Here I’ll show you the most incredible way to make a copycat version of the McDonald’s Crispy Chicken Tikka Wrap!
By this point, I am a chicken tikka wrap connoisseur with the number of times I’ve ordered it from McDonald’s. As it’s a limited edition item, I felt it was my duty to come up with the most delicious homemade version and dare I say, it ended up better than the real thing. Follow me…
Chicken Tikka Marinade
Where I differ from McDonald’s is we’re going to be making tikka-flavoured tenders, as opposed to regular tenders. And yes, crispy chicken tikka truly is as good as it sounds.
Like all good crispy chicken, we’ll be marinating the tenders in a simple bath of deliciousness. Such deliciousness includes:
- Buttermilk – this offers the perfect consistency to allow the batter to attach to the chicken. It’s also slightly acidic, so it tenderises the meat as it rests.
- Egg – helps ensure the batter doesn’t fall off as it fries.
- Ginger and Garlic – essential flavours for chicken tikka.
- Spices – this recipe only uses simple, store-bought spices (full list in the recipe card below).
I like to marinate the tenders overnight, but 2-4 hours is great.
Process shots: add marinade ingredients to bowl (photo 1), whisk (photo 2), add tenders (photo 3), toss then marinate in the fridge (photo 4).
Crispy Chicken Tikka
Dredging the chicken through flour is a crucial step in creating truly crispy chicken. It’s often an overlooked step.
To create insanely crispy chicken, you need to really work the flour into the chicken to create lots of craggy, flaky bits. It’s those bits that crisp up beautifully in the oil. I like to literally ‘squeeze’ the flour into the chicken and shake off excess.
Process shots: combine spices, baking powder and flour (photo 1), add chicken (photo 2), coat (photo 3), shake excess (photo 4).
Fried Chicken Tikka
We will indeed be frying the chicken, but because they’re only tenders:
a) You won’t need a huge pot of oil.
b) They’ll cook through pretty quickly.
Just make sure you work in batches so they don’t stick together. Working in batches will also ensure the oil temperature doesn’t drop too much. After they’re fried, it’s important to rest them on a wire rack to allow excess oil to drain off.
Process shots: add chicken to hot oil (photo 1), fry then flip (photo 2), remove (photo 3), place on wire rack (photo 4).
Chicken Tikka Wraps
Alright, here’s where the magic happens. We’ll just be using some regular flour tortillas, then loading them up with the classic toppings:
- Mango chutney – McDonald’s uses ‘mango lime chutney’, but I find mango chutney works just perfectly (you can add a squeeze of lime juice if you like).
- Lettuce – finely shredded iceberg lettuce.
- Cucumber – make sure this is thinly sliced so it doesn’t stick out too much in the wrap.
- Onion – I believe McDonald’s uses white onion, but I find thinly sliced red onion is much better suited.
- Chicken – As discussed above.
- Tikka Mayo – This is literally just mayonnaise + tikka paste (so good!).
Process shots: spread chutney on wrap (photo 1), add lettuce (photo 2), add cucumber and onion (photo 3), add tenders and tikka mayo (photo 4).
Serving Chicken Tikka Wraps
The tenders will be pretty big, so you only need 2 per wrap. The wraps themselves are very hearty, so I typically serve them as they are! Wrap them anyway you find easiest – I like to use baking paper to reduce mess.
For another chicken tikka recipe check out my Chicken Tikka Sandwich Filler!
For another delicious chicken wrap recipe check out my Crispy Chicken Wraps!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these crispy chicken tikka wraps shall we?!
How to make Crispy Chicken Tikka Wraps (Full Recipe & Video)
Crispy Chicken Tikka Wraps
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Large Mixing Bowl, Whisk & Cling Film (for marinade)
- Microplane (for garlic/ginger – optional)
- Large Shallow Dish or Curved Baking Tray (for dredging chicken)
- Suitably Sized Pot or Cast Iron Skillet & Tongs (for frying)
- Kitchen Thermometer
- Wire Rack & Baking Tray (for resting chicken)
Ingredients
Seasoning Mix
- 3 tsp Garam Masala (see notes)
- 2 tsp EACH: Salt, Chilli Powder (I use 'hot' chilli powder)
- 1 1/2 tsp EACH: Ground Cumin, Ground Turmeric, Paprika
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
Chicken
- 240ml / 1 cup Buttermilk (see notes)
- 1 Egg
- 3 cloves of Garlic, grated on a microplane or very finely diced
- 1 tbsp Ginger, grated on a microplane or very finely diced
- 600g / 1.3lb Chicken Tenders/Mini Fillets (see notes)
- 250g / 1 3/4 cups Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 750ml – 1litre / 3-4 cups Vegetable Oil, or as needed
Wraps
- 6x 9-10"/23-25cm Flour Tortillas
- 180g / 3/4 cup Mango Chutney, or to preference
- 1/2 Iceberg Lettuce, thinly shredded
- 1/2 Cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons
- 1/2 small/medium Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 240g / 1 cup full-fat Mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tbsp Tikka Paste (see notes)
Instructions
- In a small pot or bowl, combine the 'seasoning mix'.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, garlic and ginger with 1 tbsp of the seasoning mix. Once everything is well-blended, toss in the chicken, then tightly cover in the fridge and leave to marinate. 4+ hours is best (up to 24 hours) with 2 hours being the minimum. Take out of the fridge 30 minutes before needed to take the chill off the chicken.
- In a large shallow dish, combine the flour, baking powder and remaining seasoning. One by one, take a chicken tender straight out of the bowl and place it in the flour. Use your hands to thoroughly coat the chicken. Really press the flour into every crack and crevice to create lots of tiny flaky bits. Give it a shake, then place to one side and repeat.
- Heat up the oil in a suitably-sized cast-iron or heavy-based pot over medium/medium-high heat until it reaches 175C/350F. Working in batches, carefully lower the tenders into the hot oil and leave for a few minutes to allow the batter to cling to the meat (separate with tongs if they immediately stick to each other). The temp will drop slightly to around 320F/160C, just try and maintain it as best you can. Flip the tenders and continue frying for another few mins until deep golden and visibly crispy. Remove and place on a wire rack with a tray underneath to catch excess oil (I like an extra pinch of salt as they rest).
- For the wraps, start by combining the mayonnaise and tikka paste to make the tikka mayo. Spread a good dollop of mango chutney through the centre of the wraps, then top with lettuce, cucumber and red onion. Add two tenders per wrap (they should be pretty big), then drizzle with the tikka mayo. Tightly wrap/roll, then tuck in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
