These chicken kabobs are a great way of having a flavorful dinner ready in little time, while also serving some tasty vegetables in a different way! Marinated with yogurt and spices, these moist and flavorful chicken skewers can be cooked in the oven, on the grill, in a pan, or on top of a barbecue. They are perfect served with rice or in wraps, with tzatziki, hummus, or tomato salsa. Don't save them for the weekend, they are ready in no time, so make the perfect mid-week meal!
Forget soggy fries, chicken pieces drowned in sauce, and fizzy drinks: this chicken kabobs recipe is ridiculously tasty, easy to prepare, and the ultimate crowd-pleaser!
As the weather in London is hardly ever good enough to get the barbecue out, I like these baked, however, they can be cooked on the grill or on a pan too.
For a complete meal, I throw a few baked potato wedges in the oven too, whip up a little hummus with a drizzle of olive oil on top, and off we go!
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Chicken Kabobs Recipe Infographics
Baked Chicken Kabobs Ingredients
- Chicken: chicken thighs are juicier once cooked, as they have a higher fat content, however, chicken breasts are easier to dice. You can use either and follow the same instructions, however, in the pictures you can see I used boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Oil, yogurt, and lime juice: are the main wet ingredients in the marinade, all bringing freshness, richness, and flavor to the dish.
- Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala: the spices that flavor and color the dish.
- Salt and pepper: seasoning to unlock the flavors.
- Ginger garlic paste: you can buy two pastes or pre-mixed, or make your own using fresh ginger and garlic. Don't swap for ginger powder or garlic powder, as the result won't be the same.
- Fresh cilantro (coriander): optional.
Optional Ingredients
- Colorful vegetables: You can alternate your diced chicken with your favorite vegetables, which will help keep the meat moist while cooking. Choose wisely thinking about cooking time; great options are red, green, or yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion wedges, mushrooms, and zucchini roundels. These can be added to the chicken marinade or added without; alternate chicken and vegetables on the skewers.
- Additional seasoning: You can adapt the taste as you wish! Red chili powder can be used instead of Kashmiri for added heat. Half a teaspoon of soy sauce can be added for umami, while a little tandoori masala can cover for some [not all missing] marinade ingredients. I wouldn't add Italian seasoning or mixes for Greek chicken kabobs, as those have a completely different taste.
How to make chicken kabobs?
- Chicken Kabob Marinade: To prepare the shish kabob marinade, mix together yogurt, oil, Kashmiri chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, black pepper, lemon juice (or lime juice), ginger garlic paste, and thinly sliced fresh cilantro (coriander).
- Marinate Chicken: Add the diced chicken to the yogurt marinade and mix until every piece is fully coated. Set aside and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook Chicken Kabobs: Skew the pieces of chicken and the desired vegetables and bake in the oven on the middle shelf at 180 degrees Celsius, Gas 4 or 350 Fahrenheit for 25 minutes or until cooked thoroughly. Serve and enjoy your chicken kabobs!
Note: Feel free to add your vegetables of choice to this wonderful recipe, however, keep in mind baking time, as some may over or undercook with the meat. Bell peppers, sweet pepper, onions, zucchini, and mushrooms are great!
People Also Ask [FAQs]
How to cook chicken kabobs on a grill pan?
Grilled chicken kabobs are a great option when you don't want to use the oven - although you can grill chicken kabobs in the oven too!
When using a grilling pan, ensure this is warmed up on medium-high heat before putting the chicken skewers to cook.
Allow each of the four sides to cook against the pan (so they cook evenly) in order to ensure the best flavors come out (yes, char-grilled chicken!), and to keep moist you can sprinkle a few drops of olive oil and lemon juice along the way.
No matter what, always ensure the chicken is fully cooked before serving.
A kabob or kebab is a Middle Eastern or Eastern Mediterranean dish that consists of grilled or roasted meat, fish, or vegetables on a skewer or spit (rotisserie style).
Baked chicken kabobs can be baked in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius, Gas 4, or 350 Fahrenheit for 25 minutes or until cooked thoroughly. Once ready, the central part of the meat should reach 165*F [74*C], and this can be measured using an instant-read thermometer.
How to store chicken kabobs?
