Hariyali Chicken Tikka (chicken hariyali kabab)– A scrumptious, Indian appetizer! Boneless chicken chunks marinated in a super flavorful and aromatic green spice paste and grilled to perfection!
Hariyali Chicken Tikka is featured in the menu’s of most restaurants all over India. As delicious as they are, they somehow get lost over the more popular chicken tikka and chicken malai tikka kebab’s. I love cilantro/coriander, and it happens to be one of my favorites, wait!! it is my favorite herb!
No dish is complete without a little sprinkle of this aromatic herb in my dishes. So obviously, this hariyali chicken tikka, marinated in a tantalizing and flavor-packed cilantro marinade, have always been amongst my favorites!
Table of Contents
What is hariyali?
For the uninitiated, Hariyali stands for green in Hindi, and murgh is chicken.
So what’s in this hariyali paste? It includes;
- Cilantro/coriander leaves
- Mint leaves
- Whole spices
- Ginger and garlic
- Cumin seeds
- Ground turmeric.
- You can add in other greens like spinach, fenugreek, scallion/spring onion greens, green bell peppers etc., also serves the purpose of sneaking in veggies to your fussy kids.
For this Indian style, green grilled chicken, add in whatever greens you like along with cilantro and mint and give this dish your own unique flavor. I’ve just stuck with cilantro and mint, added whole spices instead of ready-made garam masala for that extra flavor. These hariyali murgh tikka kebabs were juicy, succulent, with an intoxicating and delicious aroma, just like the restaurant ones.
If you are looking for a change from the regular chicken tikka, try this green kabab next time! If you love cilantro as much as we do, I bet you will love this recipe too!
You may also enjoy these Indian chicken starter recipes
Let’s move on to make this yummy hariyali chicken tikka dry recipe!
How to make hariyali chicken (murgh) tikka – Step by step instructions
Step 1: Marinate the chicken (1st marination)
Transfer 400 grams of chicken chunks into a sufficiently large bowl, add 1 teaspoon of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and marinate for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Hariyali spice paste
Meanwhile, make the green spice paste. Transfer 1/2 cup of cilantro, 1/4 cup of mint, 1/4-inch ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, 3 cloves, 4 peppercorns, 3 green cardamom, 1/2-inch cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, and 2-3 green chillies into the blender. Add about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of water, grind to a smooth paste.
Step 3: Marinate the chicken (2nd marination)
After the chicken has marinated for 30 minutes, add this ground green spice paste, 1 tablespoon of heavy cream/malai, 2 tablespoons of hung curd/greek yogurt, and 1 tablespoon oil to the chicken, mix well. Cover and let it marinate for about 4-5 hours or overnight for best results.
Step 4: Bake
Remove the chicken out from the refrigerator at least an hour prior to grilling. The chicken should be at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Skewer the chicken pieces, transfer to a baking tray lined with aluminum foil.
Bake for about 20 -25 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken pieces), turning once in between and basting with ghee until the chicken is cooked through. Broil for an additional 3-4 minutes to get that charred look. Serve hot with onion rings, salad, lime wedges, and a dip of your choice.
Note
Since this hariyali chicken tikka recipe is all about the green spice paste, you can add your own variations by including other greens like spinach, fenugreek, scallion/spring onion greens, green bell peppers etc.
β If you try this easy Punjabi hariyali chicken tikka, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in the comments. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too. Thanks so much π
You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter

Hariyali Chicken Tikka | Green Chicken Tikka Kebab
Ingredients
- 400 grams chicken breasts/thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
For the 1st marinade
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
For the 2nd marinade
- 1/2 cup cilantro/coriander leaves, along with tender stems
- 1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves
- 2 to 3 green chillies, adjust as per desired heat
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1/4 inch ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- Whole spices (3 cloves, 4 peppercorns, 3 green cardamom, 1/2 inch cinnamon)
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt/ hung curd
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream/ fresh malai
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Ghee, as required for basting
Instructions
- Transfer the chicken chunks into a sufficiently large bowl, add lime juice, ginger garlic paste and salt. Mix well and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the green spice paste. Transfer the cilantro, mint, ginger, garlic, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and green chillies into the blender. Add about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of water, grind to a smooth paste.
- After the chicken has marinated for 30 minutes, add this ground green spice paste, heavy cream/malai, hung curd/greek yogurt and oil to the chicken, mix well. Cover and let it marinate for about 4-5 hours or overnight for best results.
- Remove the chicken out from the refrigerator at least an hour prior to grilling. The chicken should be at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Skewer the chicken pieces, transfer to a baking tray lined with aluminum foil. Bake for about 20 -25 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken pieces), turning once in between and basting with ghee, until the chicken is cooked through. Broil for an additional 3-4 minutes to get that charred look.
- Serve hot with onion rings, salad, lime wedges and a dip of your choice.
Notes
I tried this recipe for a grill party over the weekend following the same procedure. The kebabs came out amazing. This is a great recipe and highly recommend it for those who haven’t tried it yet. Thanks Freda for sharing the knowledge.
Hey Prithi!! Thanks for trying out the recipe and sharing your feedback. I really appreciate it π
This is best recipe forever….I love it π
Glad you love it, Ravi! Thanks for sharing your feedback:)
Such beautiful meal, great post!:))
Thanks π
These really do look mouthwatering! By the end of summer I’m always looking for a fun easy kebab or other chicken recipe I haven’t already grilled – these would be perfect!
Mollie
These look and sound so delicious – and cilantro and mint together makes my mouth water just thinking of it. I’m always looking for a new marinade – thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Laura! hope you like it π
Adding cilantro and mint in kebabs always makes the dish so much more flavorful! Love this recipe π
True that! Thanks Shamira π
Cilantro is my favorite too; add a sprinkling of it on anything I can π Awesome share! The tikkas look amazing!!
Thanks a lot Vanitha π
Absolutely lipsmacking β€οΈ beautiful presentation sweetie!
This looks amazing Freda!
Thanks Vidya π
Beautiful Freda! Always love the green masala on chicken. It takes on all the flavors so well.
True, Loretta! Thanks a lot π
Excellent choice of spice n herbs that bring out the flavours n also moist
Thank Freda
Thanks Lallie π
Looks super good! love the colour on that…
Thanks Trupti π