These bright, tasty Indian Tandoori Chicken Kebabs are easy to prepare and flavorful! They include traditional aromatic Indian spices such as turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, tandoori and more. Serve this mouth-watering chicken skewer main alongside yellow rice, salad, and naan bread for a delicious dinner.
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Roast chicken marinated in yogurt and spices in a tandoor oven to create popular Indian Tandoori chicken kebabs. Although the dish originates from India, it has become very popular in many parts of the world.
The spice mix that Indian tandoori chicken uses is called tandoori masala. It contains red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric, Kasuri methi (fenugreek leaves), garam masala, garlic, ginger, and onion powder. You can purchase ready-made tandoori masala from the store or make your own by grinding the spices in a mortar and pestle.
This delicious tandoori chicken can be served for dinner, Iftar and special occasions with easy Turkish Bread, Fluffy Turmeric Rice Recipe or Quick Persian Shirazi Salad.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- Delicious aromatic spices are used to make Indian chicken kebabs.
- It is a bright and fun chicken dinner option.
- Tandoori chicken can be served with various sides.
- Double or triple the recipe to feed many.
Tandoori Chicken Kebabs Ingredients
- Chicken fillets: For this Indian Tandoori chicken, you can use fresh or frozen chicken fillets. If you are using frozen filets, defrost them thoroughly before marinating the chicken.
- Yogurt/Curd: Yogurt or curd is the marinade's base, making the chicken tender and juicy; it adds a delicious sour flavor to the marinade. Use Greek yogurt, natural yogurt, or good-quality curd.
- Tandoori Masala: Is a ready-made spice mix that can be purchased online or at supermarkets. It combines popular Indian spices and is used to season food. If you don't have tandoori masala, you can create your own using a combination of easy-to-find spices.
- Turmeric: Add good-quality turmeric to the marinade.
- Chili powder: Ground chili powder is bright red and spicy. It adds some heat to the marinade. Feel free to alter the heat depending on how spicy you like the dish.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic works best in this recipe. However, if you don't have fresh garlic then you can use ground garlic instead.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger adds sweet and spicy notes to the Tandoori chicken kebabs, but you can also use ginger powder if you don't have any on hand.
- Lemon: Use fresh lemon juice for this recipe.
- Oil: Any flavorless oil such as canola, vegetable or sunflower oil will be perfect for this recipe.
Tips and Substitutions
- Salt: Be mindful when adding salt. Taste the chicken as you season and marinate it to check the salt content.
- Substitutions: If you cannot find fresh ginger or garlic, you can substitute for powdered garlic or ginger.
- Skewers: Soak the skewers in water for 10-15 minutes before using them to prevent them from burning on the grill.
- Cooking method: This recipe features grilled tandoori chicken skewers, but you can also air-fry or bake the chicken tandoori skewers—it’s entirely up to you.
- Marinate: For optimal flavor, cube chicken fillets and leave them to sit in a homemade marinade for at least one hour.
How to Make Tandoori Chicken Kebabs
- Cut the chicken fillets into cubes and add them to a medium-sized bowl. Marinate the chicken with grated garlic, grated ginger, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour in the lemon juice and mix well.
2. Next, combine yogurt/curd, tandoori masala, turmeric, chili powder, salt to taste, red food coloring (optional), and oil in a separate bowl and mix well.
3. Then, mix the tandoori marinade into the chicken. Coat each chicken cube with the marinade. Then, leave the chicken cubes to marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. For more flavor, leave the chicken to marinate for up to 4 hours.
4. While the chicken marinates prepare the skewers. Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from breaking when cooking.
Once the chicken has finished marinating, add chicken cubes to each skewer.
5. Heat a grill or pan on the stove to make the chicken on the grill. Spray each chicken tandoori skewer with oil and cook on both sides on low/medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
If you prefer to cook the chicken in the oven, place it on a lined baking tray and cook it in a preheated oven at 180C/360F.
To make your chicken in an air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 175C/350F. Lightly grease the basket with cooking oil. Place the marinated chicken in the basket and air fry for 15 minutes or until done.
6. Finally, serve these tasty Tandoori Chicken Kebabs with fluffy turmeric rice, Turkish flatbread and salad during special occasions, large gatherings or Iftar.
Recipe FAQs
People marinate Tandoori chicken in a blend of spices, tandoori masala, and yogurt before cooking it in a tandoor oven.
The red color in Indian tandoori chicken kebabs comes from using Kashmiri red chilies. Kashmiri chilies are a very popular type of chili used in Indian cooking. It is used mainly for color rather than taste or pungency and in powder form as it blends with other ingredients easily in its powdered state. You can add red food coloring to the marinade to make the tandoori chicken even redder!
Yes, chicken tikka is made in a tandoor oven. It refers to small pieces of chicken marinated in a spicy yogurt mixture and cooked in a tandoor oven.
Tandoori cooking is a method of Indian cooking in which food is cooked over a charcoal fire in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven.
More Tasty South Asian Recipes
Indian Tandoori Chicken Kebabs
Ingredients
- 3 Chicken fillets
- 6 tablespoon Yoghurt or curd
- 3.5 teaspoon Tandoori masala
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon of chili powder Kashmiri
- 1-2 garlic cloves grated
- Ginger grated
- ¼ Lemon juice
- Oil
- Red food coloring optional
Instructions
- Cut the chicken fillet into cubes and add them to a medium sized bowl. Then, marinate the chicken with grated garlic, grated ginger, salt and pepper to taste, pour in the lemon juice and mix well.
- Next, combine youghurt/curd, tandoori masala, turmeric, chilli powder, salt to taste, red food coloring (optional) and oil in a separate bowl and mix well.
- Pour the tandoori marinade into the chicken and mix well. Make sure each chicken cube is coated in the marinade. Then leave the chicken cubes to marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. The chicken cubes can be marinated for up to 4 hours for more flavor.
- While the chicken marinates prepare the skewers. Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from breaking when cooking.
- Once the chicken has finished marinating, add cubes of chicken to each skewer. Then heat a grill or grill pan on the stove (see notes for oven or air fryer instructions). Spray each chicken tandoori skewer with oil and cook on both sides on a low/medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
Video
Marta
I grilled these tandoori chicken kebabs over wood charcoal in my ceramic grill and they were so perfectly smoked and charred. I served them with some naan and steamed basmati rice. So good!
Jen Sim
Sounds like a mouth-watering combination. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Kim
Haven’t made Indian food in awhile and it was so nice to stumble on this recipe. It was super easy to make and really good too! Will be in my rotation for meal prep!
Jessica
I got some pre made spice mix and threw these in the air fryer and they came out amazing. Came together with some rice and salad for a quick, easy and super tasty dinner that everyone loved.
Jazz
The flavor of these kebabs is perfect! I served them with saffron rice and green salad and it has become a family favorite meal already.
Britney Brown-Chamberlain
These kebabs are better than my favorite takeout spot! I didn't realize how easy they are to make too, thanks for this amazing recipe!
Marcus Avery
I've always found Indian food to be difficult to make at home. Fortunately, this recipe was easy to follow and tasted just as good as restaurant-quality Indian food!
Shiji Chacko
How long would you cook in the oven for?
Jen Sim
Hi Shiji, bake them for 25-30 minutes.