Chicken kebab recipe – Make the best delicious, soft, succulent & flavorful chicken kababs at home. Kabab or kebab is a piece of food, mostly meat grilled over charcoal fire. There are so many kabab varieties out there which are very popular in the restaurants and takeaways. Shami kababs, seekh kababs, galouti kabab, reshmi kababs, doner kebab are some of the most popular ones.
This post will help you to make the easiest, delicious, juicy & soft yogurt marinated spicy kababs which make a great appetizer. These can also be served as a side with some biryani, pulao or in wraps, sandwiches and salads too.
These taste best when served with a good mint raita chutney or kebab chutney. You can also serve this with green chutney.
These chicken kebab can be grilled in a Oven, on charcoal fire or on a grill pan on the stove. You may also like veg hara bhara kabab and veg seekh kebab.
If you do not own a oven simply deep fry them and make fried chicken kababs.
For more chicken recipes, you may like to check
Shami kabab
Reshmi kebab
Chicken Shawarma recipe
Tandoori chicken
Chicken tikka
Preparation
1. First prepare marinade with hung curd or greek yogurt. Add it to a mixing bowl along with lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, chilli powder, salt, oil and garam masala.
You can refer this post to make hung curd. I have used this garam masala and olive oil. You can use any oil including sesame oil.
My ginger garlic paste has turmeric in it, so I did not add any more. I prefer to use onion for most grilled foods as they lend a unique aroma when they are charred.
2. Add boneless chicken as well to a bowl. Make sure there is no water. Excess moisture either in the chicken or yogurt is going to drip off from the chicken. So this doesn’t make chicken kebab so good.
3. Marinate the chicken with the prepared marinade. Add the onions as well.
4. Next marinate and refrigerate over night or least for 4 hours. The longer they soak up in the marinade the more tender and delicious they taste.
How to make chicken kabab
5. When you are ready to grill them in the oven. Firstly heat the oven to 240 C for at least 15 to 20 mins. Next rinse the skewers and put them on alternately chicken and onion.
6. Next grill the chicken kebab for 15 to 20 mins and flip them. Grill for another 10 to 15 mins. The last 5 mins I prefer to move the tray to the top rack. At this stage you can also brush the kababs with little butter or oil. I have not done it.
The onions will char and impart a good flavor when moved to the top rack. The difference in the color is due to the lighting. They turn out red in color if you use a good chili powder.
Serve chicken kebab hot with mint chutney or mint yogurt raita or green chutney.
Tips to make chicken kabab
- Cut the chicken to equal sized pieces for even grilling and browning.
- Adjust the spice levels to suit your taste. The recipe is for moderately spicy chicken kebabs.
- Yogurt is the key ingredient that tenderizes the chicken.
- To skip yogurt, brine the chicken in buttermilk for at least 4 hours. Drain the chicken and then rub the spice powders well and rest for 30 mins before grilling.
- Feel free to use whatever spice powder you have in hand.
- Tandoori masala can also be used instead of garam masala. Adjust the quantity to suit your taste.
Related Recipes
Chicken kebab recipe | Chicken kabab recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 250 grams chicken boneless cubes
- 2 to 3 tablespoons greek yogurt (thick curd / hung curd)
- 2 tablespoons oil (olive oil or sesame oil)
- salt as needed
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala or a mix of ground cumin, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, pepper, coriander
- 1 to 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (or paprika)
- 1 medium onion cubed and layers separated
Instructions
Marination for chicken kabab
- Ensure chicken is free from excess moisture. Drain it completely.
- Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Taste the marinade and add more salt & spice if needed.
- Marinate the chicken well and rub each piece for few seconds.
- Cover completely. Refrigerate for over night or at least 4 hours. Resting tenderizes the chicken and it absorbs flavors well.
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for a while. Line the chicken and onions alternately on the skewers.
Making chicken kebab
- Preheat the oven to 240 C for minimum 15 to 20 mins.
- Place them in a tray and grill for 15 mins. After 15 mins,
- Flip them and grill for another 15 mins.
- The last 5 mins, move the tray to the top rack or broil.
- At this stage you can brush some butter or oil over the kababs if you prefer.
- Serve chicken kebab hot with mint raita or chutney.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Hi Swasthi,
I wanted the try this recipe but needed a clarification. How is the kebabs recipe different from Chicken tikka recipe? Is it just the masalas used or the type of chicken used for this 2 is also different (like thighs or breast pieces)?
Thank you for all your posts. I have tried many veg recipes from your blog and everytime they all worked well.
This is the first time, will be trying a non-veg recipe. So please let me know the difference.
Thank you.
Hi Kavitha,
Thanks for trying the recipes. I remember you so well.
Yes the key difference is in the spices. Both the recipes can be made with thighs or breast. Chicken breasts dry out if overcooked because they have lesser fat than thighs. Hope you enjoy the dish.
Pls send the recipe in a short style like suppose 250gms chicken 200gms curd etc
Hi swasthi,
I have tried most of your recipes and all have come so good.I want to try this recipe for a party tomorrow.Can I make it a day in advance?Can I add capsicum to add some flavors?Please do reply
Hi Ash
Thank you! You can marinate it in advance but I won’t suggest grilling in advance
Thanks for your response swasthi.Can i add Capsicum for the marination?
