Name: Paneer Tikka (Oven & Stove Top)
Prep time: 140 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 160 min
Ingredients: 200 grams paneer (cubed); 1 large onion (cubed); 1/2 green bellpepper (cubed); 1/2 red or yellow pepper (cubed); 150 grams (hung curd, whisked well.); 2-3 teaspoons oil; 1 teaspoon garam masala powder; 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala or amchur; 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste or crushed ginger garlic; 2 teaspoons kashmiri chili powder; 1 teaspoon coriander powder; Black salt or regular salt; 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

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Last updated on July 11th, 2020

Make best ever paneer tikka just like your favorite restaurants with my tried and tested recipe. This is an easy recipe to make tikka in both oven or stove top. Serve piping hot, I mean for real piping hot with a side of green chutney, sliced onions, loads of lemon wedges and of course your fav drink!

So What Is Paneer Tikka?

Tandoori paneer tikka is popular vegetarian starter made with paneer. Marinated paneer cubes are skewered along with vegetables lime onions and peppers.

The skewers are grilled in traditional clay oven known as tandoor. The resulting paneer appetizer is super delicious, juicy with signature chars and smoky flavor from the hot tandoor.

Now not everyone of us will have tandoor at home. So I have come up with this easy paneer tikka recipe in oven as well as on stove top.

With some tips and tricks we can easily make this grilled paneer starter at home just as good as restaurants.

Paneer tikka is for vegetarians as it is chicken tikka for non vegetarians. There are two variations of this recipe, dry and gravy. Both are real treat for tandoori food lovers.

Making paneer tikka in oven is easy and mess free. Slightly charred paneer cubes along with bell peppers and onions are a delight to eat especially if you have that green chutney.

I make this paneer starter often at home as it is one of the easy way to get some calcium in our diet. Especially when you use homemade paneer, curd and good quality spices this paneer starter is tasty as well as healthy.

This is a really easy and simple recipe that you will love once you try. This colorful and attractive skewer will be well received by kids too.

Please note that there are no artificial colors used in this homemade paneer tikka. Also I have made it less spicy for the kid so the color is a bit light than compared to restaurants ones.

Apart from serving as starter you can use these tikka in sandwiches, as topping in pulao, to make pizza or in paneer wraps too.

As mentioned above it is a vegetarian alternate to popular chicken tikka just like

This Paneer Tikka Recipe Is

Absolutely delicious and flavorful

Smoky, succulent and met in mouth

Better than restaurants

versatile recipe that you can make in oven as well as stove top

Best appetizer for paneer lovers

Always a hit with kids (just reduce spice though)

How To Make Paneer Tikka

To make this paneer tikka at home easily just follow three simple steps.

marinate paneer
skewer them
grill and enjoy 🙂

Marinating Paneer:

This is first step in this recipe. You marinate the soft paneer cubes in a mix of thick curd and spice powders.

This marination is what that gives excellent taste and flavor to paneer tikka. The marination procedure is standard and remains the same for most of the tikka recipes.

Of course there will be some variations like hariyali tikka, achari tikka but mostly the marination is standard.

The marinade for paneer tikka is a spicy and flavorful one made with a special spice blend called tandoori masala powder.

But I never use that masala powder in my recipes. Just a couple of good old Indian spice powders are enough for this marinade.

Let the paneer cubes marinate for 2-3 hours for a deep favored tikka.

Skewer the paneer cubes:

Next step is to skewer the marinated paneer cubes along with veggies. I prefer to use bamboo skewers for this.

Skewer the paneer cubes and also cubed peppers and onions. I prefer to marinate the veggies also.

Grill The skewers:

Now this step is for those who have an oven at home.

Preheat your oven at the maximum temperature available for 15 minutes.

Place the skewers on a foiled baking sheet and grill for 10 minutes.

Slightly turn the skewers and grill for another 6-7 minutes.

If you have broil option you can broil for last 2 minutes too.

Let the tikka cool for sometime and then serve.

Making Paneer Tikka On Stove Top

Now if you do not have an oven at home then you can easily make this recipe on stove top. Just follow the steps for marinating the paneer cubes and skewering them.

Heat a thick cast iron tava with a quick spray of oil. Once the tava is hot, place the skewers and cook. Keep turning the skewers for uniform cooking from all the sides.

You can also make them without skewering as in this grilled paneer recipe. Also you can use a stove top grill pan if available.

Can We Make Paneer Tikka In Microwave?

Just follow the steps of marinating and skip skewering.

Arrange the marinated cubes on MW safe shallow dish.

Microwave for 3 minutes on high.

Tips For Making Best Paneer Tikka

Use best quality for paneer as in any paneer recipe.

I always prefer to use homemade paneer for paneer tikka recipe.

Next I prefer to make hung curd from homemade curd that is not sour. You can also plain greek yogurt

Use kashmiri red chilii powder for a deep color without too much heat.

While making in oven you can grill or use rotate and bake option if it is available in your oven.

You can also bake in a foil covered tray for 18-20 minutes. Just make to turn the skewer after baking for 10 minutes.

While making on tava

It is best to use well seasoned cast iron tava for paneer tikka as it will heat up well and also retain the heat for long time.

Add some gram flour to the marinade if frying in tava.

Always maintain medium flame and keep watching.

Grease the tava very well with oil. Cook the paneer and vegetables until the masala is well cooked and the corners shrink.

Variations and Recipe Notes:

If you do not want to use paneer cubes in this recipe then you can substitute it with tofu cubes or even halloumi cubes.

Instead of dairy curd cashew curd can be used.

Make sure to use a foil to catch the drips while grilling.

To save time you can prepare the marinade a day ahead and refrigerate. You can also freeze for a week and grill when required.

So I hope you will try this super easy paneer tikka and tell me how it turned out. Don’t you want to try it out today just by looking at those perfectly charred smoky paneer cubes?

Serve paneer tikka with green chutney and some lemon wedges. This makes for a perfect nibbler with drink of your choice.

More paneer Recipes:

Step By Step Method

For The Marinade:

Take hung curd in a mixing bowl and whisk well.

Add crushed ginger garlic, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt.

Mix Very Well. Make sure that the spice powders are properly mixed.

Add the paneer and vegetables cubes and mix well. You can even toss well to coat the masala.

Cover and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours. You can even refrigerate over night.

In the mean time soak 3-4 bamboo skewers in water for 2 hours.

Making Paneer Tikka:

After 2 hours, the marinade would have well coated the paneer cubes.

Now arrange them in the skewer as required.

Cover a baking tray with foil and place the skewers. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

In the mean time preheat your oven at highest available temperature (240 or 250 degree celsius).

Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. remove the tray and rotate the skewers.

Bake again for 10 more minutes until the paneer cubes are charred a bit and veggies wilt a bit.

Cool for 2-3 minutes. Serve paneer tikka with green chutney.

I hope you will try this easy paneer tikka recipe and enjoy as much as we did.

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Comments

Chitra says

January 4, 2019 at 5:47 pm

Awesome. Sometimes my marination is oozing out. I have not refrigerated after mixing. I used Greek yogurt. Not hung one. Is this the problem for oozing.
Harini says

January 7, 2019 at 6:48 pm

You should refrigerate the marination to prevent oozing out. You can use Greek yogurt it is ok.
pavitra says

February 5, 2019 at 2:33 pm

Look so yum/ I always order paneer tikka in restaurants. So excited I can make it at home. I am a college student and your recipes just inspire me to cook. Kudos to you!

Paneer Tikka (Oven & Stove Top)