These chicken tandoori kebabs are a fun and delicious way to enjoy a meal packed with protein and veggies. The flavor is inspired by traditional tandoori chicken you can find at Indian restaurants. The greek yogurt makes the chicken extra tender and the spices melt perfectly into the chicken. With instructions for grilling or baking, they're sure to be an easy meal that everyone will love!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It's a protein and veggie packed meal
- The Greek yogurt adds additional protein and makes the chicken tender
- The kebabs are gluten-free and easily made dairy-free
- The mixture of yogurt and spices creates a delicious flavor to remind you of tandoori chicken
- You can cook the kebabs on the grill or in the oven
- The leftover tandoori chicken stores and reheats well
- The kebabs go well with a variety of side dishes
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts - we prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breast for this tandoori chicken kebab recipe. You can also use chicken thighs.
- Plain Greek yogurt - you'll need any plain Greek yogurt for this recipe. Low-fat or normal fat Greek yogurt will work great. You can also use a plain dairy-free yogurt for a dairy-free option as well.
- Minced garlic and ginger - You can buy pre-minced garlic and ginger or mince your own fresh ginger or garlic cloves. We love to buy the frozen garlic and ginger cubes from Trader Joe's for ease.
- Smoked paprika, chili powder, coriander, ground cumin, and salt - You can use smoked paprika or normal paprika. The smoky flavor of the paprika contributes to the delicious spice mixture. All of these spices create a chicken tandoori inspired flavor. The red chili powder and paprika creates the traditional red color of tandoori chicken without the need for red food coloring. If you want a spicier chicken, add a little extra chili powder or cayenne pepper.
- Lemon juice - a fresh squeeze of lemon juice creates the perfect finishing touch. If you don't have lemon juice you could substitute it for lime juice.
- Bell pepper and red onion - we prefer to add bell pepper and red onion to the kebabs. You can skip the veggies all together, or swap the veggies for other veggies like zucchini or eggplant.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Wooden skewers (if you don't have these, you can bake the chicken and veggies on a sheet pan without skewers)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large mixing bowl
- Knife and cutting board
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and add them to a large bowl with the yogurt, garlic, ginger, paprika, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt and lemon juice. Mix together well. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Cut the red onion and bell pepper into 1-2 inch pieces.
Preparing the kebabs: If you plan to use wooden skewers, soak skewers in water for 10 minutes to prevent burning before assembling the kebabs.
Assemble the kebabs by alternating placing chicken and veggies on the wooden skewers. Leave about 1 inch of space on the end of the wooden skewers.
Cooking the kebabs: you can cook these kebabs by grilling or baking them! See the complete instructions in the recipe card below.
Tips & Variations
- You can switch up the veggies you place on the skewers and use other veggies like zucchini, eggplant, or mushrooms.
- Serve the skewers with pita chips, naan bread, lemon rice, coconut rice, cauliflower rice, or a green salad.
- You can also use metal skewers instead of wooden bamboo skewers.
FAQ
Store any leftovers in an air-tight container, off of the skewers. Reheat in the microwave or air fryer until warm.
These tandoori chicken skewers are gluten-free. For a dairy-free option, use a dairy-free yogurt.
If you like these tandoori chicken kabobs, check out…
If you make these chicken tandoori skewers, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Chicken Tandoori Kebabs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (dairy-free yogurt if needed)
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 red onion
Instructions
Marinating the chicken:
- Begin by cutting the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. In a medium sized bowl, add the yogurt, garlic, ginger, paprika, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and lemon juice. Mix together well. Add the chicken to the bowl and mix until the chicken is coated evenly. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Preparing the kebabs:
- If you plan to use wooden skewers, let them soak in water for 10 minutes before assembling the kebabs to prevent burning. Cut the red onion and bell pepper into 1-2 inch pieces. Assemble the kebabs by alternating placing marinated chicken and veggies on the wooden skewers. Leave about 1 inch of space on the end of the wooden skewers.
Cooking the kebabs:
- For the grill:Turn the grill on medium heat and allow it to get hot. Carefully spray the grill with olive oil or avocado oil cooking spray to prevent sticking. Once the grill is hot, place the kebabs on the grill. Let them cook for 4-5 minutes each side, until the chicken is fully cooked through and reaches 165 degrees.For the oven:If you don’t have access to a grill, you can still make these kebabs! You can bake them in the oven on the skewers or spread the chicken and veggies over a baking sheet for an easy sheet pan meal. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chopped onion and pepper on one side of the pan and drizzle with a little bit of oil, salt and pepper. Add the tandoori chicken to the other half of the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Notes
- You can switch up the veggies you place on the skewers and use other veggies like zucchini or eggplant.
- Serve the skewers with pita chips, naan bread, lemon rice, coconut rice, cauliflower rice, or a green salad.
- You can also use metal skewers instead of wooden bamboo skewers.
- Store any leftovers in an air-tight container, off of the skewers. Reheat in the microwave or air fryer until warm.
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Chicken Tandoori Kebabs."
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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