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Home » Recipes » Dinner » Indian

Published: Dec 16, 2020. Post Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Home » Recipes » Dinner » Indian

Tawa Chicken – Easy Street Food Style Desi Chicken

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Tawa Chicken – Easy Street Food Style Desi Chicken - Tawa Chicken is a Famous Street Punjabi recipe that has the most delicious marinade! It includes a double marinade -the first one with a few simple ingredients and the second one includes a yoghurt and cream based marinade. The Chicken is then cooked on a flat pan (tawa pan or griddle) before being garnished with coriander and chillies.

Tawa Chicken in plate

Why You’ll Love This Tawa Chicken Traybake

Authentic tawa-style flavour – With that signature spicy, tangy masala.
High protein – Great for family dinners or meal prep.
Versatile – Serve with naan, rice, or even wrapped in flatbread for a delicious roll.

What is Tawa Chicken?

Traditionally, Tawa Chicken is a dry chicken curry cooked on a large, flat griddle or Tawas — often seen sizzling at roadside dhabas and food stalls across India and Pakistan. This popular street food comes with a bold masala that is rich and thick and clings to the Chicken.

If you don’t have a tawa, you can use a Cast Iron flat skillet or concave round shaped pan usually used for making Rotis/Chapatis. You can also use a frying pan or wok.

This recipe can be made with Spatchcocked Chicken too! 

Ingredients you need

Full quantities in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick list:

For the first marinade:

Full Chicken Legs (you can also use thighs and drumsticks that are not attached), Vinegar, Salt, Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste, Green Chilli Paste


For the second marinade:

Plain Yoghurt, Cream (Double aka Heavy Cream), Salt, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Chilli Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Chilli Flakes, Kasuri Methi (Dry Fenugreek - optional), Ground Black Pepper

Other Ingredients:

Oil

How to Make Tawa Chicken

Step 1: Marinade the Chicken for the first marinade

Make deep slashed all over the Chicken legs and add to a large bowl.
Marinade in Vinegar, Salt, Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste and Green Chilli Paste.
Set aside for 30 minutes.

Chicken with Garlic, Ginger and Green Chilli in bowl

 

Step 2: Make the second marinade

To the Chicken add - Yoghurt, Cream, Salt, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Chilli Flakes, Dry Fenugreek, Ground Black Pepper. Mix throughly.
Set aside for 1 hour.

Second marinade ingredients in bowl with Chicken

Step 3: Cook the Chicken on high to sear it

Add Oil to a Tawa. Once hot, add the Chicken (reserve the marinade from the bowl) and cook on high heat for 2 minutes each side.

Step 4: Add remaining marinade from bowl

Add remaining marinade from the bowl. Cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes.
Turn the heat up, remove the lid and cook for 5 minutes. Check if the Chicken is fully cooked through.

Chicken cooking on tawa

Step 5: Garnish

Scatter with chopped Coriander, Lemon Juice and sliced green Chillies.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use bone-in chicken: It stays juicy and flavourful.
  • Don’t skip the yoghurt: It tenderises the meat and gives richness to the masala.
  • Cook uncovered on high to begin with: This helps get a little char and intensifies the flavours.
  • Crank up the heat at the end: This makes the outer layer slightly crispy and gives it does texture.
  • Skip the Fenugreek - If you don't have Dry Fenugreek, skip it. It adds an earthiness but isn’t absolutely necessary.

What to Serve with Tawa Chicken

This dish is super versatile.  This recipe is delicious served with Plain/Garlic Naan or 2 ingredient Naan, Rotis, with Jeera Rice, Ninja Foodi Rice or Basmati Rice.

Great sides include Kachumber Salad or Onion Raita and Pickles/Achaars.

Storage/Make Ahead Instructions

Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 5 days.

Freezer: Freeze cooled chicken pieces and masala for up to 3 months.

Reheat: Warm in the oven or microwave until piping hot. Add a splash of water if needed.

More Delicious South Indian Chicken Recipes:

Chicken Makhani

Best Indian Chicken Curry With Yoghurt

Easy Boneless Chicken Curry

Chicken Hyderabadi

Chicken Handi

did you make this recipe? i'd love to hear about it! did you try any variations? if you loved this recipe/tried any variations/have some top tips, please comment below. please leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. you can also follow us on instagram and subscribe to our newsletter to get our latest recipes.

Tawa Chicken in plate

Tawa Chicken – Easy Street Food Style Desi Chicken

Safira
Tawa Chicken – Easy Street Food Style Desi Chicken - Tawa Chicken is a Famous Street Punjabi recipe that has the most delicious marinade! It includes a double marinade -the first one with a few simple ingredients and the second one includes a yoghurt and cream based marinade. The Chicken is then cooked on a flat pan (tawa pan or griddle) before being garnished with coriander and chillies.
5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Course Dinner, Lunch, Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine Indian, Punjabi, South Indian
Servings 6
Calories 286 kcal

Ingredients
  

First Marinade

  • 700 g Chicken Legs Slashed all over
  • 2 tablespoon Vinegar Any
  • 1 tablespoon Ginger Paste
  • 1 tablespoon Garlic Paste
  • 1 tablespoon Green Chilli Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Salt

Second Marinade

  • 200 g Plain Yoghurt
  • 125 ml Double Cream Heavy Cream
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Chilli Flakes
  • 1 tablespoon Kasuri Methi (Dry Fenugreek) Optional
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Other

  • 2-3 tablespoon Oil Vegetable or similar
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Instructions
 

  • Marinade the Chicken for the first marinade
    Make deep slashes all over the Chicken legs and add to a large bowl.Marinade in Vinegar, Salt, Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste and Green Chilli Paste.Set aside for 30 minutes.
  • Make the second marinade
    To the Chicken add - Yoghurt, Cream, Salt, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Chilli Flakes, Dry Fenugreek, Ground Black Pepper. Mix throughly.Set aside for 1 hour.
  • Cook the Chicken on high to sear it
    Add Oil to a Tawa. Once hot, add the Chicken (reserve the marinade from the bowl) and cook on high heat for 2 minutes each side.
  • Add remaining marinade from bowl
    Add remaining marinade from the bowl. Cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes.Turn the heat up, remove the lid and cook for 5 minutes. Check if the Chicken is fully cooked through.
  • Garnish
    Scatter with chopped Coriander, sliced green Chillies and Lemon Juice.

Notes

Tips and Tricks

  • Use bone-in chicken: It stays juicy and flavourful.
  • Don’t skip the yoghurt: It tenderises the meat and gives richness to the masala.
  • Cook uncovered on high to begin with: This helps get a little char and intensifies the flavours.
  • Crank up the heat at the end: This makes the outer layer slightly crispy and gives it does texture.
  • Skip the Fenugreek - If you don't have Dry Fenugreek, skip it. It adds an earthiness but isn’t absolutely necessary.

What to Serve with Tawa Chicken

This dish is super versatile.  This recipe is delicious served with Plain/Garlic Naan or 2 ingredient Naan, Rotis, with Jeera Rice, Ninja Foodi Rice or Basmati Rice.
Great sides include Kachumber Salad or Onion Raita and Pickles/Achaars.

Storage/Make Ahead Instructions

Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 5 days.
Freezer: Freeze cooled chicken pieces and masala for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Warm in the oven or microwave until piping hot. Add a splash of water if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 13gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 677mgPotassium: 239mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 558IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Tawa Chicken, Tawa Chicken Fry
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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hey...I’m safira! I share accessible Global Recipes as well as Baking recipes for home cooks. One of my passions is to teach home cooks to become more confident in the kitchen and this comes with time and experience.

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