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If you love Indian food, you’ll love these yogurt-marinated Chicken Tikka Kebabs. A flavor-packed summer dinner idea for grilling season!
Chicken Tikka Skewers
This Chicken Tikka Kebab recipe is made with chunks of boneless, skinless chicken thighs marinated in a spiced yogurt mixture with garlic, ginger, and warm Indian spices. They grill up juicy, tender, and perfectly charred on the edges. I tested this recipe several ways—under the broiler, in the air fryer, and on the grill. While all methods work, the grill is hands-down my favorite. It gives you that irresistible smoky char that takes the flavor to the next level. I shared all three cook options below for your convenience. More Indian-inspired chicken recipes to try, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, and Instant Pot Chicken Pulao.
Why You’ll Love These Chicken Tikka Kebabs
My love for Indian food started years ago when I was first introduced to the depth of Indian spices—and over time, I’ve learned from many of my Indian friends how to use them in my kitchen. These kebabs are inspired by those flavors, adapted to be approachable and doable at home.
- High Protein: Over 31 grams of protein per serving.
- Great for Grilling Season: If you don’t have a grill, I’ve also included directions for broiling and air frying below.
- Easy to Prep Ahead since it has to marinate for a few hours, prep the night before!
- Crowd-pleasing: Perfect for summer parties
- Dietary Restrictions: Weight Watchers-friendly, gluten-free, high-protein, Mediterranean diet-friendly, keto, low-carb, and anti-inflammatory
If you make this chicken tikka recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. And be sure to join the Skinnytaste Community to see what everyone’s cooking!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy chicken tikka kabob recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Whole Milk Greek Yogurt slowly tenderizes the chicken to make it juicy. It’s a gentle, effective way to tenderize meat by slowly breaking down the proteins in the chicken.
- Tomato Paste for a rich tomato flavor
- Olive Oil thins the marinade to help it coat the chicken.
- Aromatics: Minced garlic and ginger. You can grate fresh ginger or use a ginger paste.
- Indian Spices: Turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt
- Chicken Thighs: I tested this recipe with chicken breasts, but it came out a bit too dry for my liking. For the best texture and flavor, I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Red Onion gets sweeter and softer as it cooks.
- Garnish: Lime or lemon wedges and chopped cilantro
How to Make Chicken Tikka Kebab
Follow these steps to make these juicy chicken tikka skewers. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Make the Chicken Tikka Yogurt Marinade: Combine the yogurt, tomato paste, oil, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl, then whisk in the spices. Add the chicken to the bowl and stir to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.
- Make the Skewers: Thread the chicken and red onions onto metal skewers.
- Grill the Chicken: Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan on medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill the kebabs for a few minutes on each side, rotating them once they have grill marks and easily release from the grates. Once the internal temperature reaches 165°F, remove them from the grill.
- Garnish the kabobs with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges and extra yogurt.
Other Cooking Methods and Tips
- If using wood skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes first.
- Uniform Pieces: Cut the chicken into equal-sized pieces for even cooking.
- How to Tell When Chicken Is Done: Check the chicken with a meat thermometer, but make sure not to touch the skewer with the probe.
- How to Broil: Preheat the oven to broil on high and place the top rack 6 inches from the heating element. Put the kebabs on a foil-lined rimmed sheet pan and broil until the chicken is slightly charred. Remove the pan, rotate the skewers, and return to the oven. Repeat until the chicken is charred on all sides and the internal temp is 165°F.
- Air Fryer Chicken Tikka: Don’t use the skewers. Spray the basket with oil, and air fry the chicken and onions for 15 minutes at 400°F, shaking the basket halfway through.
Chicken Tikka Variations
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, just be sure you don’t overcook them, so they’re not dry.
- Greek Yogurt: Substitute 1% yogurt for a lighter option or omit for dairy-free.
- Add Extra Veggies, like bell peppers or mushrooms, to the skewers.
- Spiciness: Feel free to omit or add more cayenne to suit your tastes.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve the chicken tikka with warm naan, basmati rice, and cucumber raita, or wrap it in a pita with yogurt sauce and crunchy veggies.
