Air Fryer Chicken Jalfrezi

You are going to love this air fryer chicken jalfrezi. So easy and a lot less messy than a pan.

Making chicken jalfrezi like they do at Indian restaurants at home is a great way to do it. This air fryer chicken jalfrezi is a great cheat for when you don't have the time or prepared base gravy to do it the restaurant way. It's just one of 50 new air fryer recipes in my new cookbook "The Curry Guy Air Fryer".

Air fryer chicken jalfrezi served on a plate with air fryer pilau rice.

About this recipe.

Just in case you're wondering, yes... you really can cook jalfrezi curries completely in your air fryer and they taste amazing.

This is my air fryer chicken jalfrezi but you could use any protein of your choice such as beef, lamb or paneer. The cooking times may vary but you'll see when you read this recipe with step by step photos that it is a great way of cooking this famous curry house style curry.

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You are going to love this air fryer chicken jalfrezi. So easy and a lot less messy than a pan.
About this recipe.
Ingredients
Step by step photos
Substitutions
Variations
Can you work ahead?
Equipment
Storage
Can you freeze this curry?
Top Tip
FAQ
Related
Pairing
Air Fryer Chicken Jalfrezi

Ingredients

The ingredients for this recipe are all easy to source. You can purchase the odder ingredients and Indian grocers and online. Be sure to get them all together before you start cooking as it will be even easier if you do.

rapeseed (canola) oil (optional) or oil spray
chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite sized pieces or tandoori chicken tikka
onions
green finger chillies
red bell pepper
salt
garlic and ginger paste
passata
mixed powder or curry powder
tandoori masala
Kashmiri chilli powder
chicken stock, stock cube stock is fine
cumin seeds
curry leaves
green bell pepper
yellow bell pepper
red onion
tomatoes
dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
garam masala
Salt to taste
coriander (cilantro) to garnish
limes or lemons, quartered

See recipe card for quantities.

Step by step photos

Just follow these simple step by step instructions and you will be in for a mouth-watering air fryer chicken jalfrezi in no time!

The onions, bell pepper, salt and chillies in a mixing bowl with oil.

Step 1: Mix the sliced onions, bell pepper, chillies and salt with 2 tbsp oil. If you are on a reduced calorie diet, spray it to coat with cooking oil instead.

The onion mixture in the cooking basket.

Step 2: Fry for 10 minutes at 190°C/375°F, shaking or stirring at least once.

Step 3: After 10 minutes, carefully coat it all with the garlic and ginger paste and cook for one more minute.

Step 4: Pour these fried veggies into a mixing bowl and add the passata and ground spices. Then stir in the stock.

Blending the rezala sauce ingredients in a blender.

Step 5: Blend the sauce until smooth. You can use a countertop blender or stick blender for this. Set aside.

Cooking the chicken and vegetables in the air fryer basket.

Step 6: Cook the chicken, bell peppers, tomatoes and onions for 10 minutes.

The cooked chicken and vegetables for the jalfrezi.

Step 7: Transfer the cooked chicken and vegetables to a plate and set aside.

Infusing the curry leaves and cumin seeds in oil.

Step 8: This is optional but delicious. Pre-heat your air fryer to 200°C/400°F and add the oil. Heat for 2 minutes and then stir in the cumin seeds and curry leaves to infuse which should take about a minute.

Adding the blended curry sauce to the curry leaves and cumin in the pan.

Step 9: Transfer the cooked chicken and vegetables to a plate and set aside.

Step 10: After 10 minutes, add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes.

Adding the roasted vegetables to the pan.

Step 11: Add the roasted veggies but don't stir them in. Cook for another 3 minutes or until the chicken and sauce are hot.

Seasoning the jalfrezi with dried fenugreek leaves, salt, coriander and lemon juice.

Step 12: To finish, season the jalfrezi with salt to taste and stir in the kasoori methi, garam masala and lemon juice.

Step 13: Stir it all up nicely and serve.

