Chicken Seekh Kabab Recipe is packed with Kabab goodness. You'll have succulent Chicken keema flakes melting in your mouth with every single bite, not meaty, the right amount of seasoning that won't overwhelm you & the soft fragrance of a few Indian spices. Learn how to make the best chicken seekh kabab step by step on a tawa or griddle.
Chicken Seekh Kabab
If Kabab makes you happy than you are in a very happy place 😀 😉
If you are a frequent visitor of this blog you probably know by now that how much we love making & eating Kababs, kebobs, kefta, Kebab, kebob kefta, sheekh, boti, achari, reshmi you name it. Many more coming up from all over the world.
I can never get tired of making & eating Kababs from every corner of the world. Are you with me? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Today's Chicken Seekh Kabab is a much loved recipe that took me a while to make it "Kabab perfect" with the right texture, notes & taste 😀
And I am so excited to share with you all the tips, tricks, disaster alerts and everything I faced while making this recipe one perfect one.
What is Chicken Seekh Kabab?
Chicken Seekh Kabab is made with minced chicken also known as Chicken keema that's seasoned with spices, a binding agent & than skewered into cylindrical shapes which are pan roasted until golden, oven baked, deep fried or even grilled.
The specialty of a good & perfect chicken seekh kabab is it's tender juicy & flaky texture. A good Chicken keema kabab is never meaty at all!
Recipe Ingredients
This is what you'll need to make a batch of tender juicy Chicken Keema Kababs on a tawa or griddle:
- Chicken Keema or Chicken Mince with fat: Fat in the minced meat is essential to prevent the kababs from getting stiff. If you do not find a good keema with fat here's what you can do. You may add a little extra chicken fat from the regular chicken meat (the white soft part) to the keema. Don't forget to cut the fat into small pieces before adding it to the keema.
- Eggs: It's a binding agent & also makes the skewers so tasty.
- Bread Crumbs: A binding agent too & an excellent resource to make the chicken seekh kabab recipe airy. In one word it adds volume making the kababs light & airy.
- Ginger Garlic paste
- Grated Onion: Grate the onions & squeeze out the extra moisture. Not squeezing them will result in a gooey chicken keema mix. And it would be impossible to shape them into kababs. They'll be a sticky mess.
- Spices: Coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder or chopped green chilies. Chilies are optional, I didnot add any in today's recipe because my 5 years old son can't tolerate heat from chilies. But, you can totally add them to make the recipe a spicy one. All the mentioned spices add a subtle flavor to the kabab.
- Roughly chopped Cilantro (Dhaniya patta): Makes the kabab more flavorful.
How to make Chicken Seekh Kabab soft and Juicy?
This is the most tricky part in any Kabab recipe. You go wrong here & you end up with a complete kabab failure.
Seekh Kababs seems to be the easiest ones to make but on the contrary they are the toughest ones to nail!
I'll share some wonderful tips & tricks today so that you don't end up with sausages when you expect the end result to be tender, juicy, flaky Kababs 😀 😀 Sausages are meant to be dense & meaty and not Kababs 😉 😛
I shared a few handy tips in my Mutton Seekh Kabab Recipe post too, don't miss them, they are super helpful.
Prepping the meat right & cooking it at the right temperature are two most important factors leading to good kababs. Like this Chicken Boti Kabab, Achari Chicken Tikka & Chicken Reshmi Kabab recipe.
You know how to do it right & you get terrific results. You mess up the above mentioned factors & there's no way of restoring those super stiff, meaty kabab, that looks smooth, are super dense & pathetically meaty 🙁
I had been there so many times and I learned it the hard way.
No thank you I don't want them on my plate 😀
So, here's what I learned with several failures, trials & errors. Follow these tips to make the chicken seekh kabab super soft, juicy, not meaty & make your efforts worth it 😉
- Fat containing minced chicken or chicken keema is the key: Use Chicken keema or Minced chicken with little extra fat. That extra fat will help to keep the kabab tender & juicy. Stay away from lean meat that is completely stripped of fat.
- Never over cook or over fry a Kabab: Over cooking strips off moisture making it into a dry lump of meat. Medium heat is your best friend for today's chicken Seekh Kabab recipe made on tawa. If you choose to deep fry the kababs avoid releasing them to smoking hot oil. The oil should be moderately hot. Deep fry them over medium heat as well.
- Never Knead or over mix the chicken keema: Never do this while mixing the rest of the ingredients with the minced chicken meat. Just mix everything. No kneading business here & no over mixing for a long time. It will make the kababs stiff & meaty.
Pro Tip: See those neat bamboo skewers in the pic. They are not burnt at all. Soak them in water for 10-15 mins before skewering the meat. They won't burn.
Tips to keep the Kababs tender & Juicy for a long time
The trick is to immediately cover the Chicken Keema Kababs once they get fully cooked.
Here's what gives me the best results:
- Once the Chicken Keema Kababs are all well cooked. Transfer them on a clean dry plate or container.
