Chicken Pakora Recipe
Marinated chicken, fried in chickpea batter
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Marinated Chicken
Chickpea (Besan) Batter & Coating
For Frying & Finishing
Dipping Sauce (optional)
Method
Marinated Chicken
Prepare and marinate
Trim chicken pieces of excess fat and pat dry. In a mixing bowl combine yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, kosher salt, lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Add the chicken pieces and toss thoroughly so each piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours (longer will increase flavor).
Chickpea (Besan) Batter & Coating
Make the batter
In a separate bowl whisk together chickpea flour, rice flour, baking powder, ajwain (or cumin seeds), salt and black pepper. Stir in the optional chopped green chili and chopped cilantro. Gradually add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, whisking until you have a thick, smooth batter that can coat pieces of chicken without running off completely. The consistency should be like a thick pancake batter — adjust with small amounts of water if needed.
Combine marinated chicken and batter
Remove marinated chicken from fridge. If marinade is very wet, shake off excess but keep the marinade clinging to the chicken. Add the chicken pieces into the besan batter and toss so every piece is evenly coated. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
Frying & Finishing
Heat the oil
Pour oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet to a depth of 2–3 inches (about 3/4 to 1 inch in shallow pans) and heat over medium-high heat. Use a thermometer if available — oil temperature should reach between 170–180°C (340–360°F). If you don't have a thermometer, test with a small drop of batter: it should sizzle and rise slowly without burning immediately.
Fry the pakoras
Carefully lower a few coated chicken pieces into the hot oil using a slotted spoon or tongs; do not overcrowd (work in batches of 6–8 depending on pot size). Fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 6–9 minutes per batch depending on piece size. Internal temperature of chicken should reach 74°C (165°F). Adjust heat as needed to keep oil between 170–180°C.
Drain and season
Use a slotted spoon to remove fried pakoras and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray to drain. Immediately sprinkle with a little chaat masala or extra salt and squeeze lemon over them if desired. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces, reheating oil to proper temperature between batches.