Yes You can use 1 large or 2 medium capsicum. Keep the size of the bell peppers and onions the same as chicken
Thanks for your quick response.-Your page is one-stop for all my recipes.Love your videos too
Hello…
Thank you so much for the recipe. I made wraps and it was a hit.
It was yummy but it was a bit dry.
How can I fix that?
I marinated chicken overnight.
Hi Priya,
You are welcome. Glad to know! Next time try brushing the kebabs with the leftover marinade after 15 minutes of grilling. After taking them off the oven brush them with oil or butter. Hope you are using the thigh part and not breast. Usually chicken breast is more prone to dry out if overcooked even for 2 minutes. Hope this helps. Thanks for rating the recipe.
Awesome recipe! Simple great taste and the best dish ever made by me using Samsung Microwave.
Thanks a ton !!
Welcome Shashi
Wonderful &Helpful
Thank you
The kebabs turned out great. I found the idea of marinating the onions with the chicken interesting and they turned out wonderful. I reduced the cooking time to 15 mins + 5 mins broil and the chicken was very succulent. Served with mint raita.
Hi Avishek Dan,
Glad the kebabs turned out good. Thanks for rating the recipe.
Just made thes now, doubled the amounts because my sons brought friends home. Everybody loved them. Served with mint ratai, fruit rice and kashcumbar salad. The best chicken kebabs ever was the vote all round. Will follow your recipes from now on. Thank you again for starting this blog. You will gain so many supporters
Hi Elizabeth,
You are welcome. So happy to know all of you loved the chicken kebabs. Thank you so much.
🙂
I’m going to make these tonight. I’ll use Kashmiri chilli powder because it’s my favourite and I make it fresh from dried Kashmiri chilled. Thank you for the recipe and I look forward to seeing more.
Hi Elizabeth,
You are welcome. Thanks for rating the recipe. Hope you enjoy the chicken kebabs.
🙂
hi swasthi,
i had tried your tandoori chicken recipe and it came out just like a restaurant one, thanks a ton as i had tried over 10 different recipes before yours but never satisfied. hit tandoori chicken recipe led me to try reshmi kababs and they were hit too!! so thought of trying this but have one query, in tandoori you recommend mustard oil and in this olive???
Hi Nehal,
Thanks for trying.Glad you liked them. The recipe of tandoori chicken and chicken kabab are almost the same except for the kasuri methi and the oil used. The use of olive oil lends a different flavor. Most non-Indians do not have mustard oil so olive oil is what I have tried this recipe with. But you can replace the olive oil with mustard oil. Thanks again.
But dear, which oil do you the best among these two for this recipe?
Nehal,
I prefer extra virgin olive oil for this recipe.
Hi swasthi,
I made it today and it’s just out of the world, , juicy like the restaurants. I love you for this…. m gonna try more recipes of yours .
Thanks a lot Nehal.
Glad the kebabs turned out good. Yes do try more recipes.
Good
Just want to say that this recipe has become staple diet in my house every week almost. I use it in a kebab roll, chapati with egg and these kebabs and have it for breakfast.
Thank you Mich
So glad to know you make it often. Thanks again. Have a wonderful weekend!
🙂
Hi Swasthi. Is there any standard measurement of salt that you use for chicken dishes?
Say for 1/2 Kg Chicken Kabab or 1/2 KG Chicken Gravy?
If so, please let me know.
Hi
There is no standard measurement for salt as the saltiness differs in each kind and brand.
One way to check is – for kababs prepare the marinade first and then taste it. Add as needed.
For gravies – same here if marinating , check it first and then add more if needed towards the end of making gravy.
Hope this helps.
I made it today for the first time in my otg… I came out very ? yummy… Thanx a ton …i. just love ur recipes…. Forgot to brush my grill plate with butter… Got little charred?.want to post my picts of kebab… Didn’t find the source…
Hi Radhika,
Thanks for the comment. Glad to know kebabs turned out good. You can send the pics to my fb page or email to contact(at)indianhealthyrecipes.com
🙂
Made this over coals for a Xmas starter today! It was a hit! Everyone loved it!
Thanks for sharing!
Welcome Praveen,
Glad to know it turned out good.
I am going to try this recipe today.Hope it comes out well.
I made this tonight, it was beautiful! This is going to be my regular Saturday night meal! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Welcome Debs
Glad to know you liked it
It came out very well. My first time to make kebabs.
Thanks for trying
thanks for wonderful recipe… enjoyed
Welcome Jamuna
🙂
Loved it. Thanks for sharing. So mouth watering recipe.
Welcome Vidya
Hi Swasthi,
Tried this recipe today, it turned out wonderfully. Thank you for sharing.
Gonna try my hand at your chicken tandoori next. I have always been intimidated by Indian cooking but you make it look so easy. Keep your fingers crossed for me, please.
Thank you.
Natcha
Welcome Natcha
Glad to know kebabs turned out good.
Yes i am sure your tandoori chicken will be equally good.
Thanks for trying