Mild chunks of tikka seasoned chicken threaded on a stick and grilled to perfection are delicious with homemade flatbreads and dips. Forget ordering a takeaway, make this Chicken Tikka Kebab recipe instead! If you want to make chicken breasts more exciting, then try these Chicken Tikka Skewers. Easy to make and under 350 calories a portion.
If you are trying to cut back on takeaways and save yourself some money and calories, then these Chicken Tikka Kebabs are perfect for that. These are always our go-to for a started in an Indian restaurant, and they are so easy to make yourself at home.
These are a great light lunch, or good for serving up to a crowd with some salads.
If you are looking for some other ways to use chicken breast, then why not try our Stuffed Chicken Breast, Hunter's Chicken, or Caprese Chicken?
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Why You Will Love It
- Easy to make - This recipe is as simple as mixing it all together, leaving to marinade and then threading on the skewers and putting it under the grill. They are also make with very few ingredients.
- Low in fat - These chicken tikka skewers are a great healthy lunch option. Not only are they low in fat, but they are just 223 calories per portion.
- Great for feeding a crowd - These are great for making in bulk and serving up to guests. Add loads of salads on the side and let everyone dig in. It makes a nice BBQ alternative.
- Can be prepared in advance - You can make these up in advance and then keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. They also freeze well.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken - To keep these chicken tikka kebabs as lean as possible, we used skinless chicken breast. However, you could use boneless and skinless chicken thighs as well, which would result in juicier kebabs, but it would change the nutritional information.
- Onion - We used red onion, as it adds a nice pop of colour. However, you could use a brown onion of even halved shallots, which would give a sweeter flavour.
- Peppers - These not only add colour and nutrition, but a lovely sweetness too. You can use any colour pepper you like.
- Lemon - Not only does this add some freshness, but the acidity of the lemon helps to tenderise the chicken.
- Yoghurt - This also helps to tenderise the chicken. You can use a Greek or natural yoghurt.
- Spices - For this chicken kebab recipe we used garam masala, paprika, garlic, onion, cumin, chilli and turmeric. You can use a good quality, store bought tikka spice blend if you prefer.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How To Make Chicken Tikka Kebabs -Step by Step
One: Put the chunks of chicken breast in to a large bowl.
Two: In a separate bowl, mix together all the tikka seasoning ingredients.
Three: Add the yogurt, tikka seasoning and lemon juice to the chicken.
Four: Mix in the chicken kebab marinade well, cover with film and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Five: Soak 8 wooden or bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes. You can also use Metal Skewers which won't need soaking.
Six: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6. When the chicken has marinated, remove from the fridge. Thread the chicken on to the skewers along with some chunks of red onion and yellow pepper.
Seven: Place the kebabs on to a rack and put in the oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
Eight: Transfer to under the grill (broiler) at a medium heat for 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes.
Nine: Serve with a salad, raita and some mango chutney (all optional).
Are They Suitable For Kids?
These chicken kebabs are pretty mild, so they would be kid friendly too - obviously just take the chicken pieces off the skewers first!
It's a nice way to introduce kids to some new herbs and spices and what kid doesn't love dips? I know our toddler does and she really enjoyed these.
Variations
There are plenty of ready made tikka spice blends available in supermarkets that you could use in this recipe, but it is really easy to make yourself. Tikka originated in the Indian Subcontinent and the blend varies with each family and each region. For this chicken kebab recipe we used garam masala, paprika, garlic, onion, cumin, chilli and turmeric.
When it comes to the vegetables added, there are a few option. We kept it simple with onion and peppers, however you could use mushrooms, courgettes, aubergine or cherry tomatoes. It needs to be quick cooking vegetables, so everything is cooked at the same rate. Root vegetables wouldn't work.
Serving Suggestions
These skewers are really simple, and go with so many different things. We served ours with some homemade Cucumber Riata, mango chutney and then a couple of our super easy 3 Ingredient Homemade Flatbreads.
If you want to make it more like a traditional kebab, then why not serve it with our Kebab Shop Chilli Sauce or Easy Garlic Sauce.
If you are serving this up to guests, we suggest a few different salads to go with it. We recommend our Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad, Chopped Blue Cheese Salad, Lentil Salad, Grilled Little Gem Salad, Cucumber Dill Salad or Roasted Vegetable Cous Cous Salad.
Storage
Store: These will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, so they are great for meal prep and then you can use the chunks of chicken in wraps or salads for lunch the next few days.
Freeze: Alternatively, you can freeze them. Just put them in a suitable container once fully cooled and then use within 3 months.
Reheat: If they have been frozen, make sure they are fully defrosted first. Then you can put them in the oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 10-15 minutes until heated through or you could microwave them for 3-4 minutes.
Extra Tips
- You can make these ahead of time and it actually intensifies the flavour leaving them in the fridge for a few hours.
- If you are using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them for at least 30 minutes before using, to stop them from burning.
- Try to cut the chicken pieces in to even sizes so they all cook at the same rate.
- Make sure you don't squash all the chicken pieces together, as they won't cook evenly. They should only be just touching.
- These are fairly mild, so if you prefer things spicier then add some more chilli powder to the seasoning.
- Some cubes on paneer go really well on these skewers, try our Paneer Tikka Kebabs.
- For extra flavour, add a couple of cloves of crushed garlic to the marinade.
- If you don't want to make the spice blend yourself, you could just use 4 tablespoons of tikka seasoning instead.
