Chicken Keema–Inspired Kebabs Recipe

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated March 26, 2021
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Joshua Bousel

Supremely spicy with layers of earthy undertones, this Pakistani-influenced ground chicken makes for one delicious and complexly flavored skewer of meat.

Recipe Details

Chicken Keema–Inspired Kebabs Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 50 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed

  • 1 teaspoon coriander seed

  • 1 pound ground chicken thighs

  • 2 tablespoons finely grated onion

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic (about 3 medium cloves)

  • 2 teaspoons finely diced thai green chiles (about 2 whole chiles)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated ginger

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Directions

  1. Place cumin and coriander seeds in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder.

  2. In a large bowl mix together ground cumin and coriander seeds, chicken, onion, cilantro, garlic, chilies, turmeric, salt, and garam masala until chicken is evenly seasoned.

  3. Form 1/4 of meat mixture into a skewer-length cylinder on a baking pan or tray. Press skewer into chicken and form meat around stick. Repeat with remaining meat. Place skewered chicken in freezer for 20 minutes while preparing grill.

  4. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Remove skewers from freezer and carefully transfer to hot grill. Cook until skewers brown all over and are cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving tray, let rest for 5 minutes, then serve immediately.

Special equipment

Grill, 4 wooden skewers (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes prior to use)

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
203Calories
9gFat
4gCarbs
28gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories203
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g12%
Saturated Fat 3g14%
Cholesterol 138mg46%
Sodium 518mg23%
Total Carbohydrate 4g1%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 2mg12%
Calcium 34mg3%
Iron 2mg14%
Potassium 387mg8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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