Chicken Seekh Kabab

Chicken Seekh Kabab are a popular kind of kebabs from the Indian sub-continent. A blend of chicken, aromatic spices and herbs, is shaped on the skewers and grilled to perfection. Traditionally these are cooked on a barbeque or tandoor (clay oven). For the homemade version we grill/bake them in a oven, air fryer or a skillet on the stove.

Serve Seekh Kabab as an appetizer with Mint Chutney, Cilantro Chutney or with a side of rice pilaf or Biryani. You can also roll them in your Tandoori Roti or Naan with your favorite salad and dressing or use them in your Chicken Kathi Rolls.

About Seekh Kabab

It is believed that Seekh Kabab may have originated from the Turkish “Shish Kebab”, where shish (sis) translates to skewer and kebab to grilled meat. However major differences exist between the two. While Seekh Kabab are made with ground/minced meat, the other is made with cubes of meat and the seasoning are different.

In India, Seekh Kabab are very common in the meat serving restaurants & they are also a popular street food. Chicken and mutton/ goat meat are the most common kind of meat used.

These Chicken Seekh Kababs are tender & succulent from inside and slightly crisp on the outside. Aromatics like onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, coriander leaves and mint leaves impart sweet, pungent, spicy & herby flavors. Ground spices like coriander, cumin, chaat masala and garam masala infuse magical flavors to these kebabs.

A little amount of oil in the kebab mixture helps to keep the grilled Seekh Kababs juicy and succulent. For an extra flavor we love using a small amount of fried onions and chopped nuts. While the fried onions improve the flavor, nuts impart a great texture.

But they are optional & you are free to omit them. But I consider them to be the star ingredients in these kebabs.

It is best to use chicken thighs here for their higher fat content & flavor but we personally prefer using chicken breasts. Alternately you may use ground chicken/ minced chicken.

You can also make delicious Chicken Kofta with the same mixture.

You may like these similar recipes
Chicken Kabab
Shami Kabab
Chicken Tikka Kebab
Chicken Kathi Roll

How to Make Chicken Seekh Kabab (Stepwise Photos)

1. Here are the ingredients required for seekh kababs:

• 3 tablespoons chopped nuts (almonds/cashews/ pistas roughly chopped, optional, I use almonds)
• ¾ tablespoon ginger crushed/ grated/paste
• ¾ tablespoon garlic crushed/minced/pressed
• 2 to 3 green chilies (adjust to taste, chopped, leave out for kids)
• 3 tablespoons coriander leaves (pat dry and fine chop)
• 2 tablespoons mint leaves (pat dry and fine chop)
• ¼ cup fried onions (or fine chopped, drained from 1 small onion, read notes)
• 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
• ¾ to 1½ teaspoon chili flakes (or ¾ tsp Kashmiri chili powder, cut down for kids)
• 1 to 1½ teaspoon garam masala (cut down for kids if you want)
• 1½ teaspoon roasted coriander powder
• ¾ teaspoon roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera powder)
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala (or black salt + mango powder+ black pepper, or lemon juice)
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste, cut down to use black salt)

2. You also need 1 lb. (450 grams) ground chicken (or boneless breasts+ thighs, ground slightly coarse like seen in the picture below). If you want to use fresh onion, chop 1 medium onion & stir in a pinch of salt. Let rest for 10 mins while you prepare the rest. Later squeeze out as much moisture as possible or add them to a cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. They are ready to use, measure only 4 tablespoons for this recipe.

3. Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Wear disposable gloves. Mix & knead together well, for 2 to 3 mins. This is a very important step to mix and knead well.

4. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes to 4 hours (if made without fresh onion). Do not skip this step. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 mins & pat dry very well. or simply cover the edges with foil, to prevent burning.

5. Preheat your oven to the highest temperature for at least 15 mins. Arrange a rack in the center. Take handful of mixture and begin to press down on the skewers, starting from the bottom to top or vice versa. Optionally press down with your fingers to give them a few finger impressions.

6. Place them on a prepared tray, such that both the ends of the skewers rest on the edges of the tray. Make sure the meat does not touch the bottom of the tray.

7. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 6 to 7 mins, turn them to the other side and bake for another 2 to 3 mins. (Baking times can vary depending on the size of your oven and thickness of kebabs). You know it is done, when your instant read thermometer reads 165 F in the thickest part of the skewer. We love to smear melted butter and lemon juice over the hot seekh kababs. But due to the moisture they shrink slightly as seen in the pictures. So it is up to you but they are good on their own.

Serve Chicken Seekh Kabab over turmeric rice, with a side of mint chutney and roast veggies.

Pro Tips

• You can also pan fry the kababs. Simply shape them without a skewer. Heat a tablespoon oil or ghee in a non-stick pan and place the kababs. Do not disturb them for 1 to 2 mins, turn them with a tong and cook on all the sides. I don’t prefer this method due to the splatters and clean up. But the seekh kababs are tender this way too.
• The same mixture can be used to make chicken koftas. Shape to small balls and bake or air fry at 200 C/ 390F for 8 to 10 mins. After 6 mins, shake the tray.
• It is very important to knead and rest the meat in the refrigerator. Both these help in a good binding.

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