- The chicken should be marinated for at least 30 minutes, but 4 hours would be ideal.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 223 calories per portion.
If you are looking for something a little bit different to put on the BBQ, then you can pre-cook these and then finish them off on the BBQ.
They are an easy way to feed a crowd if you have a lot of guests at your BBQ and you can just put out a big salad and a couple of big bowls of dips for people to dig in to.
Want to save yourself some time at dinner time? You can make these ahead of time, along with the dips, and just keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.
In fact, I would recommend you do that as it gives the chicken some time to marinade. We suggest at least 30 minutes to marinade, but 4 hours would be ideal. Make a big batch of them and have them cold in a salad for work the next day.
Yes, providing that you make your own spice blend and make sure there is no cross contamination, then these can be gluten free.
Chicken tikka is the boneless chicken pieces that have been marinated in yoghurt and spices and then cook. If you then add those to a curry sauce, it becomes chicken tikka masala.
We cooked our for 20 minutes in the oven and then finished them for 5 minutes under the grill. Make sure you only cook them until they are just done, for perfect juicy chicken. If you overcook them, you will get chewy and dry chicken.
You can stick a knife in to the thickest part of the chicken pieces and if the juices run clear then it is cooked. The best way to ensure that it is cooked through is to use a meat thermometer. Chicken is cooked when it has an internal temperature of 74°C/167°F.
More Indian Recipes
If you’ve tried this Chicken Tikka Kebab recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Chicken Tikka Skewers
Ingredients
Skewers:
- 600 g (1.75 lb) Chicken breast - cut in to chunks
- 1 Red onion - cut in to chunks
- 1 Yellow bell pepper - cut in to chunks
- 0.5 Lemon - (juice only)
- 4 tablespoon 0% Greek Yogurt
Tikka spice blend:
- 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Mild chilli powder
To serve:
Instructions
- Put the chunks 600 g Chicken breast into a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix together 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper,2 teaspoon Paprika,1 teaspoon Ground cumin,2 teaspoon Garam masala,1 teaspoon Garlic powder,1 teaspoon Ground turmeric,1 teaspoon Onion powder and 1 teaspoon Mild chilli powder.
- Add 4 tablespoon 0% Greek Yogurt, tikka seasoning and juice of 0.5 Lemon to the chicken.
- Mix well, cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Soak 8 wooden or bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes.
- When the chicken has marinated, remove from the fridge. Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6. Thread the chicken on to the skewers along with some chunks of 1 Red onion and 1 Yellow bell pepper.
- Place the kebabs on to a rack and put in the oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Transfer to under the grill (broiler) at a medium heat for 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes.
- Serve with a salad, Raita and some Mango chutney (all optional).Mango chutney, Raita
Recipe Tips
- You can make these ahead of time and it actually intensifies the flavour leaving them in the fridge for a few hours.
- If you are using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them for at least 30 minutes before using, to stop them from burning.
- Try to cut the chicken pieces in to even sizes so they all cook at the same rate.
- Make sure you don't squash all the chicken pieces together, as they won't cook evenly. They should only be just touching.
- These are fairly mild, so if you prefer things spicier then add some more chilli powder to the seasoning.
- Some cubes on paneer go really well on these skewers.
- For extra flavour, add a couple of cloves of crushed garlic to the marinade.
- Chicken Tikka can be cooked in an Air Fryer if you have one - take a look at our Air Fryer Chicken Tikka recipe.
- If you don't want to make the spice blend yourself, you could just use 4 tablespoon of tikka seasoning instead.
- The chicken should be marinated for at least 30 minutes, but 4 hours would be ideal.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Claire says
Haha I love that there seems to be a National day for everything. I usually just do some fajita seasoning on chicken skewers, but these look easy and I like the idea of using yoghurt so they don’t go dry.
Melanie says
These look very pretty and would make nice dinner starters for my Bollywood themed party x
Ali - We Made This Life says
I don't eat chicken but my husband does and he loves curry too so these would go down really well with him!
Katie says
They look delicious! I've never made chicken tikka before but it sounds so delicious I'll have to give it a try!!
Katie xoxo
Rhian Westbury says
These sound so tasty, for me it's a abundance of sauce which I'm not keen on so chicken tikka bites on a stick is great x
Sarah Bailey says
Hands up I LOVE chicken tikka, mose definitely one of my favourite ways to enjoy chicken and I love the idea of making some skewers to perhaps go with some rice yum!
Chef Dennis says
I would love to try that Chicken Tikka! Especially with that amazingly delicious dip!!
Bethany says
Your food always looks so amazing, like you can smell it from whatever device you see it on. I’ve tried a few of your meals and they’re so delicious it’s unreal, looking forward to trying this one
Helen of Fuss Free Flavours says
Homemade tikka chicken is so tasty, and so versatile. Perfect to serve with raita and chutney, and for dinner I'd like to add rice. So easy to make and tastes even better when grilled on a barbeque.
Jeanette says
Love chicken dishes. This looks sooo good.
Priya says
wow! that looks so gorgeous and delicious!
Amy | The Cook Report says
These look delicious! Can't wait to give it a go :)
Zuzana says
Looks like just the perfect thing for summer. Will have to try it. Thanks
Carly says
These look lovely! I would probably just use a spoonful of Tikka pasta to save some time, but I can’t wait to try them.
Gemma Freeman says
Something on a stick day? Haha. I think some halloumi would be a great addition to these.