Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Wrap

These Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Wraps offer a tasty twist on plain sandwiches. Chicken tikka kebabs are soaked in a rich marinade and then swiftly prepared in the air fryer, which keeps them soft and juicy.

Chicken tikka masala is usually chicken that’s marinated, threaded onto skewers, and cooked in a tandoor, a clay oven fired by wood or charcoal. The intense heat of the oven sears the meat, leaving it with a rustic scent and a touch of smokiness.

Making chicken tikka masala in an air fryer delivers comparable flavor without needing a tandoor. The chicken chunks are soaked in a blend of yogurt and spices. That marinade softens the meat and works flavor into every bite.

If you’d rather skip the air fryer, you can also prepare this chicken on a grill or in a grill pan on the stovetop.

Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Wraps are tucked into a soft flour tortilla (or even better, homemade roti, naan bread, or another flatbread), with chutney and crisp vegetables, making chicken tikka a very satisfying meal. 

What is an Air fryer chicken tikka wrap?

Classic Chicken Tikka is chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, then skewered and cooked in a clay oven. For this wrap, I’ve cooked the chicken in the airfryer.

This Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Wrap brings together that mouthwatering chicken with veggies and chutney in a wrap that’s simple to eat. I’ve used tortillas here because they’re easy to find, but homemade Garlic Naan, roti, or any other flat bread would be even nicer. You could even use pita bread if that’s what you have on hand.

Why this recipe works so well

Chicken Tikka is typically marinated chicken pieces that are skewered and cooked in a tandoor or on a grill.

Here, the marinated chicken is instead cooked in the air fryer. You still end up with incredibly tender and juicy chicken, but it’s faster and simpler.

Soaking the chicken in the yogurt sauce gives it deep flavor and also helps tenderize it, making it extra soft.

Turning it into a tandoori chicken tikka wrap makes it convenient to eat and simple to pack for lunch or take along on the move. Chicken tikka wraps also work wonderfully as a fast weeknight dinner.

If you want a lower-carb option, you can skip the wrap entirely and serve the chicken tikka over a salad.

What ingredients do you need to make this tandoori chicken tikka wrap?

The ingredient list for these chicken wraps might look lengthy, but it’s mostly spices you may already have in your pantry. Here’s what you need:

What is kasuri methi?

Kasuri mehti, also known as kasoori methi, are dried fenugreek leaves. Their taste has been likened to a mix of celery and fennel. You can buy kasuri methi online or at Indian grocery stores. If you can’t locate it, use chopped fresh celery leaves instead or simply leave it out.

How do you make this wrap?

This wrap is very simple to make. Here’s the method:

1. Begin by making the marinade for the tandoori chicken tikka. Heat the mustard oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the gram flour and cook it until fragrant, which takes only a few seconds.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, chili powder, kasuri methi, coriander, salt, pepper, and lime juice or lemon juice.
3. Pour in the prepared mustard oil and gram flour mixture, then blend well.
4. Add the chicken pieces, bell peppers, and onion, then toss until everything is evenly coated.
5. Cover the bowl, place it in the refrigerator, and let it marinate for about 1 hour.
6. When ready to cook, lightly brush the air fryer basket with butter or spray it with oil. Lay the chicken pieces in a single layer in the basket (depending on your air fryer size, you may need to cook in more than 1 batch). Spray the tops of the chicken pieces with oil or brush them with butter.
7. Cook at 350°F for 4 minutes or until deep golden brown. Continue until all of the chicken is cooked. Transfer the chicken from the air fryer to a plate.
8. Then place the marinated peppers and onion in the basket and cook at 350°F for 3 ·  Warm the tortillas or other flatbread in a skillet over medium heat.
9. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and chutney together.
10. To put the wraps together, spread some of the mayo-chutney mixture on a tortilla or flatbread. Add some chicken pieces and some of the vegetables on top. Finish with the lettuce, as well as the tomatoes,cucumber, cilantro, or any other garnishes you’re using.
11. Encase the tortilla or flatbread around the filling, then serve your air fryer chicken wrap right away.

Tips for Success

1. Do not leave out marinating the chicken. The yogurt-based marinade is what makes chicken tikka so tasty. The yogurt has enzymes that help break down the chicken, making it extra tender and also helping the flavors of all the spices sink deeply into the meat. Ideally, you’ll marinate it for an hour. After that, the meat may begin to turn mushy.
2. Choose the highest-quality spices you can and be sure they are fresh. Spices gradually lose their intensity over time, so if you’re using seasonings that are more than about 6 months old, it may be time to refresh your pantry.
3. You can use flour tortillas or any flatbread you prefer to make these wraps. If you have time to make your own homemade roti or can buy them from an Indian market, that’s even better.
4. For the sauce on the wrap, you can use mayonnaise or swap in Greek yogurt.

My favorite air fryers

There are lots of excellent air fryers on the market these days. These are my two favorites, one basket style and one oven style.

COSORI MAX XL AIR FRYER

NINJA FOODI DIGITAL AIR FRY 13-IN-1 AIR FRYER COUNTERTOP OVEN

Either option will work nicely with this recipe.

What to serve with chicken tikka wraps

I enjoy serving these chicken wraps for lunch or dinner. They make a complete meal on their own, but I often pair them with Dal soup, Cilantro Mint Chutney, and Cucumber Raita.

If you’d like to offer more Indian dishes on the side, try my Palak Paneer or Instant Pot Palak Paneer.