Chicken Kebab - Khin's Kitchen (2024)

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This delicious, flavourful chicken kebab recipe uses moist, juicy chicken thighs and the best aromatic yoghurt marinade. You can air-fry, grill, or bake them in the oven. This kebab chicken skewer is so simple to make at home with cupboard-friendly spices, and it is easy to customise it to your own taste.

Are you ready to impress friends and family with your homemade kebab?

These chicken skewers are perfect for sharing and are great for summer BBQ parties, family gatherings, and dinner parties. I love it with a simple Raita dip or yoghurt mint sauce. Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce, Vegetable Pakora and Easy Keema Samosa are great hits at our family gathering dinners. Perfect for sharing!

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About Kebab
Best Part of Chicken for this Kebab Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make Chicken Kebab with Yoghurt Marinade
Kebab on Grill and Oven Options
Expert Cooking Tips
Most Asked Questions
More Fantastic Chicken Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Reviews

About Kebab

Kebabs are marinated meat served on metal skewers cooked over a grill, open flame, or oven. They originated in the Middle East, and the use of herbs and spices can vary depending on the region and family recipes. Chicken kebabs are also called Kebobs, Kebabs, or Kababs.

You can find different types of kebab, from shish kebab, doner kebab, seekh kebab to tandoori kebab, each one has a unique flavour.

In this recipe, I am sharing my family's favourite, easy kebab recipe with chicken a yoghurt marinade, fresh herbs, and spices. If you love real-deal bold flavour, this is the right recipe for you to try out.

Best Part of Chicken for this Kebab Recipe

Boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat is the best cut for chicken kebab skewers. It contains a higher fat content than chicken breast. It is still moist, tender, and succulent, great for grilling, air frying, or oven baking. Even if the kebab is charred outside, the inside meat is juicy and flavourful.

Can I use chicken breast? Although the chicken thigh is ideal for this recipe, you can also try it with chicken breast. Adjust the cooking time and temperature to prevent the chicken breast from drying out quickly. Chicken breast is easy to get overcooked, so you might want to grill, bake, or air-fry it at a higher temperature and reduce the cooking time for the best results.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Chicken - I love using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for grilled recipes. Feel free to use boneless chicken breast.

Yoghurt - Use natural plain yoghurt, which is great for tenderising and keeps the meat moist and juicy.

Spices - I’ve added chilli, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, coriander powder, black pepper, and salt to taste. Feel free to adjust the spices to taste.

Herbs - Add a good amount of freshly grated garlic and ginger.

How to Make Chicken Kebab with Yoghurt Marinade

Prepare Kebab Marinade

Cut chicken into even bite-size cubes and set it aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add marinade ingredients and mix everything well. Then add the chicken pieces and combine well with the marinade. Cover and allow it to marinate for at least one hour in the fridge or overnight.
Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 15 minutes. Thread the chicken pieces, bell peppers, and onions alternately until you reach the end of the skewer. Repeat the process until the chicken runs out.

How to Air Fry Chicken Kebab

Cook the chicken skewers in the preheated air fryer at 200℃/400℉ for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Flip halfway through and brush or spray some oil.
Serve with your favourite salad, naan, bread, or dip, or simply squeeze fresh lemon juice.

Kebab on Grill and Oven Options

To Grill Over Stovetop

Heat the grill pan or skillet pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skewers on the pan and grill for 3-4 minutes on both sides until the chicken is slightly charred and cooked. Brush or spray cooking oil over the chicken pieces occasionally while grilling.

Cook in Oven

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Place the wire rack over the baking tray, and place the kebab skewers. Brush oil over the skewers, bake or boil for 15-20 minutes, flip halfway through and brush oil occasionally.

Cooking time can be varied according to the size of chicken pieces and the type of oven or air-fryer you use. You might want to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Expert Cooking Tips

Make sure to cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces so they cook uniformly.

Marinating time needs at least one hour. If you have more time, you can prepare the chicken marinade one day ahead and keep it in the fridge overnight.

If you are using bamboo, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before threading the chicken pieces.

Do not overcrowd the skewers in the air-fryer rack. Leave enough space between pieces for even cooking.

Kebabs taste best when freshly cooked. Serve immediately while hot.

