheese), colorful sweet peppers, and onions grilled or air fried to perfection ! Use it as an appetizer or delicious main meal.
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Kabob skewers are absolutely loved when served at parties as an appetizer ( called starters). For more Indian party appetizer recipes try Kutchi Dabeli, Paneer Tacos, Masala Papad and Mushroom Pastry Puffs.
Paneer is a versatile Indian non melting cheese that can be used in multiple ways to make low carb satisfying meals. It is a great vegetarian protein + calcium source for non meat eaters.
Paired with colorful veggies, this tikka recipe makes a wholesome and balanced meal. Each serving of this tikka is 10 gm of carbs and 18gm of plant protein.
Paneer Tikka Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients and my notes. Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card.
Paneer- I used store bought Paneer. It is easily available in Indian grocery stores, at Costco and Whole Foods. You can use fresh or frozen paneer to make this recipe. Thaw it in warm water in pan completely before using.
Yogurt - Yogurt makes an excellent marinade base. I prefer Greek yogurt since it's thick yogurt and creamy. You can also use plain full fat yogurt or hung curd.
Paneer Tikka Marinade Spices - Garam Masala, Kabab Masala, ginger garlic paste and red chilli powder are the main spices I use. Kashmiri chili powder gives a beautiful red color which becomes golden orange when mixed with white yogurt.
For this recipe, I love to add kabab masala. It adds a great depth of flavor with a smoky earthy taste. Shan Kabab Masala is my favorite. It is available in most Indian and ethnic grocery stores as well as on Amazon.
Lemon juice, Oil and Salt - Lemon juice helps in tangy taste and softening the paneer. Just a tablespoon of cooking oil gives nice moist texture. Use salt as a tenderizer and as needed.
Additional optional seasoning : Chaat masala, kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves), coriander powder, besan( gram flour) , cumin powder can be added for additional flavors.
Detailed Instructions
Traditionally, paneer tikka is cooked in a tandoor oven. My EASY recipe imparts classic authentic North Indian Tikka flavors while using modern cooking techniques.
Make restaurant-style Paneer Tikka Skewers with three simple and easy cooking methods that use air fryer, grill or oven to make this scrumptious recipe.
Marination for Paneer Tikka
- Cut the paneer into 1-inch cubes, peppers into 1-inch pieces and onion lengthwise and separate the petals.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl add yogurt, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, salt, red chili powder, garam masala, and kabab masala. Mix all the ingredients together to make the marinade.
- Add paneer cubes, peppers, and onions to the marinade. Mix well so the marinade coats the paneer, peppers and onions well.
- Cover the bowl and allow it to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water. It prevents them from burning while grilling or air frying.
- Carefully thread the marinated paneer, peppers and onions on to the skewers. Leave some space between each piece so it evenly cooks from all angles.
How to Make Paneer Tikka in Air Fryer
- Lightly spray or brush the air fryer basket with oil. Line the skewers inside the air fryer basket. Spray some oil over them.
- Cook for 5 minutes at 360° Fahrenheit (180° C). Turn the skewers, spray lightly with oil and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle lemon juice over the top. Serve with chutney and garnishes. Enjoy!
Ways to Make Grilled Panner Tikka on Outdoor or Stovetop Grill
- Preheat the grill. Brush the grill with some oil. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning a few times so it chars and cooks well from all angles.
- Remove from the grill. Serve immediately with chutney and garnishes. Enjoy!
How to make Paneer Tikka in the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit. Put the skewers on a baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Increase the clay oven temperature to 425 Degrees Fahrenheit and broil the skewers for 3-4 minutes. This gives a nice blackened char on the top.
- Remove promptly and serve with desired garnishes like lemon wedges and onion slices. Enjoy!
A note on cooking time
Even though this recipe shows 45 minutes or more for cooking time, I want to point out that actual cooking time is only 10-15 minutes. Rest of the time is to marinate the paneer which is totally hands-off.
While the paneer is marinating, you can do multiple other things. I usually soak the skewers, prepare rice and do other meal prepping.
You can also marinate the paneer up to a day in advance. The longer it marinates, the better it tastes. So if you plan it ahead of time, you save tons of time.
Serving Suggestions
The recipe makes dry tandoori paneer tikka. I like to serve it with various dips for finger food appetizers. Mint chutney, Avocado Cilantro Lime Dip and Greek Tzatziki Sauce are excellent pairings.
