Chicken Pakora – Fried Chicken in Chickpea Batter

Chicken pakora are chicken pieces that you marinate with spices, dip into a thick batter of chickpea flour and fry golden brown. In India and Pakistan they are served as a snack with tea and as an appetizer. The flour is called besan there, and the seasoning comes from ginger, garlic, garam masala and chili.

By Laura Chen · November 4, 2026

1 Std 10 Mintotal

4servings

390kcal

IndianCuisine ›

Jump to recipe

Use chicken thighs instead of breast. Thigh meat stays juicy when fried, while breast dries out quickly. Stir the batter thick enough that it clings to the meat and does not drip off. A few spoonfuls of rice flour in it make the crust crispier. Keep the oil at 170 °C (340 °F): at higher heat the batter browns before the chicken is cooked through. With a kitchen thermometer you do not have to guess.

A snack platter goes with samosas and a cold mango lassi. As a main dish with sauce, cook chicken tikka masala.

Image: AI-generated.

Chicken Pakora – Fried Chicken in Chickpea Batter

Name: Chicken Pakora – Fried Chicken in Chickpea Batter
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 500 g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, in 3 cm pieces; 2 garlic cloves, finely grated; 2 cm ginger, finely grated; 1 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (mild Indian chili powder); 1/2 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 100 g chickpea flour (besan); 2 tbsp rice flour; 1/2 tsp cumin seeds; 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds); 1 green chili, finely chopped; 2 tbsp chopped cilantro; 80 ml water; 1 l vegetable oil for frying; 150 g plain yogurt; 10 g fresh mint, finely chopped; 1 lemon, in wedges

Laura Chen

Servings

Prep time

45 minutes

Cook time

25 minutes

Calories

390

Cuisine

Indian

Ingredients

For the marinade:

500 g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, in 3 cm pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 cm ginger, finely grated
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (mild Indian chili powder)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice

For the batter:

100 g chickpea flour (besan)
2 tbsp rice flour
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
1 green chili, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
80 ml water

For frying and serving:

1 l vegetable oil for frying
150 g plain yogurt
10 g fresh mint, finely chopped
1 lemon, in wedges

Instructions

Mix the chicken with the garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, salt and lemon juice. Cover it and let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Stir together the chickpea flour, rice flour, cumin, ajwain, chili and cilantro. Stir in the water bit by bit until a thick batter forms that falls sluggishly from the spoon.
Add the marinated chicken, marinade included, to the batter and turn it until every piece is coated.
Heat the oil in a tall pot to 170 °C (340 °F). Check the temperature with a thermometer or a wooden spoon handle: small bubbles rise around it.
Lay 6 to 8 pieces one at a time in the oil and fry them for 5 to 6 minutes, until golden brown and 74 °C inside. Turn them once as they fry.
Lift the pakoras out with a skimmer and let them drain on paper towel. Fry the rest in batches.
Stir the yogurt and mint with a pinch of salt and serve the dip with lemon wedges alongside the hot pakoras.

Reviews

No reviews yet. Did you cook this recipe? Tell us how it turned out.

Chicken Pakora – Fried Chicken in Chickpea Batter

Ingredients

For the marinade:

For the batter:

For frying and serving:

Instructions

Reviews

Rate this recipe

Choose options

Chicken Pakora – Fried Chicken in Chickpea Batter

Ingredients

For the marinade:

For the batter:

For frying and serving:

Instructions

Reviews

Rate this recipe

New recipes by email