Delicious classic Indian delight, easy Chicken Pakora recipe made with tender chicken thigh, crispy batter and simple cupboard-friendly spices. You can recreate the most popular Indian takeaway appetiser at home with this quick recipe.
If you love Indian restaurants and takeaways' style appetisers, you must try out our Fish Pakora and King Prawn Butterfly recipes.
This pakora is so easy to prepare, all ingredients can be bought at local supermarkets and grocery stores. You can whip up a big batch of chicken pakoras without much hassle.
Jump to:
What is Chicken Pakora?
Pakora is a popular Indian appetiser snack also known as pakoda. Chicken pakora is a battered chicken made with gram flour, spices, and water, and deep-fried to crispy golden perfection.
It's typically served as a savoury snack, an appetiser, or a side dish. It perfectly goes well with a dipping sauce like Raita, Indian onion salad and a Chai tea. Perfect finger food to serve at parties, gatherings, celebrations or at tea time!
Even though chicken pakora is a deep-fried dish, it's so tasty, satisfying! Every family recipe has their own little twist, some are spicier, some are a little crispier. Now let's start cooking!
Ingredients you'll need
Chicken
- Chicken thigh - I love to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they stay tender even after deep frying. You can also use chicken breast, fish fillets, prawns, vegetables, etc.
Want to give it a go with vegetables? Check out my Vegetable Pakora recipe for an alternative!
For the Batter
- Gram flour or chickpea flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Cold water
Spices & Herbs
- Chilli powder
- Turmeric
- Cumin
- Garam masala
- Dried Fenugreek leaves ( Kasuri Methi )
- Herbs - Ginger, garlic, green chillies
- Salt to taste
- Cooking oil - high smoke point oil for deep frying.
How to make Chicken Pakora?
- First, cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces and place them in the large mixing bowl.
- Add garlic paste, ginger paste, chilli powder, turmeric, cumin powder, curry powder, dried fenugreek leaves, lime juice, and salt to taste.
- Mix it well, cover it, and marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Next, add gram flour, cornstarch, and baking soda to the marinated chicken.
- Add water gradually and combine everything well, until it forms a smooth, thick, sticky batter. Set it aside for 15 minutes.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, drop the chicken pieces using a spoon.
- Fry the chicken pakoras for 3-4 minutes or until the inside meat is fully cooked and the batter is crispy and golden brown.
- Remove them from the oil and transfer them to a cooling rack or a paper towel. Serve with yoghurt, mint sauce, or a choice of dipping sauce.
Note: Rest the batter for at least 15 minutes before frying. This will allow the batter to absorb the flavour, become thicker, and easier to handle.
Pro Tips to Make it Perfect
- Frying oil: Oil temperature should be around 180°C/350°F. No thermometer? Drop in a bit of batter or a wooden spoon, and if it sizzles, you’re good to go. Too hot and they burn, and too cool and they soak up oil.
- Batter basics: It should be thick and sticky, not runny. Add water slowly and adjust with more gram flour if needed. Always use cold water for an extra crisp coating!
- Marinate well: Give it at least 30 mins, or even an hour in a fridge if you can, it really boosts the flavour.
- Cut evenly: Use small, bite-sized chicken pieces so everything cooks through at the same time.
- Perfect fry: Don’t overcrowd the pan, work in batches. Skim off crumbs with a mesh strainer between batches to keep the oil clean.
- Want extra crispy pakoras? Try the double-frying method, it’s optional but seriously worth it.
- Boost the flavour: Toss in crushed extra flakes, chopped curry leaves, or coriander for a spicier kick.
Pairing Suggestions
Chicken pakora is delicious on its own, but even better with the right dipping sauce pairing! Simple mint yoghurt sauce, easy raita, tamarind chutney, sweet chilli sauce, or hot chilli sauce all work beautifully. Pair it with Chilli Chips for a tasty combo!
Serve it with delicious curries like butter chicken, Indian potato curry, Indian beef curry, or Chana Bhaji, along with rice, naan, or roti for a full, comforting meal.
Prep Ahead & Leftovers
Planning ahead?
- You can prepare the marinade and batter a few hours earlier. Just keep it chilled in the fridge and fry it just before serving.
- Want to go one step further? You can fry the pakoras once, let them cool down, and fry them again right before serving.