- Pictured here, they are served with Turmeric Basmati Rice and Creamy Cucumber Salad.
Storage
- Refrigerate the chicken and onions in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- How to Reheat: Remove the chicken and onions from the skewers and microwave them until warm. You can also reheat them in the air fryer at 360°F for a few minutes or eat them cold on a salad.
- Freeze the kabobs for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge.
More Skewers You Will Love
See more Indian recipes here, plus these 5 kabob recipes:
- Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
- Chicken Shawarma Kebab Salad
- Grilled Pesto Shrimp Skewers
- Steak Kebabs with Chimichurri
- Blackened Grilled Salmon Skewers
Chicken Tikka Kebab
Chicken Tikka Kebabs are juicy, flavorful skewers of marinated chicken with yogurt and Indian spices—perfect for the grill, oven, or air fryer.
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 kabob
Equipment
- 6 metal skewers or bamboo skewers*
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup whole milk greek yogurt, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger or ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Lime wedges, or lemon, for garnish
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the yogurt, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, and ginger to a large mixing bowl and whisk until evenly combined. Add all of the spices and the salt to the bowl and whisk to incorporate. Add the chicken to the bowl and stir to coat the chicken evenly in the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge. Thread the chicken and the red onion onto metal skewers, with a piece of onion in between each chicken cube.
- To grill, preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Transfer the kabobs to the grill and cook until the chicken easily releases from the grates and has nice solid grill marks, about 3-4 minutes. Rotate and continue to cook the chicken until evenly charred and the internal temperature reaches 165° F, about 22 to 25 minutes total.
- Garnish the kabobs with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges and yogurt.
Last Step:
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Notes
*If using wood skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes before using.
To cook under the broiler, preheat the oven to broil on high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place the kabobs on the baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Broil 6 inched from the heating element, until the topside of the chicken is slightly charred, about 3-4 minutes. Keep an eye on them as everyone’s broilers are slightly different. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and rotate the kabobs. Return the baking sheet to the oven and continue the process until the chicken is evenly charred and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Air fryer recipe, skip the skewers and air fry 400°F 16 minutes, shaking the basket halfway.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 kabob, Calories: 230 kcal, Carbohydrates: 4 g, Protein: 31.5 g, Fat: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 2.5 g, Cholesterol: 144 mg, Sodium: 473 mg, Fiber: 0.5 g, Sugar: 2 g
Good
Made this tonight for this first time and it will be made again, and again! So yummy. Next time, I’ll find a sauce to add on top. Have any suggestions? Made the delicious tumeric rice too. Another one that will be on repeat. Thanks for your fantastic recipes.
So good and yummy, like all the recipes from Skinny taste. Because we can’t tolerate spicy hot we did not add the cayenne pepper but still super flavorful. This is one to keep on repeat.
Big hit !!! Wow was that delicious! I had to grill in the pouring rain so glad it was worth it in the end 😀
Made this tonight with the turmeric basmati rice. It was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. Thanks for another fantastic recipe!
Thanks Sarah! So glad you enjoyed it!
This was a very good dish! I really enjoyed the flavors and the ease of preparation! Thank you for another great recipe!
Quite nice. Maybe I did sth wrong they turned out a little dry. Nice flavour
Would this work with non-dairy yogurt
I haven’t tried it, you can omit it if you’d prefer. Let me know if you try the non-dairy yogurt though!
Would it still work with non-dairy yogurt?
Yes.
Can you use 0% milk fat Greek yogurt?
Such a great recipe! We also used chicken breasts and it was perfect!
This was delicious. It was easy to prep, and even with only an hour to marinade it was really flavorful. This is going in our permanent rotation.
I made these in the air fryer, but air fried for 15 mins, then air broiled for 2 mins. Gave it that crispy bit it needed. Stayed juicy, too. Served with the turmeric basmati rice and creamy cucumber salad. Absolutely delicious!
Like another “commenter,” I grilled the thighs whole and did not make them into kebabs. I am not a fan of Greek yogurt and was afraid I’d taste that “tang” that I’m not a fan of, but I didn’t taste it, and the chicken was delicious! This will be a repeat dinner!
