Up your grilling game with these flavorful Tandoori Grilled Chicken Kabobs. Serve them up with grilled naan bread and yogurt for an amazing meal! 188 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Tandoori Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe
When the first batch of grilled chicken kabobs hits our dinner table, I know that summertime weather has arrived. While kabobs are a great option for a backyard barbecue with friends, this healthy dinner recipe is easy enough for a weeknight meal, particularly if you marinate the chicken earlier in the day.
If you've tried my Grilled Paprika Yogurt Chicken Kabobs, you know that yogurt marinades do wonders for chicken. The yogurt and lemon juice help to tenderize the chicken while also adding a bit of tang that pairs well with spices. We like to tuck the chicken pieces and grilled vegetables into grilled naan, along with some yogurt and mango chutney, forming a quasi-taco.
What is tandoori chicken?
- Tandoori chicken is a traditional Indian dish that gets its name from the clay oven that it's cooked in. If you've ever wandered through an upscale cooking store, you've probably seen the bell-shaped tandoor ovens, like this one, on display. This kabob recipe eliminates the tandoor oven and moves the cooking to the grill.
- Tandoori chicken is marinated in a yogurt based marinade that is flavored with a variety of Indian spices. To make this a weeknight-friendly recipe, I opted to use curry paste and ginger in place of the individual spices. Not traditional, but still delicious!
- If you've ever ordered tandoori chicken in a restaurant, you likely were presented with bright red meat, which is the product of food coloring. No food coloring is used in this kebab recipe.
How long to grill chicken kabobs:
- Grilling time for any type of meat depends on three main factors: Temperature of the barbecue, size of the pieces of meat and the type of meat.
- Heat: For this recipe, I recommend cooking the kabobs on medium-high heat. This produces a bit of char on the surface of the meat while still evenly cooking the chicken.
- Size: Cut the chicken thighs into approximately 1 ½-inch pieces. Even-sized pieces promotes even cooking.
- Type: Quite simply, different types of meat cook differently. For example, chicken will cook differently than steak. Even chicken thighs will cook differently than chicken breasts.
- Taking all of these factors into consideration, these chicken kabobs take about 12 minutes to cook, turning halfway through.
How to cook kabobs in the oven:
- No barbecue? No problem. Chicken kabobs can be cooked in the oven. And with one extra step, you can even achieve a bit of char on the outside to mimic grilled kabobs.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a rack on top of the foil. Lightly coat the rack with cooking spray.
- Place the kabobs on the rack and cook for about 10 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Turn on the broiler, move up your oven rack and broil the kabobs for 2 to 3 minutes to produce a little char on the outside.
Other healthy grilled chicken recipes:
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken {Cookin' Canuck}
Grilled Maple Dijon & Chili Chicken Drumsticks {Cookin' Canuck}
Cuban Mojo Chicken with a Citrus Avocado Salsa {Chelsea's Messy Apron}
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Salad with Lime Vinaigrette {Killing Thyme}
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Tandoori Grilled Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- ¼ cup mild curry paste (I use Patak's)
- ¾ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed & cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- ¼ red onion rings separated & cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, curry paste, ½ teaspoon salt and garlic powder. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
- If using wooden skewers, soak in warm water for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Lightly brush the grill with canola oil.
- Place the onion and red bell pepper pieces in a medium bowl. Toss with olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Thread the chicken (shake off and discard excess marinade), onion and red bell pepper pieces onto 6 skewers.
- Grill until the chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Ssm
We love this recipe. Summer is here. Fire up the barbecue ‼️
Dara
I'm so glad to hear that! And yes - you can't beat grilling season.
Feestzaal
The tandoori grilled chicken kabobs look so tasty and thank you for sharing this delicious recipe with us!