Smoky Chicken Lasagna Without Oven (Easy Stovetop Method + Oven Option)

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I’ll be honest: the first time I made lasagna, I didn’t use enough sauce. I ended up with crunchy pasta sheets that were basically crackers hidden in cheese. It was heartbreaking! Since then I have made this smoky chicken lasagna many times, and the best part is that you don’t need an oven at all. I bake it in a big pot on the stove, and it comes out bubbling, cheesy and full of that smoky tikka flavour my family loves.

This smoky stovetop version is the way I now make it in my own kitchen.

Why You Will Love This Lasagna

• No oven needed: a pot, a layer of salt and a wire rack turn your stove into an oven.
• Smoky chicken: tikka-marinated chicken with a quick charcoal smoke gives a barbecue taste in every layer.
• Two sauces: a tangy red sauce and a creamy white sauce, with cheddar and mozzarella on top.
• Make-ahead friendly: assemble it a day before and bake when guests arrive.

How to Bake Lasagna Without an Oven

Spread about 1 kg of salt in the base of a large heavy pot, place a wire rack or steamer stand (at least 2 inches high) on top, cover and preheat on medium heat for 15 minutes. Then put your lasagna dish on the rack, cover tightly and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The salt holds the heat evenly, just like an oven, and keeps the bottom of the dish from burning. The same salt can be reused many times.

My Tips for the Best Chicken Lasagna

• Keep the red sauce a little runny. The pasta sheets soak up that moisture and become perfectly tender. Thick sauce means crunchy sheets.
• Whisk the white sauce well. Add warm milk slowly so it stays smooth; my chicken white sauce pasta uses the same no-lump method.
• Let it rest for 10 minutes. If you cut it straight away, it slides apart into a delicious but messy soup.
• Don’t skip the smoke. Two minutes of charcoal smoke makes this lasagna taste special.

Chicken Lasagna FAQs

Can I make lasagna without an oven?

Yes. Bake it in a covered pot on a wire rack over a layer of salt, preheated for 15 minutes. It takes 12 to 15 minutes on medium heat.

Do I need to boil the lasagna sheets?

If your sheets say oven-ready, no. Otherwise boil them for a few minutes as per the packet, drain and lay them flat so they don’t stick.

Why are my lasagna sheets still hard?

There was not enough sauce, or it was too thick. Make sure every sheet is covered with sauce, and keep the red sauce slightly runny.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. Assemble it, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then bake. Add a few extra minutes because it starts cold.

Short on time for lasagna? My creamy chicken white sauce pasta gives you the same cheesy comfort in just 30 minutes. For a party spread, serve this with my chicken dynamite bites, and for the kids’ lunchbox try my creamy chicken tortilla triangles.

Using the oven option? My oven cooking times and temperatures guide has timings for lasagna, chicken and more.

Fozia Siraj

Smoky Chicken Lasagna Without Oven

Layers of smoky tikka chicken, tangy red sauce and creamy white sauce with cheddar and mozzarella, baked in a pot on the stove (or in the oven). An easy Pakistani-style lasagna for family dinners.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings: 5 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian, Pakistani

Calories: 2900

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Smoky Chicken

• 350 g boneless chicken fillet
• 3 tbsp chicken tikka masala
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 3 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 piece charcoal for smoke

Red Sauce

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups tomato puree
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp crushed red chilli
• 1 tsp chicken powder
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup water

White Sauce

• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (maida)
• 2 cups milk warm
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 1/2 tsp chicken powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt

Assembling

• 9 lasagna sheets boiled as per packet unless oven-ready
• 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese grated
• 1 medium capsicum diced
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 tsp dried oregano for sprinkling
• 1/2 tsp crushed red chilli for sprinkling

For Baking Without Oven

• 1 kg salt 1 packet, for the pot
• 1 wire rack or steamer stand at least 2 inches high

Equipment

• 1 Pan ( large ) To boil the lasagna sheets in salted water.
• 1 skillet To sauté the marinated chicken and provide the "charcoal smoke".
• 1 saucepan To cook the Red Sauce, then cleaned (or a second saucepan) to make the White Sauce.

Method

 

Smoky Chicken

1. Whisk the chicken tikka masala, ginger garlic paste and lemon juice in a bowl. Add the chicken fillets, coat well and marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oil on a grill pan and cook the fillets for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, turning in between, until fully cooked.
3. Place a hot piece of charcoal in a small foil cup in the pan, drizzle a few drops of oil on it and cover for 2 minutes for a smoky aroma.
4. Let the chicken cool, then chop it into small pieces.

Red Sauce

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is soft and translucent.
2. Add the tomato puree, salt, cumin, black pepper, crushed red chilli, chicken powder and oregano and mix well.
3. Add the water, cover and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 minutes. The sauce should be slightly runny, because the sheets absorb it while baking.

White Sauce

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir for 1 minute on low heat.
2. Pour in the warm milk slowly while whisking, so no lumps form.
3. Add the black pepper, chicken powder, oregano and salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until thick.

Assemble

1. Spread a thin layer of red sauce in the base of a baking dish that fits inside your pot. Place lasagna sheets on top and spread more red sauce over them.
2. Add half the smoky chicken, spread half the white sauce, then sprinkle half the cheddar, mozzarella, capsicum, onion and oregano.
3. Repeat the layers: sheets, red sauce, chicken, white sauce. Finish with a final layer of sheets, red sauce and the remaining cheese, then sprinkle oregano and crushed red chilli.

Bake Without Oven (Stovetop)

1. Spread the salt in the base of a large heavy pot, place the wire rack on top, cover and preheat on medium heat for 15 minutes.
2. Place the lasagna dish on the rack, cover the pot tightly and bake on medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the edges bubble.

Bake in Oven

1. Alternatively, bake in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before cutting, so the layers hold together. Serve warm.

Notes

• No crunchy sheets: keep the red sauce slightly runny so the pasta sheets soften while baking.
• Rest before cutting: 10 minutes of resting keeps the slices neat.
• Pot size: use a pot wide enough that the dish sits on the rack with space around it for the hot air.
• Make ahead: assemble a day ahead, cover and refrigerate, then bake when needed.