These easy Chicken Tikka Kebabs are quick and simple to make – but packed full of flavour, thanks to my easy peasy chicken tikka marinade. And they are super flexible – you can grill them, griddle them, fry them or cook them on the barbecue – whatever you prefer!
This blog post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
Homemade Chicken Tikka
Do you love Chicken Tikka? Then you are going to LOVE these easy peasy Chicken Tikka Kebabs – a brilliantly quick and easy way to enjoy Chicken Tikka at home.
These easy chicken kebabs are wonderfully juicy and packed full of flavour thanks to the delicious tikka marinade, featuring: Indian spices, garlic, yogurt and lemon juice.
They are delicious done on the barbecue in the summer, but they are equally as good done under the grill or even in a frying pan – meaning you can enjoy chicken tikka deliciousness all year round!
How to make Chicken Tikka Kebabs
These Chicken Tikka Kebabs are so easy to make!
All you need to do is mix up the simple tikka marinade, then add the chicken and ensure every piece of chicken is well coated.
Next, leave to marinate for as long as you can – up to 24h if you can, but no worries if you don’t have the time – marinating is optional (though recommended!)
Finally, thread the chicken chunks onto skewers, then barbecue, grill or fry for 6 minutes on each side. Easy peasy!
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
How to ensure the chicken does not spin round on the kebab skewers
Do you ever have that problem of chicken spinning round on the skewers, when you make kebabs, so you can’t get all the side evenly cooked?
I have tips!
- Use flat metal skewers – the meat is much less prone to spinning than on round skewers.
- I recommend threading the skewer through each piece of chicken TWICE – go in through the bottom and then back out through the top – kind of like sewing. This ensures each piece of chicken is more ‘stable’ on the skewer and should stop the chicken spinning round as much.
- Push the chicken pieces quite close together – this also helps stop the spinning.
What to serve with Chicken Tikka Kebabs
There are so many delicious things you can serve with Chicken Tikka Kebabs!
Here are some ideas:
- Multicoloured Pilau Rice
- Fruity Pilau Rice
- Mushroom Pilau Rice
- Naan Bread
- Peshwari Naans
- Flatbreads
- Kachumber Salad
Personally, I like to serve these Chicken Tikka Kebabs with Easy Peasy Pilau Rice, Kachumber Salad, mango chutney and lime pickle.
What to drink with Chicken Tikka Kebabs
Chicken Tikka is very white wine friendly and will go well with most white wines: especially aromatic whites like Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Viognier.
Alternatively, this dish also works well with dry, fruity rosés.
At a push it would even work with lighter, fruitier reds too. But white wine would definitely be my first choice!
Want more easy peasy ideas for a BBQ?
Why not try these…
- Greek-Style Chicken Kebabs
- Chicken Shish Kebabs
- Easy Peasy Homemade Beef Burgers
- Peri Peri Chicken Burgers (Nando’s Copycat)
- Halloumi Burgers
Head here for all my BBQ recipes: Easy Peasy BBQ Recipes
Greek-Style Chicken Kebabs
What to do with leftover Chicken Tikka
Leftovers Chicken Tikka will keep well in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can either eat the leftovers cold (this makes an envy-inducing packed lunch!) or place them in a roasting tray, covered with foil in an oven heated to 180C (160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F) for 10 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through.
Alternatively, reheat the leftovers in the microwave, until piping hot all the way through. ( Don’t put the metal skewers in the microwave, obviously!)
Can you freeze Chicken Tikka?
Yes! Simply put any leftovers in a lidded container and place in the freezer where they will keep for up to 1 month.
Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above, or eat cold.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- Easy Chicken Biryani
- Easy Chicken Korma
- Easy Chicken Rogan Josh
- Easy Chicken Jalfrezi
- Chicken, Chickpea and Spinach Curry
Chicken, Chickpea and Spinach Curry
Chicken Tikka Kebabs
Ingredients
Chicken Tikka Marinade
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (or to taste – see Note 1)
- 1 cm ginger grated
- 4 cloves garlic grated or crushed
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 100 g plain yogurt (I used Yeo Valley Organic Natural Yogurt)
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste (see Note 2)
Chicken Tikka Kebabs
- 650 g chicken breast cut into large in chunks (roughly 2cm x 2cm)
- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander chopped (for garnish – optional)
You will also need…
- 4 metal skewers ideally flat skewers rather than rounded ones
Instructions
- Place all the Chicken Tikka Marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- Place your chicken chunks in the marinade and use your hands to ensure every piece of chicken is well coated in the marinade. (You can use a spoon if you don’t like getting your hands messy!)
- If you have time, cover the bowl with clingfilm and place it in the fridge. Leave the chicken to marinate for 1-2 hours (or up to 24h if you can!)
- If you don’t have the time, simply continue on with the recipe – it will still taste good!
- Pre-heat your grill (broiler) as hot as it goes. (See notes for other cooking methods.)
- Thread the chicken chunks onto the 4 metal skewers, ensuring that each skewer has roughly the same amount of chicken onto it. Push the pieces together so they are all touching – you should have plenty of space at the top and bottom of each skewer. (See Note 5.)
- Place the skewers onto your grill tray and place the grill tray under your grill. The chicken should be very close to the grill – as close as possible without them actually touching the grill bars!
- Grill the chicken for 6 minutes, then turn the skewers over and grill the other side for 6 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through in the middle and charred in places on the outside.
- Serve scattered with fresh coriander.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of chilli you use to suit your preferences: ¼ teaspoon (or none at all) for mild, ½ teaspoon for medium, 1 teaspoon (or more) for hot.
I recommend you use ½ teaspoon of salt here – it will really bring out the flavours of the marinade, without making it too salty. - If cooking on the barbecue… Place the skewers directly onto the grills of a pre-prepared barbecue – be sure to place them over a medium-hot spot to ensure the outside doesn’t burn before the inside is fully cooked. Cook the chicken for 6 minutes, then turn the skewers over and cook the other side for 6 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through in the middle and charred in places on the outside.
- If cooking on a griddle pan / frying pan… Place your pan over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Then place the skewers directly onto the pan. Cook the chicken for 6 minutes, then turn the skewers over and cook the other side for 6 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through in the middle and charred in places on the outside.
- I recommend threading the skewer through each piece of chicken TWICE – go in through the bottom and then back out through the top – kind of like sewing. This ensures each piece of chicken is more ‘stable’ on the skewer and should stop the chicken spinning round on the skewers. For the same reason, I recommend using flat metal skewers rather than rounded ones.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Disclosure
This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
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