Air fryer chicken jalfrezi served on a plate at the table.

Step 14: This air fryer curry is amazing served simply with rice and lemon or lime wedges that can be squeezed over the curry to taste.

Substitutions

You don't have to use chicken as shown in this recipe.

Lamb tikka - Try this curry with air fryer lamb tikka.
Paneer - You can pan fry or air fry paneer cubes and add it to the sauce just before serving.
Tandoori chicken tikka - Rather than cooking the chicken with the vegetables, try my air fried tandoori chicken tikka and add another delicious layer of flavour.

Please note that if using paneer, fried or raw, it is best to add it at the end of cooking to prevent it falling apart in the sauce.

Variations

Chicken jalfrezi can be prepared in other ways too. Try some of these:

Curry House Jalfrezi - In this recipe you make the jalfrezi just like they do at curry houses, with a base sauce and pre-cooked tandoori chicken.
One Pot Jalfrezi - In this version of chicken jalfrezi, you make the curry from scratch without the need for a base sauce. It can be made in less than 30 minutes.
Jalfrezi Karahi - Karahi curries are amazing and this recipe will get you fantastic and authentic results.

Can you work ahead?

Yes! You can prepare this air fryer curry up to 3 days ahead of time if you want to. As it sits in the fridge, the flavours will develop and it will be even better when you serve it.

You can also work in stages. Air fry the onions, bell pepper and garlic and ginger paste and place it in the fridge until you are ready to complete the curry, for example.

If you like, you can make and blend the sauce or pre-cook the chicken. Whatever is most convenient for you, do it.

Although the recipe calls for raw chicken that is then cooked in your air fryer, I like to use air fryer tandoori chicken tikka for this recipe. That too can be cooked ahead of time.

Equipment

A small cake tin: You will need a small cake tin or another metal pot that fits into the cooking chamber of your air fryer. Cake tins are used a lot in air fryer recipes. This is the one I use. They come in different sizes so be sure to order one that will fit into your air fryer.

Storage

You should be able to safely store this curry, covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

If you have a reheat option on your air fryer, you can reheat the curry that way. You could also simply air fry again at about 200°C/400°F until hot. That or throw it in your microwave.

Can you freeze this curry?

Yes and it will freeze well for up to 3 months.

To reheat it, just let it defrost and reheat as you would the refrigerated curry above.

If your air fryer has a reheat function, you can even reheat it from frozen. Just be sure to read the manufacturers guidelines for doing this.

Top Tip

As the curry sauce cooks in the pan, you will notice that it caramelises around the edges. Stir that into the sauce for additional flavour.

FAQ

Can you really cook a good curry in an air fryer?

I have been asked this so many times and the answer is most definitely yes! Follow my recipe and you will be amazed at the curry you make.

Is it dangerous to cook a curry in an air fryer?

Not when you do it my way. You will see when you are finished cooking that there is very little mess or splatter. Many people think the sauce will get into the elements. I have not experienced this and have made a lot of curries this way.

Is there a lot of splatter?

No! All of my recipes have been developed so that you will not see any more splatter than if you were roasting a chicken in your air fryer. In fact, roasting a chicken produces more steam and splatter than cooking a curry.

Looking for other air fryer curry recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Air Fryer Chicken Jalfrezi:

Yield: 1 to 2

This air fryer chicken jalfrezi will get you amazing results. It really does taste like a traditional pan cooked jalfrezi but without all the oil splatter and mess. Be sure to read my notes below before starting. This recipe cooks everything from scratch but for more flavour, use my air fryer chicken tikka instead of raw chicken and add it at the end of cooking. You will need a metal pan like this air fryer cake tin <-- Affiliate Link, or another metal pan that fits into your air fryer basket.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