- Raw with marination: The marinated chicken can be stored uncooked in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days [depending on the freshness of the meat] or frozen for up to two months. In this case, I would recommend adding the lemon juice only 30 minutes before cooking. If the raw chicken was frozen before, this should not be frozen raw again, so it should be used within two days.
- Cooked: the meat can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days once cooked, or it can be frozen and used within 3 months.
Tips and tricks
- Metal skewers: Metal skewers are my go-to option, as they don't require preparation, have a hook/handle on one end, and are easy to wash and reuse many times.
- Soak wooden skewers: Wooden or bamboo skewers may burn while cooking so it is recommended to soak them in water for between 10 and 30 minutes. It is important not to oversoak the skewers as the wood may then give splinters while being overly moist.
- Vegetables: Add zucchini, large onion slices, green peppers, mushrooms, and eggplant to your kebabs! These are great additions as they keep the chicken moist while cooking. Other veggies may be added too, however, keep in mind they may have different cooking times.
- Leftover marinade: If you plan to make extra marinade, ensure you set it aside before adding the raw chicken!
- Boneless skinless chicken breast: This is naturally lower in fat, however, when marinated with the yogurt it will stay moist and juicy, so ensure you allow it to rest in the yogurt marinade for at least 30 minutes.
The perfect summer meal: picture yourself wearing a pair of flip flops, sitting by the beach, and enjoying this delicious meal, made of simple ingredients, yet absolutely glorious!
(Why not accompany it with a glass of this delightful Minted Virgin Moscow Mule with Ginger Ale?)
I am sure these Indian-style chicken kabobs will become the go-to for your summer parties and weekend get-togethers, as much as they have become ours!
WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Should you have any questions at all, please let us know and we will get back to you as soon as possible. If you tried and tested these chicken kabobs, please rate and comment on the recipe card below! Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated.
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Recipe
Tender and Juicy Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
- 1 kg Diced skinless boneless chicken breast or thigh
For the marinade:
- 1 tablespoon Oil Preferably Sunflower, Vegetable, Rice Bran or Peanut
- 5 tablespoon Full-Fat Natural Set Yogurt
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
- 2 teaspoon Lime Juice or Lemon Juice
- 3 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 handful Finely Chopped Fresh Cilantro Coriander
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In a small bowl, add the yogurt with all the other ingredients for the marinade and mix until uniform.
- Add the diced chicken to the marinade, and mix until every piece of chicken is fully coated. Cover the bowl with a lid or cling film and leave to marinate for at least half an hour in the fridge.
Cook the chicken - oven instructions
- Once thge meat is marinated, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, Gas 4 or 350 Fahrenheit.
- Choose a baking tray with lifted edges so that you can rest the skewers on the sides or use a grilling rack; add the meat to the skewers so that each piece is next to the other, without leaving a gap, but without pressing them firmly together.
- Place the skewers on the baking tray, then cook on the middle tray in the oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until cooked.
- Once ready, allow to sit for a couple of minutes before serving.
Notes
- Full-fat yogurt is the best option for cooking, as it is harder for it to split. Additionally, it will offer a thicker marinade that sticks better to the meat.
- If using wooden skewers ensure you soak them in water for at least 10 minutes before using them, as this will prevent them from burning when cooking.
- Serve with pita bread, with tzatziki, hummus, tomato and coriander salsa, or simple rice.
- Raw with marination: The marinated chicken can be stored uncooked in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days [depending on the freshness of the meat] or frozen for up to two months; in this case, I would recommend adding the lemon juice only 30 minutes before cooking. If the raw chicken was frozen before, this should not be frozen raw again, so it should be used within two days.
- Cooked: the meat can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days once cooked, or it can be frozen and used within 3 months.
Tina
Can you use sour cream in place of yogurt?
Elle
Hi Tina,
Yes, absolutely - it will still help tenderize the meat.
Sour cream is made of cream that has been fermented, so it is richer, while full-fat yogurt is often tangier.
Please let me your thoughts once you prepare this!
Best, Elle
Clare D.
Thanks for this, Elle! My husband and kids always order the tandoori platter when we go to eat out and I was looking for a recipe to do it at home because eating out in four is expensive these days. This recipe didn't disappoint at all, it actually was better than the restaurant as I could control the spices how we prefer (a bit milder for my daughter). 5 stars no doubt!
Elle
Hi Clare,
I am so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed this recipe - it is one I love too!