Chicken Tikka Kebab

Chicken Tikka Kebab is tender cooked chunks of chicken marinated in yogurt and spices that are cooked to perfection with mixed peppers and onions. Great as an appetizer or a meal, these flavorful Kebabs, served with the spicy cilantro-mint chutney will be a sure hit for your next family dinner, potluck, or entertaining.

What are Kebobs

Kebab or Kebob are small chunks of marinated meat or seafood grilled on skewers with vegetables or fruits that are cooked on an open fire or grilled. Although Kebabs originated in Middle Eastern countries, many variations such as shami kebab (made with ground meat and chickpeas), shish kebab, and malai kebab have become popular in the rest of the world.

They can also be made easily in an oven or an air fryer. I recently received the Mealthy CrispLid which is an air fryer lid that can be placed on top of the Mealthy MultiPot. Having owned a full-sized air fryer for a couple of years I was curious to try this new CrispLid that is much smaller and takes less space.

Mealthy's newest and most innovative product converts any electric pressure cooker into an air fryer. Broil, crisp, and air fry directly in the steel pot of your electric pressure cooker. Compatible with both 6 and 8-quart electric pressure cookers.

I tried several recipes using the CrispLid I that I will be posting soon. In the meantime here is my quick Mealthy CrispLid review.

Mealthy CrispLid Pros:

• Space saver - Compared to other air fryers CrispLid is much smaller and takes less of your counter space.
• Quiet - CrispLid is very quiet and does not make the loud fan noise that the traditional air fryers do.
• Affordable - CrispLid is priced well at $64.95 and comes with all the accessories you need - An air fryer basket, a tall trivet to place the basket on, silicone tongs, and a silicone mat to place the hot lid on. I am also happy to share an affiliate $10 discount using coupon code "ministryofcurry" if you order directly from Mealthy.
• Glass lid - A see-through lid that allows you to keep an eye on the food as needed.
• Energy Saver - Since it heats up instantly, it does not require as much energy before it starts cooking. It also does not heat up your kitchen like the traditional oven.
• Easy to Clean - The lid is very easy to clean, you just wipe the inside with a damp cloth or paper towel. As long as you do not overfill the basket beyond the recommended guidelines, the lid barely gets dirty. The remaining accessories - basket, trivet, tongs, and silicone mat are all dishwasher safe.

Mealthy CrispLid Cons

• The Capacity of the basket is small so depending on what foods you are trying to cook you will have to cook multiple batches. UPDATE - The newer model now has a deeper basket with a larger capacity and also a better design with 2 side handles.
• You have to be careful when placing the hot lid on the silicone mat. Just as a cautionary step, I would be careful with small children or elderly people around it.

Ingredients

Back to my Kebab recipe 🙂 This recipe is a healthier version of the traditional Malai Chicken Kebab without using cream. My recipe uses a few ingredients to make the same delicious, tender cooked Chicken Tikka Kebab marinated in yogurt, garlic, and a few spices!

So what makes these chicken tikka kebabs so delicious without having to add the extra cream? The key is marinating the chicken cubes for at least 4 hours or overnight. Marinating chicken makes it flavorful and cooks chicken breast cubes tender without drying them out. If you want to use chicken thighs, you can marinate them for 2 hours. For the bone-in chicken, I would recommend marinating at least for 4 hours.

Vegetables for Chicken Tikka Kebab

Traditionally onions and peppers are threaded into metal skewers along with the marinated chicken. You can use a mix of peppers, red onions, mushrooms, zucchini, etc along with the chicken.

I also love the 6-inch bamboo knot skewers that fit perfectly in the CrispLid basket to thread the chicken and the veggies. These bamboo skewers also make it easy to serve the chicken tikka for large parties or entertaining.

Tips for making the perfect Chicken Tikka Kebab

1. Use homemade garam masala. My 5-ingredient garam masala recipe using freshly ground spices really make this dish.
2. Add freshly ground whole white peppercorns to the marinade for fresh spicy flavors and to keep the marinade light in color making the kebabs look similar to malai chicken kebabs.
3. Marinate chicken breasts for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight for best flavors.
4. Brush the chicken skewers lightly with oil before cooking.

