These quick-cooking kebabs are very easy, perfect for grilling during the warmer months. I actually grew up in a vegetarian family in Mumbai but would sneak out and eat them at roadside stalls with friends (in India, they’re a popular street food, traditionally cooked in a tandoor). I’ve never been able to get enough of the smell of charcoal smoke and these juicy skewers of piping-hot, char-grilled meat. Serve them with mint chutney and flatbread.
If you can’t find ground chicken at your local grocery store, you can absolutely substitute ground turkey. You can also easily make ground chicken yourself even without a meat grinder. Simply cut skinless, boneless chicken thighs into small chunks, freeze for five minutes or until firm, and pulse in batches in a food processor until the meat is finely minced. —Chintan Pandya, Adda, Queens, NY
This recipe is part of Short Is Sweet, our collection of summer dishes that deliver a whole lot of deliciousness in 30 minutes or less.
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What you’ll need
Stainless Steel Skewer
$5.89 At Amazon
Large Bowl
$18 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$18 At Amazon
Platter
$40 $30 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
6 - 8 Servings
Ingredients
2
¾
¾
¾
10–12
1
½
2
2
2
2
1½
1
4
Special Equipment
16
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate. Using your hands, mix chicken, cheese, cilantro, mint, garlic, ginger, jalapeño, cardamom, garam masala, kala jeera (if using), salt, deggi mirch, and mace (if using) in a large bowl to combine
Step 2
Using oiled hands, divide chicken mixture into 16 portions and shape into rough logs about 4" long. Skewer logs and shape meat onto skewers, leaving 1" of skewer exposed at each end for turning. Grill kebabs, turning as needed, until browned all over and cooked through, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a platter and brush with butter.
Leave a Review
Reviews (28)
Back to TopCheese is not traditional. Why add it?
AC
7/1/2022
For those that had a problem with them falling apart, after you pu tthem on the skewers, put them in the freezer for about 45 minutes until the outside firms up and partially freezes, this will allow the outside to cook and form a hard coating before they have a chance to fall apart.
John MacDonald
Halifax
5/12/2022
Was shopping at Costco, where ground chicken was not in stock; however, I decided to try preparing with ground turkey instead and my husband and I were both pleased with the outcome! This recipe is healthful and flavorful. We did encounter the same skewer holding problem as the previous reviewer but found by quickly rotating for the first minute or so the meat "sealed" and held.
Chef Court
Appleton, WI
7/30/2021
The meat was very tasty, but could not get it to hold its form on the skewer which spelt disaster on the grill. I ended up serving cooked crumbled chicken. I assume my ground chicken was too moist- maybe I should have added bread crumbs to firm is up.
Steve K
OK
7/22/2021
Kala Jeera is not carraway seeds. That's cumin. Which one is supposed to be used?
RV
7/15/2021
Wow - this packs a ton of flavor and despite only finding ground chicken breast, stayed super moist and tender! We did leave out the caraway and mace (not a fan of either, so glad they were optional). Quite spicy, but just right for our palettes. Served similar to shawarma/gyro - on warmed pita with veggies and sour cream. We plan to do a larger batch next time to freeze extras for a quick and easy weeknight dinner!
LBinTX
Texas
7/12/2021
These were fantastic. The spices and the herbs were so delicious together. I honestly didn't bother to skewer but shaped them into little rolls and pan fried. Very good.
Diana Z.
Philadelphia, PA
7/5/2021