Recipes

Tandoori Chicken Skewers

Serves 4-6

| Prep Time: 10 mins

| Cook Time: 10 mins

| Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins

You may need: Tandoori BBQ

Discover The Recipe

If you've ever eaten at an Indian buffet, you probably couldn't help but notice the fiery red-colored chicken in the lineup of dishes. That scarlet-hued delicacy is Tandoori Chicken, another scrumptious Indian classic. The Tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven traditionally used for home-grilling meats. Thought to originate from Northern India and present-day Pakistan, archaeologists have discovered Tandoor ovens and charred chicken bones that date back to 3000 BC!

Most every Indian restaurant now offers Tandoori Chicken Skewers on the menu. But we don't need a Tandoor oven to make this classic. Simply use your grill, or try the broiler in your oven. The key to maximum flavor is pairing the right combination of spices (which we supply) with a proper yogurt-based marinade, along with fresh ginger and garlic. Yogurt is a natural meat tenderizer and will help the spices and aromatics penetrate deep into the meat for juicy flavor in each bite. This recipe makes an easy weeknight meal the whole family will enjoy with as little as 20 mins of active time. If you want even less prep time, substitute in chicken drumsticks and wings for the breasts, then grill. Vegetarians can sub in a variety of veggies, tofu, or vegan meats.

Ingredients

1 cup greek yogurt (plain, unsweetened)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2" inch piece of fresh ginger, minced or grated
juice of 1 lemon
1.5 tbsp Piquant Post Tandoori BBQ spice
salt & pepper to taste (optional)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil)

Notes

Only use a plain yogurt, ideally Greek-style. Other yogurts can be loaded with sugar and flavors which could ruin the dish.

If using wooden skewers, soak them for at least 15 mins before grilling or broiling to prevent them from catching on fire.

Don't have skewers? If you have extra chopsticks from your recent Chinese takeout, they work great. Otherwise, you can just grill or broil directly. [Hint: save those in the future just for grilling or broiling!]

Tandoori BBQ chicken or other meats are often scarlet red. This color comes from added food coloring. We never use dyes or other artificial ingredients so your chicken may not emerge the same color. However, through trial and error, we decided to use natural beet root powder in our tandoori BBQ blend that adds a deep red color and subtle sweetness.

Lastly, optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.

Instructions

Prep the fresh ingredients to get started. Cut chicken into 1" bite-sized cubes. Then, make a marinade by combining yogurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, and Tandoori BBQ spice in a large non-reactive (stainless) bowl. Stir to mix.

Season chicken with salt & pepper to taste then add to mixing bowl. Toss chicken and yogurt marinade to thoroughly coat. Place in fridge for 1 hour (at a minimum 15 mins) to overnight. (note: if using wood skewers be sure to soak in water for 15 mins)

Heat grill to Med-High. Thread chicken chunks onto skewers. Brush with oil. If using oven, heat broiler to high and move wire rack 6 inches below broiler.

Grill chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until lightly charred and cooked through (internal temp of 165). If using the broiler oven, place chicken skewers on a foil lined pan. Cook chicken for 3-5 mins per side. Watch carefully and flip when just starting to char.

Alternatives & Substitutions

Try our Tandoori BBQ spice blend on a variety of pork or poultry cuts, even ribs. You can use it directly as a dry rub but we think the marinade takes the flavor to another level and justifies the extra 15-20mins. Yogurt is an ancient meat tenderizer that is like a conveyer belt for flavors to penetrate deep inside the meat. Its been in use for 2000 years because it works!
Our vegetarian friends can easily make veggie skewers by substituting portobello mushrooms, tofu, paneer (Indian fresh cheese), Tandoori Aloo using potatoes, or vegan meat for the chicken. If you do eat meat protein, our Tandoori Beef Skewers are delicious.
Here are 14 alternative Tandoori-style recipes to get your wheels spinning. Simply replace any spices in the recipes with a relative amount of our Tandoori BBQ blend.
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