Achaar chicken is a famous Pakistani dish which was made in my house growing up regularly. This is a much easier recipe than the original version of Achar Chicken and much healthier as well.
When I got married I learned my husband had never had it and knowing how picky he was I wanted to introduce it to him in a familiar manner. He was already a fan of tandoori chicken so I thought up of this variation and to my surprise it tasted even better than the original.
I use Shan Achar Ghosht Masala just like my family has for years and I must say it is my favorite.
The only problem with it is that this specific masala packet has a lot of whole spices in it. If you aren’t someone who minds that feel free to use the masala packet as is.
My husband is super picky when it comes to whole masalas so I make it a point to grind the masala in a spice grinder or coffee grinder before using it. It helps coat the chicken more evenly with flavor and we personally feel like the texture of a powder is better for the marinade.
There is no oil needed in this marinade since I am using chicken thighs, but if you use chicken breast or tenders, add 2 tablespoons of oil to your marinade.
Air-fryer Achaari Chicken
This is a prep ahead dish for me for those days when I have no time, I can just pull a bag of this marinated chicken out of my freezer and pop into our air fryer for a healthy protein packed dinner!
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless Chicken Thighs, cut in half
- 4 Cloves of Garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon of Ginger paste
- 1 pack of Shan Masala (Achar Gosht Flavor)
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 2/3 cup of Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of Honey for Drizzling
Instructions
- Cut boneless skinless Chicken thighs in half and pat them dry.
- In a spice grinder or coffee grinder add Shan masala packet and grind into a fine powder.
- In a large bowl mix ground ground Shan masala packet, ground, yogurt, ginger paste and garlic, honey and mix into a paste.
- Now add your cut and dried chicken to the paste and with clean hands or gloves, slather the masala paste onto all the chicken.
- Now you can either let this marinade or cook right away.
- As per your air-fryer settings, cook the chicken. I air-fry for 12 mins on each side or bake in an oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If you don't want to consume the chicken the same day or you want to make a big batch, you can place marinated chicken into freezer safe bags and freeze.
When air-frying the chicken, make sure you char the chicken slightly to get that smokey authentic flavor.
The honey can be left out but in my opinion it adds extra dimension and balances the salty spicy flavors without sweetening the dish.
This can definitely be made with Chicken breast as well, its all about preference.
Make sure you grind the masala packet or else its too grainy in this application.
Instead of air-frying you can also bake the chicken at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
Chicken achari is a Pakistani chicken curry with various spices including fennel, nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds, and dried mango (amchur) powder. Achari chicken is traditionally served gravy style with rice or naan, however this is a healthier, dry, baked version. Achari chicken tastes spicy and bold as it uses many of the same spices as traditional Indian pickle, so when you eat it, you taste many of the same notes. You make dry achari chicken by marinating it in traditional achari chicken masala, but omitting the tomatoes and onions, and baking it instead of cooking it on a stove top. Dry Achari Chicken FAQs
What is chicken achari?
What does achari chicken taste like?
How do you make dry achari chicken?
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