Chicken Tandoori Kebabs

Name: Chicken Tandoori Kebabs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast; 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (dairy-free yogurt if needed); 2 teaspoon minced garlic; 2 teaspoon minced ginger; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon coriander; 2 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 bell pepper; 1 red onion

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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!

An overhead shot of five Tandoori Chicken Kebabs with pita bread, lemon slices, and a side dip of Greek yogurt.

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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

Ingredients needed for Tandoori chicken kebabs: chicken breast, bell peppers, red onion, Greek yogurt, lemon, ginger, garlic, and spices.

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.

A large bowl with raw chicken, ginger, garlic, Greek yogurt, and spices.

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.

A large bowl with chopped bell pepper and red onion.

Cut the red onion and bell pepper into 1-2 inch pieces.

Six Tandoori chicken kebabs in a row on a baking sheet.

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.

Grilled chicken Tandoori kebabs with lemon slices.

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

How do I store the leftovers?

Store any leftovers in an air-tight container, off of the skewers. Reheat in the microwave or air fryer until warm.

Is it gluten-free or dairy-free?

These tandoori chicken skewers are gluten-free. For a dairy-free option, use a dairy-free yogurt.

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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!