For the leftovers
Got leftovers? You can pop them in the fridge and reheat them when you are ready:
- Air fryer or oven: Reheat them in an oven at 190°C /375°F for about 8-10 minutes or in an air fryer 180°C/350°F for about 3-5 minutes to get the crisp back.
- Quick refry: Toss them back in the hot oil for just a minute or two to revive the crispiness.
- Microwave: It works too, but I do not recommend it as they'll turn out a bit softer in texture.
Some Quick FAQs
Use high smoke point neutral oil like sunflower, canola, vegetable, peanut oil, etc. These oils are commonly used for deep frying, and they don't overpower the flavour of the food.
Yes! Just generously spray cooking oil over the chicken pieces and bake at 200°C/390°F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway until golden and crispy. Make sure the batter is not too wet and runny. The batter should be thick and sticky if you want to bake or air fry pakoras.
Definitely! Preheat your air fryer to 180°C/350°F and spray a little oil on the pakoras. Air fry for about 10-12 minutes, flipping or shaking halfway through.
It helps puff them up a little and gives a lighter, crispier texture. Just a small pinch is enough, and don’t overdo it!
Yes, you can. Fry them once, let them cool, and freeze in a single layer. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag. When ready to eat, fry again straight from frozen or air fry at 180°C/350°F for 10-12 mins or until crispy and cooked through.
More Indian appetisers
From Keema Samosa to Chicken Kebab Recipe, find more classic Indian sides and starters here:
If you enjoyed this easy chicken pakora recipe, share feedback in the comments below and leave a 🌟 rating! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
For more tasty recipes and kitchen inspiration, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest.
I post fresh updates daily, so don’t miss out! Subscribe to my newsletter, hit the follow button and stay tuned for more tasty ideas! 🔔
📖 Recipe
Chicken Pakora Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken & marinade
- 400 gram Chicken thigh Boneless chicken thigh or breast ( About 14 oz )
- 1 tbsp Garlic paste Grated garlic
- 2 tsp Ginger paste Grated ginger
- 2-3 Green chillies Cut thin slices ( optional )
- 1 tsp Kasuri Methi Dried fenugreek leaves ( optional )
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Chilli powder or paprika powder
- 1 tsp Cumin powder Zeera or jeera powder
- 1 tsp Garam masala or curry powder
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice Or lime juice
- 1½ tsp Salt Or salt to taste
Batter ingredients
- 8-10 tbsp Gram flour Or chickpea flour
- 4-6 tbsp Corn starch Or rice flour
- ¼ tsp Baking soda Or baking powder
- 2-3 tbsp Water Add more water if needed
Other ingredients
- Oil for frying Vegetable or neutral flavour oil
- Coriander for garnish
Instructions
- First cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces and place them in the large mixing bowl.
- Add garlic paste, ginger paste, chilli powder, turmeric, cumin powder, curry powder, green chillies, dried fenugreek leaves, lime juice, and salt to taste. Mix it well and marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Next, add gram flour, cornstarch, and baking soda into the marinated chicken. Add water gradually and combine everything well, until it forms a smooth, thick, and sticky batter. Set it aside for 15 mins.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, drop the chicken pieces by using a spoon.
- Fry the chicken pakoras for 3-4 minute or the inside meat is fully cooked and the batter is crispy golden brown.
- Remove them from oil and transfer to a cooling rack or a paper towel. Serve with yoghurt mint sauce or a choice of dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- Dipping sauce: Great with yoghurt mint sauce, tamarind chutney, sweet chilli or hot chilli sauce.
- Gram flour ( Chana dal flour ) substitute: Use chickpea flour (Besan).
- Cornstarch substitute: Rice flour works well for the crispiness.
- Batter Tips: Use cold water and add water gradually. Don't pour it all at once. Batter should be thick and sticky, not watery. Rest the batter at least 15 minutes before frying.
- Frying Tips: Fry in batches and do not overcrowd the pan. Use a high smoke point oil like sunflower, canola, peanut oil, etc.
- Food colouring: For a takeaway and restaurant-style look, you can add a few drops of natural red food colouring ( optional ).
- Reheating: Reheat in an air fryer or oven for the best results, or quickly fry in hot oil. Do not recommend the microwave.
Comments
No Comments