3 - 4 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil (optional) or oil spray
300g (10.5 oz) chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite sized pieces or tandoori chicken tikka
FOR THE SAUCE
2 medium onions (approx. 250g/9oz), thinly sliced
3 green finger chillies, sliced lengthwise in half
1/2 red bell pepper, cut in half, seeks and membrane removed
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
125ml (1/2 cup) passata
2 tsp mixed powder or curry powder
2 tsp tandoori masala
2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
250ml (1 cup) warm chicken stock, stock cube stock is fine
FOR THE TEMPERING (optional)
1 tsp cumin seeds
15 curry leaves
TO FINISH
½ green bell pepper, cut into roughly 4cm (1 ½ in) squares
½ red or yellow bell pepper, cut into roughly 4cm (1 ½ in) squares
½ red onion, cut into roughly 4cm (1 ½ in) squares
2 small tomatoes, quartered
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
3 tbsp coriander (cilantro) to garnish
2 limes or lemons, quartered

Instructions

If you have already cooked tandoori chicken tikka, you can skip this step and keep it aside for later. If cooking either raw plain chicken or raw tandoori marinated chicken, preheat your air fryer to 200°C/400°F.
Lightly spray your cooking basket with oil spray and place the chicken in one layer in the cooking basket and air fry for 10 minutes, turning halfway through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Now place the thinly sliced onions, bell pepper and salt into a mixing bowl and add the 3 to 4 chillies. Top this with 1 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil and mix it well to coat the veggies with the oil. If you are on a reduced calorie diet, just spray them with cooking oil spray until coated.
Pour it all directly into the air fryer basket and air fry for 10 minutes, shaking the basket half-way through the cook. Carefully spread the garlic and ginger paste over these veggies for the last two minutes of the cook.
Pour it all into your mixing bowl and remove two or the air fried chillies and keep aside for later.
Add the passata, mixed powder or curry powder, tandoori masala, chilli powder and stock to the bowl. Then blend it all to a smooth sauce using a stick blender or countertop blender, whichever is more convenient and set aside.
To finish, air fry the bell peppers, onion, tomatoes in the basket for 10 minutes. Be sure to shake the basket a couple of times during cooking for a more even cook. You need to watch this closely as you don’t want to overcook the veggies but rather air fry them until they are just cooked through. After 10 minutes, transfer it all to a plate and set aside.
This next step is optional but good. Place a cake tin or similar into the basket and add 1 to 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil to it. Set your air fryer to cook for 6 minutes at 200°C/400°F and begin heating the oil for two minutes.
After two minutes, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves and stir them into the oil. Cook for 1 to 3 minutes checking after one minute. If the cumin seeds and curry leaves are sizzling in the oil and fragrant, stop cooking. If not, continue air frying until they do. You will be able to smell the fantastic aroma of the curry leaves and cumin infusing into the oil. You can take a few of the crispy fried curry leaves out to use as a garnish if you like.
Now pour the blended sauce over this. Air fry at 200°C/400°F for 10 minutes. If you infused oil, your sauce will be quite hot after 10 minutes. If not, it will still be getting warm. You will notice that the sauce has browned some on top and around the sides. Stir that in for added flavour and then add the pre-cooked chicken and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the kasoori methi by crumbling it between your fingers, the garam masala and salt to taste. Stir in the pre-cooked bell peppers, onions, fried whole chillies and tomatoes along with lemon or lime juice to taste.
Air fry for a further two minutes or until the sauce curry is hot enough to serve. Season with salt to taste before serving.

Notes

Cooking Sauces in an Air Fryer Safely.

Air fryers were designed as a substitute to cook crispy food that is similar to deep fried food. They were not designed to make sauces or soups.

The first few times you cook a curry like this in your air fryer, it is important to ensure that the sauce is not spitting or that there is too much steam. This could get messy and the water droplets could also be a fire hazard.

This is the reason why I developed this recipe to serve 1 to 2 people as the pan is usually less than half full. I have cooked at least a hundred curries this way in my air fryer without any issues. It takes at least 10 minutes for the sauce to heat up so spitting and steam is not an issue. If you find that it is with your air fryer, be sure to cover the pan tightly with a lid or foil which will solve that issue.