Most Asked Questions

What to serve together with this kebab?

This kebab is delicious on its own without any side dishes or sauces. You can simply enjoy it on its own. If you wish to make it a complete meal, you can pair it with a variety of side dishes. Plain rice, pilaf, salad, grilled vegetables, yoghurt mint sauce, garlic sauce, pita bread, flatbread, wraps, etc.

What other protein can you use?

For a vegetarian option, you can use lamb, beef, turkey, mutton, chunky fish fillets, or firm tofu. Cooking time can be varied according to the type of meat, fat content, and cooking temperature.

How to prevent kebab bamboo skewers from burning?

Bamboo skewers can be easily burnt when grilled on a BBQ. To prevent this, you can use kitchen foil and wrap it around the exposed area after threading the chicken and vegetable pieces.

More Fantastic Chicken Recipes

Chicken Pakora Recipe
Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala
Satay Chicken Curry
Easy Butter Chicken Recipe

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📖 Recipe

Chicken Kebab Recipe

This delicious, flavourful easy chicken kebab recipe is made of moist, juicy chicken thighs and the best aromatic yoghurt marinade. You can cook in air fryer, BBQ grill, stovetop, or bake them in the oven.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Marinate Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 4 - 5

Calories: 383kcal

Author: Khin

Equipment

▢
8-10 Bamboo skewers Or metal skewers

Ingredients

Chicken and Marinade

▢ 600 grams Boneless chicken thigh Or breast, cut into bite size cubes
▢ 6 tbsp Plain yoghurt
▢ 1 tsp Chilli powder or paprika powder
▢ 1 tsp Cumin powder
▢ 1 tbsp Garam masala
▢ 1 tsp Turmeric powder
▢ 1 tsp Coriander powder
▢ 1 tbsp Grated garlic
▢ 1 tbsp Grated ginger
▢ 2 tbsp Lemon juice
▢ 2 tsp Salt or salt to taste
▢ ½ tsp Black pepper
▢ 1 tbsp Olive oil or choice of cooking oil

Other Ingredients

▢ ½ Red bell pepper cut into squares
▢ ½ Green bell pepper cut into squares
▢ ½ Salad onion cut into squares

Instructions

Cut chicken into even bite-size cubes and set it aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add marinade ingredients and mix everything well. Then add the chicken pieces and combine well with the marinade. Cover and allow it to marinte for at least one hour in the fridge or overngiht.
Soak the bamboo skewers in the water for 20 minutes. Thread the marinated chicken pieces, bell peppers, and onions, alternatively until you reach the end of the skewer. Repeat the process until the chicken pieces runs out.

Cook in Air Fryer

Cook the chicken kebab skewers in the preheated air fryer at 200℃/400℉ for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is charred and cooked. ( Flip halfway through and brush or spray some oil. )
Serve with your favourite salad, naan, bread, dip, or simply squeeze fresh lemon juice.

To Grill Over Stovetop

Heat the grill pan or skillet pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skewers on the pan and grill for 3-4 minutes on both sides until the chicken is slightly charred and cooked. Brush or spray cooking oil over the chicken pieces occasionally while grilling.

Oven Option

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Place the wire rack over the baking tray, and place the kebab skewers. Brush oil over the skewers, bake or boil for 15-20 minutes, flip halfway through and brush oil occasionally.

Notes

Cooking time can be varied according to the size of the chicken pieces and the type of oven or air fryer you use. You might want to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
If you are using bamboo, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before threading the chicken pieces.
Bamboo skewers can be easily burnt when grilled on a BBQ. To prevent this, you can use kitchen foil and wrap it around the exposed area after threading the chicken and vegetable pieces.
Boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat is the best cut for chicken kebab skewers. It contains more fat than chicken breast.
Can I use chicken breast? Chicken breast is easily overcooked, so for the best results, you might want to grill, bake, or air-fry it at a higher temperature and reduce the cooking time.
Marinating time needs at least one hour. If you have more time, you can prepare the chicken marinade one day ahead and keep it in the fridge overnight.
What to serve together? You can pair it with a variety of side dishes: plain rice, pilaf, salad, grilled vegetables, yoghurt mint sauce, garlic sauce, pita bread, flatbread, wraps, etc.

Nutrition

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