- Arrange them on a single layer. Avoid over crowding by all means.
- Cover the Kababs loosely with an aluminum foil or cling wrap.
- Why cover them loosely? When you cover the chicken minced kababs loosely you'll have just the right amount of air circulation that won't dry our the kababs, will not sweat them off. It will help to keep lock the juices & keep them nice & juicy.
Serving Tips
We always love to make a complete meal out of any kabab recipe that we make. And this Chicken seekh kabab too found it's way to make a very satisfying meal.
You too can serve them the way we did. Serve them on a bed of saffron rice or just plain white basmati rice accompanied by some roasted tomatoes.
We always love to complete our Chicken Keema Kabab meal with a chilled glass of Kokum Sharbat.
Or dunk them in a spicy cilantro chutney & devour for a satisfying snack or appetizer.
You can even wrap them in tortillas & make yourself a quick grab and go lunch.
How can you store Chicken Keema Kabab?
You can store them in an air tight container in the fridge for 7 days. I've never tried freezing them but you can always try and see if it works for your family 🙂
How to make Chicken Seekh Kabab on Tawa? Step by Step
Steps in words below the pictures
Grate the onions & squeeze out the juice completely. Set aside.
In a dry bowl add all the ingredients and just mix gently with the minced chicken or chicken keema working with your fingers. Do not over mix.
Wet your palm & skewer the meat in the skewers. Form a cylindrical shape around the skewers by gently pressing the keema mix with your fingers. If the meat sticks on your palms, just drizzle a few drops of water on your palm.
Pan roast the chicken seekh kabab over medium heat rotating the skewers from time to time. 15 mins is all you need for a well cooked tender chicken seekh kababs.
Pro tip: There should not be any trace of water on the cilantro leaves. Make sure to completely dry them after washing them well.
Chicken Seekh Kabab Recipe
Print Recipe Pin RateIngredients
- 900 gms Chicken mince or chicken keema (2 pounds)
- 3 medium onions grated & squeezed
- 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro (Dhaniya patta)
- ¾ cup bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste (heaped)
- ½ tbsp Cumin Powder
- ½ tbsp Coriander Powder
- ½ tbsp Garam Masala Powder
- 1 small egg
- 1 tbsp lemon juice OPTIONAL (I did not use any)
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or any oil)
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Grate the onions first & squeeze out the juice completely. You may do it easily with the help of a sieve or sifter & a spoon. Place the grated onion on the sieve and press with the spoon to drain out the juice.
- Add all the ingredients in a dry bowl and mix gently working with the help of your fingers. DO NOT knead or over mix.
- Take one skewer at a time from the water you soaked them in. And skewer the meat all the way up to the tip of the skewer stopping at about 1"-2" from the tip. Refer the pic.
- Gently press the meat with the help of your fingers and give it a cylindrical shape all around the skewer. Set aside. Repeat this step until you are done skewering the meat in the skewers.
- Brush oil on a griddle or tawa and set it over medium heat. Place the skewered meat along with the skewers on the tawa or griddle and cook until golden on all sides. Rotate them from time to time so that all the sides get cooked properly.
- Serve hot. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you find that the chicken mince became a little sticky after mixing in everything just add some more bread crumbs. 1 tsp at a time.
- Wet your hands while shaping the kababs. They won't stick to your palm.
- Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 10-15 mins before skewering the meat. This will prevent them from burning.
- VERY IMPORTANT: Squeeze out the juice from the onion completely. And there should not be any trace of water in the cilantro leaves too.
- You may halve or double, triple the measurements of this recipe.
- Adjust the spices according to your taste oreference. We love a subtle flavored Kababs and hence do not use a lot of spices. We love the natural flavor of the meat to shine through the kabab recipe.
- If you love spicy Kababs add chicli powder or chopped green chilies. Chop them fine.
- You will get approximately 12-14 Chicken Sheekh Kabab Skewers.
- If you have some extra time just pop in the Kabab mixture in the fridge & allow it to rest for 1-2 hrs. This will help you to handle & shape the Kabab easily.
Measuring cup used, 1 cup = 240 ml & 1 teaspoon = 5 ml.
Nutrition
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Kila says
This recipe is absolutely a winner. I prepared it last Christmas and we’re amazed by how good it tasted. I didn’t make it on wooden sticks but I fried them like flattened circles, because it was a bit quicker and I had so much work in the kitchen.
Now I want to make it again, but I was wondering what the best way is to reheat them the next day. I don’t own a microwave, so would you say in the oven or again in the pan?
Also, can I use ghee to fry them in? I never used it before but I bought it recently.