This was so good i already can’t wait to make it again. Loved the spice level served it with Jasmine rice and broccoli we were nibbling on pieces as soon as it was off the grill!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely perfect! I used chicken tenders, and I marinated them overnight. I used an indoor grill pan because of the weather, but I can’t wait to grill them outside! Delicious!
I made these skewers for Memorial Day and again for the following weekend. They were wonderful both times! I used chicken tenders and let them marinate overnight. Because of the weather, I used an indoor grill pan. I kept a close eye on them, and they turned out great! I can’t wait to grill them! Gina’s Turmeric Rice was the perfect side!
Glad you enjoyed them Mary!
Goodness! These are so good! Tastes like something you would get at a restaurant! Thank you Gina for another awesome recipe for my dinner rotation!
Yummy. Mine were done on the grill in way less than 22 minutes, but maybe my chicken was cut a bit smaller than 1 inch pieces.
I accidentally bought chicken breasts for this, but it wasn’t an issue. Everyone enjoyed this meal in our home – always a winner when that happens!
Great!!
My favorite recipes are the ones everyone in the house eats, this is a winner!
All I can say is WOW!!! 🤯 Made this earlier this week for my 91 year old mother in law (who does not like overly hot foods)and my husband, along with the turmeric rice. We devoured it, including my mother in law.
I’m so happy to hear that!!!
Made this with chicken breast and used the air fryer. It was absolutely delicious with the turmeric-pea rice and a cucumber salad. Will definitely add to the summer rotation.
I made gluten free naan bread after I put the chicken in the marinade. I cooked quinoa with chicken broth and some seasoning and served tzatziki on the side. This was delicious!
Perfect!
These were delicious! My husband had 3 helpings. I put them on skewers with red onion, peppers and zucchini. I only marinated for maybe 45 minutes. I served these with the Tumeric Basmati Rice with peas. Will definitely be making these again.
These are FABULOUS!!! My entire family LOVED them! I grilled them, used chicken breast, instead of thighs (I had them on hand), and served them with grilled zucchini, bell peppers, and mushrooms. SO DELICIOUS!!! These will be made on repeat all summer long!
Glad you enjoyed them!
I made these with tenderloins in the air fryer and they were excellent.
So glad you liked them!
So yummy! Easy, moist & flavorful! Will definitely make again.
Easy and delicious! Huge flavor. We didn’t even skewer it. Just marinated and grilled the thighs. Will be in a new go to.
This was absolutely delicious! My hubby and I joined the clean plate club on this one! Served with naan bread and yogurt cucumber sauce. So good. Thank you!
We made this yesterday, along with the Turmeric Basmati Rice with Peas and both recipes were delicious! They paired beautifully together. We did grill the kebabs on an applewood bbq, and as you mention, the char and smokiness from the grill is top notch. Served with some Trader Joe’s Naan, and some mango chutney. Thank you so much for the great recipes!
Any suggestions for veggies I could use the same marinade for? When we grill kebabs, we like to do meat ones *and* veggie ones.
Do I have to marinate? I just realized that part of the recipe and I have family over and want to start grilling.
It will have less flavor, if you dont but still taste ok.
Delicious! Served with the turmeric rice and cucumber yogurt salad,,,!!!
Made this for my family last night and we all loved this. We’re in CA-Sillicon Valley and surrounded by Indian and Chinese restaurants so we were skeptical about if we would like it. It was awesome! Made it with the rice as well. Everyone asked for it to be added to our rotation. Thanks!
If I want to freeze the kebabs, am I freezing them raw or after they are cooked?
Either works, I like to freeze raw so they taste fresh when I cook them.
Delicious. I served it on a low cal pita with tzatziki sauce, lime wedges and cilantro. A definite keeper.
Glad you enjoyed them!!
Can I marinate it overnight ? Thanks
Yes!
Delicious! A perfect recipe. Everyone loved it. Served it with Tumeric rice and steamed cauliflower. No one would know this is low calorie.
Glad you enjoyed it!