You can also serve it as a hearty vegetarian meal. Put it over warm naan or steamed basmati rice along with creamy potato salad for a satisfying main course meal.
You can make an excellent fusion meal out of Grilled Paneer Tikka. Serve it along with a warm comforting bowl of soup like Creamy Tomato Soup or Creamy Mushroom Soup. Or on the bed of a beautiful Fig Arugula Salad or Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad.
Add onion tomato gravy to make paneer tikka masala. For vegan version, use tofu instead of paneer.
Pro Tips
For the best tasting and EASY paneer tikka, follow these easy tips
- Marinate the paneer for at least 30 minutes or even overnight for deep flavors.
- Use only full fat or Greek yogurt to marinate the tikka mix. Low fat yogurt will leave the water in marinade and it will not stick to the pieces.
- Typically bright red tikka at restaurants comes from added red food color. I do not like using food colors. So bright golden orange it is.
- The longer you marinate, the flavorful and juicy your Paneer Tikka will turn out to be. So I prefer overnight marinade.
- I used only onion and colorful sweet peppers in the skewers but other sturdy veggies like zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms and baby corn also work.
- I prefer to use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil.
- Do not thread the pieces on skewers too close. If you do so, the sides that touch the other piece don't cook properly. Leave some space between each piece so everything cooks well and evenly.
- Also, do not overcrowd the skewers in the air-fryer basket or while grilling. Leave enough space between each skewer. Single layer is is perfect.
- This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
Paneer Curry Recipes
Besides this paneer tikka recipe, we also love Shahi Paneer, Paneer Butter Masala or Paneer Makhani, Paneer Jalfrezi, Achari Paneer and Palak Paneer. All these are wonderful Indian curry recipes. We also love bakery style Paneer Puff Pastry for appetizers.
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📖 Recipe
Paneer Tikka Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound paneer cut into 1-inch cubes - about 4 cups
- 1 cup sweet bell peppers cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large onion cut into 1-inch cubes
For Marinade
- ½ cup plain yogurt use full fat or Greek yogurt
- ½ Tablespoon ginger paste
- ½ Tablespoon garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder - adjust per taste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Kabab or Tandoori Masala
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt - adjust per taste
- 1 lemon juiced
Useful Kitchen Items
Instructions
Prepare and Marinate Paneer and Vegetables
- Cut the paneer into 1-inch cubes and peppers into 1-inch pieces. Slice the onion lengthwise and separate the petals.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl add yogurt, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, salt, red chili powder, garam masala, and kabab masala. Mix all the ingredients together to make the marinade.
- Add cut paneer, peppers, and onions to the marinade. Mix well so the marinade coats the paneer, peppers and onions well.
- Cover the bowl and allow it to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water. It prevents them from burning while grilling or air frying.
- Carefully thread the marinated paneer, peppers and onions on to the skewers. Leave some space between each piece so it evenly cooks from all angles.
How to Make Air Fryer Paneer Tikka
- Lightly spray or brush the air fryer basket with oil. Line the skewers inside the air fryer basket. Spray some oil over them.
- Cook for 5 minutes at 360°F (180° C). Turn the skewers, spray lightly with oil and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Grilling Paneer Tikka on Outdoor or Stove Top Grill
- Preheat the grill. Brush the grill with some oil. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning a few times so it chars and cooks well from all angles.
Making Paneer Tikka in the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit. Put the skewers on a baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425 Degrees Fahrenheit and broil the skewers for 3-4 minutes. This gives a nice blackened char on the top.
- Remove promptly and serve with desired garnishes. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Frequently Asked Questions
Most restaurants use red food color to make tikka look bright red. You can use Kashmiri red chili powder to make it red in color.
Paneer is a vegetarian protein + calcium source for non meat eaters. Paired with colorful veggies, this tikka recipe makes a wholesome and balanced meal. Each serving of this tikka is 10 gm of carbs and 18gm of plant protein.
Yes you can. Make sure to thaw it completely before marinating.
To thaw the paneer simply keep it in the refrigerator overnight. You can also keep it at room temperature or in warm water for an hour.
Paneer tikka is a grilled barbeque dish made from chunks of Indian cottage cheese marinated in spices and grilled in a tandoor or firepit.
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