I’m thinking to do make them like seekh kebabs this time and make kebab rolls. Can’t wait! 🙂
Foodies Terminal says
Hello Kila! So glad that you loved the recipe so much 🙂 It's a keeper recipe for sure. You can re-heat them in a normal skillet/pan just brush the skillet with ghee and place the kebabs, re-heat both sides over medium or medium high heat changing sides. Ghee would be awesome for making kebabs and I must say that you can never stop eating ghee made kebabs..SUPER YUMMY 🙂 Hope you enjoy making them time and time again and thanks so much for stopping by 🙂 - Meghna. xoxo
Ankit nassa says
At what point of time we can freeze them, after cooking partly or what ?
Foodies Terminal says
Hello Ankit you can freeze fully cooked ones. They hold up well. I would just thaw them overnight in the fridge and than reheat them in the microwave oven with a few sprinkle of water or lightly covered. This will help the kebabs retain there moisture and keep them juicy. Thank you 🙂 - Meghna.
Vibhawari says
This recipe is really really wonderful , well explained and with reason , I loved it totally, I just wanted to know ,to mk juicy how much of fat needed . One more suggestion for u ,now bloggers r putting step by step pictures to clear the doubt , like how to cover with foil ,what temp is moderate temp and on whick rack v hv to keep in otg
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks so much for the awesome feedback Vibhawari 🙂 Appreciate it and a lot 🙂 so glad that you found the post helpful. Hope you try our other recipes as well 🙂 - Meghna. xoxo
Kavi says
I tried and it was really delicious and easy to make. Thankq for the recipe ☺️
Foodies Terminal says
So glad that you enjoyed the recipe Kavi 🙂 Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback, appreciate it. Hope you'll try our other recipes as well. - Meghna. xoxo
Babita says
Hi, I want to try this recipe tonite on the grill but I have lean ground chicken, can I add ghee to give this some fat. And any tips on how to cook on the grill. Please advise
Foodies Terminal says
Hey Babita, that sounds awesome 🙂 Yes you can definitely flavor up the Kabab with ghee, they'll taste amazing. Baste them with ghee while cooking on the grill. Huge Apologies Babita I am not able to help with with the grill settings as I do not own one! Hope you love the kabab. Happy cooking 🙂 - Meghna.
KennyG says
simple and easy to follow thank u
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks a lot Kenny 🙂 I am glad that you found the recipe post helpful.
Avi says
I don't post comments often, but this recipe is a true winner. If you follow the steps, the results are amazing, and I love recipes that work, even on the first try! A few notes: (1) Initially, I didn't follow directions in dicing the onions instead of grating them, which made it hard to squeeze out the onion juice through a strainer. But I recovered by pulsing the onions in a chopper/mixer for just a few seconds, then straining them. (2) The other thing that helped was mixing all ingredients except the chicken meat first, then mixing in the chicken meat. That avoided any overmixing of the meat. (3) Finally, for me, medium low heat worked better than medium. Delicious -- you will be blown away!
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks Avi for such a detailed and extremely helpful, honest & crystal clear set of experience that you shared with us today. Your comment will be a treasure for all my lovely readers who would attempt this recipe. I'll quote the same and put it on the Notes section of my blog post. Such a wonderful guidance, I just can't thank you enough. Had a bad day too and your comment cheered me up. Makes me happy when readers come back and share their honest feedback 🙂 Keep coming back & have a wonderful week ahead 🙂
Ashley @ Sweetpea Lifestyle says
I have found my Mother's Day recipe!!! Thank you!! This looks absolutely amazing.
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks Ashley. How wonderful 🙂
Kathi says
These look delicious and such a well detailed recipe! Can't wait to try them!
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks much Kathy 🙂
Nicolas Hortense says
I have never made my own seekh kebabs!! Looks absolutely delicious!! (:
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks Nicolas. Make these chicken seekh kababs they are very easy to make.
Latha says
Looks delicious. Will definitely try. Just one question, I have store bought minced chicken, do I need to wash it?
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks Latha 🙂 No, you don't need to wash the store-bought chicken mince. Just make sure that the chicken mince you buy is fine in texture, not granular. That's all you have to take care 🙂 Let me know if I can help you with something else.
Twinkle Batra says
Ahhhhmazinggg... Just tried this recipe and I can't believe I made them!!!! They are just so yummy, soft, and juicy. Very easy and quick to make. Loved ghe recipe so much.
Thank you so much for this.
Just one quick question, can I store the leftover material for a day or two and make the kabbas next day? I stay alone so I couldn't eat all of it and have some material left.
Thanks in advance.
Foodies Terminal says
Hello Twinkle, We are so glad that you enjoyed the recipe so much, totally appreciate your wonderful feedback 🙂 Apologies for such a late reply! Yes, you can totally store the left-over material for 3-4 days. Just store them in a clean, moisture free air tight container 🙂 Hope you try our other recipes as well! Take care Twinkle. - Meghna. XOXO
kim says
Such a delicious recipe! So easy and tasty!
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks Kim 🙂
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
These look so delicious and I love to see all those tips for keeping them moist too! So versatile too and I know my family will love them.
Foodies Terminal says
Thanks Amanda 🙂