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Tandoori Chicken Skewers Recipe

These tandoori chicken skewers are full of flavour, perfectly tender and so easy to whip up. The flavours and ingredients aren’t what you’d find in a traditional chicken tandoori recipe, this recipe is not as spicy and focuses more on creating a flavour that is rich, spiced and balanced. So, in that I guess you could say that this is a tandoori inspired recipe!

What is Tandoori Chicken? 

Tandoori chicken gets its name from tandoor which is a cylindrical clay oven that the chicken is typically roasted in. It originates from south asia and the marinade is typically yoghurt based, as this helps the chicken tenderise. Normally, tandoori chicken is made with whole chicken or chicken legs but, for this easy at home version we are using chicken breast.

The primary ingredients in tandoori chicken marinade is:

• Yoghurt 
• Salt + Spices
• Fresh ginger
• Fresh Garlic
• Lemon juice
• And sometimes red food colour

A Personal note about these tandoori chicken skewers… 

I’m a British Pakistani and this is my take on tandoori chicken, a version I love to make regularly for my friends and family and a version I feel brings my love of Pakistani cuisine  and the mix of cultures and heritage in British food together. From using Worcestershire sauce, to maple syrup and red chilli powder, this tandoori recipe is a new take on an old classic.

Ingredient Notes

The ingredients that go into these easy and delicious tandoori chicken skewers

Chicken Breast – skinless and cut into cubes. You could even replace the chicken breast with boneless, skinless, cubed chicken thighs.

Wet Ingredients

Garlic & Ginger – adds so much flavour and freshness

Yoghurt – provides moisture, while also tendersing the chicken

Oil – adds some fat

Ketchup – adds a sweet, sticky and smoky flavour

Lemon Juice  – is used to tenderise the chicken

Vinegar – balances everything out the flavours and softens the chicken

Maple Syrup – adds depth, smokiness and sweetness – you can replace this with sugar, if you’d like

Worcestershire Sauce – adds so much depth and a super savoury flavour

Dry Ingredients

Salt – balances everything out and enhances all of the flavours

Black & White Pepper – for a ton of peppery flavour

Red Chilli Powder – adds spice and a red hue of colour 

Whole Cumin – adds so much texture and flavour 

Ground Cumin & Coriander – adds such a great base of flavour

Turmeric  – for some colour 

Garlic Powder – adds more garlic flavour

Smoked Paprika (optional) – adds so much colour and warmth

How to make Tandoori Chicken Skewers – step by step (with pictures) 

1. Mix together all of the marinade ingredients together and mix it with the chicken breast
2. Store the chicken in the fridge and let it sit for at least 2 hrs or preferably overnight
3. Soak some bamboo skewers in some warm water for 10 minutes before skewering on the chicken
4. Skewer the chicken on to the skewers, before grilling
5. Heat up a pan with some oil, (or you could use spray oil for a lower fat option) and brown the skewers on all sides
6. Once browned, place on a lid and cook for 8 – 10 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and white in the middle
7. Serve with naan, salad, chutney or rice and enjoy!

How to cook tandoori chicken skewers?

In a pan – this is my favourite method. SImply heat up a non-stick pan with some olive oil, or spray oil for a low fat option, seal off the skewers on a high heat on each side. Once browned, place on a lid and cook for 8 – 12 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and white in the middle

On a Grill – grill the tandoori chicken over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes on each side, turning occasionally until chicken registers 165F, about 8-10 minutes of cooking time total.

BBQ – these skewers are perfect for a barbeque and they cook up super quickly!

What should you serve with tandoori chicken?

These tandoori chicken skewers are full of flavour and go well with so many things, from bread, to rice, salad and everything in between. I like having a mix of a few different things, like a mezze of sorts.

Here are some of my favourites:

• Garlic Naan
• Rice or biryani
• Pitta Bread
• Yoghurt
• Chips or Fries
• Pickled red onions
• Chutneys
• Salad
• Roast potatoes
• and so many more…

Tips and Tricks – Tandoori Chicken Skewers Recipe

• Soak the bamboo skewers – to make skewering the chicken easier and quicker
• Reheat the chicken skewers – in a frying pan, on a low heat,  with a little water and a lid, for around 5 – 7 minutes
• Use red food colouring – if you want that classic red colour, only a few drops will do the trick! 
• If you don’t like chicken breast – simply use chicken thighs instead 
• You can make these skewers low fat – by using spray oil to cook the skewers, instead of using oil in a pan
• The recipe video is on my Tik Tok and IG  – please tag @aceofspoons_ if you make this recipe