Variations

• These chicken tikka kebobs are medium spicy. You can cut the spice level for children by skipping the green chilies in the recipe.
• I like the flavors of fresh peppers and onions, so I choose not to marinate them. But you can also marinate veggies along with the chicken just before threading them on the skewers.
• To make Chicken Tikka Kebob in the oven place the skewers on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes to get the char marks.
• To make Chicken Tikka Kebob on an outdoor grill, soak the wooden skewers in water for an hour. This prevents the skewers from burning. Then thread the chicken and veggies on the skewers and brush with oil. Preheat the grill at 400 degrees and grill the skewers on aluminum foil brushed with oil for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the skewers halfway through.
• To make the Chicken Tikka Kebabs in an air fryer follow the same steps as in this recipe.
• You can skip the wooden skewers and place the chicken cubes and veggies directly in the CrispLid basket, baking tray, grill, or air fryer.

How to Make Chicken Tikka Kebab

• In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients for the marinade and mix well. Add chicken and coat well. Allow marinating for at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. 

• Thread the marinated chicken, peppers, and onions in the skewers. Brush the basket with oil. Lightly brush the skewers on all sides with oil and place them in the basket. You can also place any extra veggies on the sides. I like some extra red onions with this dish.

• Place the tall trivet in the MultiPot and then place the basket on the trivet. Place the CrispLid on top and set the temperature to 400 degrees. Adjust the cooking time to 15 minutes. Open the lid after the cooking cycle completes.

• To make the chutney blend all the ingredients for the chutney using 2 tablespoons of water. Note: Add more water as needed, a little at a time. Serve hot chicken tikka kebabs with mint-cilantro chutney.

Looking for some side dishes to pair with Chicken Tikka Kebobs? Try these delicious salads:

• Spicy, sweet, and tangy mango salad
• Fiesta quinoa salad
• Kale salad with almonds

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Airfryer Chicken Tikka Kebab

Chunks of chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, grilled to perfection in an airfryer with mixed peppers and onions on skewers, served with spicy mint-cilantro chutney.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Marinate Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs 30 mins

Course: Appetizer, dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4

Calories: 319kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Equipment

• Mealthy CrispLid

Ingredients

• ▢ 1½ pounds chicken breasts pat dried and cut into 1.5 inch pieces
• ▢ 2 cups mixed peppers cut into 1.5-inch pieces
• ▢ 1 medium red onion cut into 1.5-inch cubes

Marinade:

• ▢ ½ cup plain yogurt
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon green chili
• ▢ 2 tablespoons garlic paste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ginger
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢ 1 teaspoons ground white pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil
• ▢ ½ tablespoon lemon juice

Mint Cilantro Chutney

• ▢ ½ cup cilantro
• ▢ ¼ cup mint leaves
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut frozen or dry
• ▢ 1 garlic clove
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ 1 to 2 small green chiles
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients for the marinade and mix well. Add chicken and coat well. Allow to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Thread the marinated chicken, peppers and onions in the skewers and lightly brush the skewers on all sides with oil. Next use one of the 3 cooking methods:

1. Airfryer

• Brush the air fryer basket with oil and place the chicken skewers in the basket. Set the temperature to 400 degree F and cook time for 15 minutes.

2. Oven

• To make Chicken Tikka Kebob in the oven place the skewers on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and bake for 15 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes to get the char marks.

3. Outdoor Grill

• To make Chicken Tikka Kebob on an outdoor grill, soak the wooden skewers in water for an hour. This prevents the skewers from burning. Then thread the chicken and veggies on the skewers and brush with oil. Preheat the grill at 400 degrees and grill the chicken skewers on aluminium foil brushed with oil for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the skewers halfway through.

To serve

• Make the chutney by blending all the ingredients in a high speed blender using water as needed. Serve the chicken tikka kebab with mint-cilantro chutney.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 1681mg | Potassium: 945mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 485IU | Vitamin C: 147mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg

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