Tandoori Paneer Tikka

Tandoori Paneer Tikka is the recipe that gets me excited for BBQ season! Chunks of paneer & crunchy vegetables are smothered in my homemade tandoori sauce marinade then grilled to smoky perfection. I serve it restaurant style with Indian mint yogurt sauce.

Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published in March 2012. I’ve added new images and helpful content, the recipe remains the same.

Paneer tikka the sets benchmark for Indian BBQ food. Perfect paneer tikka is lightly charred on the outside, soft and creamy inside, with a spiced marinade that clings like a savoury crust.

In my opinion, this homemade version comes as close (or even better) than what you would find at an Indian restaurant. You'll generally find paneer tikka alongside other appetisers such as onion bhajis and malai broccoli.

Traditionally, paneer tikka is cooked in a clay oven, known as a tandoor. To recreate the smoky flavours, most will use their BBQ. The sound of the sizzle and the smoky smell is totally irresistible!

To make it in the kitchen, I char the paneer directly over the flame. The marinade blisters and the paneer darkens at the edges.

However, the air fryer, oven or a stovetop tawa do an "okay" job. I'm not as keen on these methods because the paneer becomes chewy and that isn't the effect we're going for.

Ingredients Notes and Tips

Paneer - I'm the first to champion homemade BUT for tandoori paneer, I find store-bought is so much better. It's firmly set and holds it's shape really well on heating. I find that homemade paneer tends to crumble. I use the paneer found in the chilled section of Indian grocery stores.

If you can't find paneer near you, a decent alternative is my tandoori halloumi tikka which has similar textures.

Pat the paneer dry to prevent sogginess. I also find that damp paneer sticks. Brushing oil over the tikka generously prevents this too.

Vegetables - I like to use green peppers and red onion. Generally, restaurants will use a variation of these. I cut them into equal size as the paneer so everything cooks equally.

Tandoori marinade - all the flavour comes from this marinade. Kashmiri chilli powder is better for vibrant colour without too much heat, and a little chaat masala and lemon juice brings that tanginess. Plain yogurt works best IMO - I've tried with thick Greek yogurt but it coats the paneer too heavily.

Over the past few summers that I have made this recipe, I've made little changes to the marinate. My tried and tested technique to get the marinade to really stick and cling to the veggies is to use besan. To get the paneer and veggies crispy, restaurant style, I also add in a bit of rice flour.

For ease, you may want to use shop bought tandoori spice mix or keep a jar of this homemade tandoori masala ready.

Oil - A touch of mustard oil (warmed slightly) adds that signature smoky sharpness, but any neutral oil works in a pinch.

Don't skip on the marination time to let the flavours meld.

Serving Ideas

The most common way to serve is with green mint and coriander chutney and crunchy tomato, cucumber kachumber salad on the side.

I’ve noticed that many Indian fine dining restaurants are now pairing tandoori paneer tikka with fruity flavours - and I love the idea! A punchy South Indian pineapple chutney or a tangy pickled mango (amba) sauce would be perfect accompaniments.

Use paneer tikka in other recipes such as paneer tikka masala or paneer tikka biryani. Try my tandoori paneer galette on Thanksgiving.

If I'm preparing paneer tikka for Diwali or dinner parties, I go for this creamy and luxurious Malai Paneer Tikka with cream and saffron.

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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