Chicken Seekh Kebabs (Paleo, AIP, Keto)

 

I love Middle Eastern food and think their kabobs are the best! When I was pregnant with my son, I had developed an aversion to chicken and even the smell of it made me want to throw up. Hence cooking chicken at home was a definite No No. Then one day we came across this Pakistani restaurant close to the apartment where we lived at that time and the lovely aroma coming out of that small place made me stop there and so we packed Dal, rice and a platter of seekh kababs! Oh boy  was that one lovely dinner or what? …I ate like a pig in a long time!  (Btw I started just writing this post without meaning it to be a Mother’s day post and then realized that this could be actually a good Mother’s day post after all since it has my pregnancy reference ! – So Happy Mother’s day to all of you ! 🙂 So over the years I have tried to make  kababs but I found making them in that seekh kabob shape to be challenging as they would invariably fall apart.  I have also seen recipes where the ground chicken (keema) is first cooked with the spices and then further minced a second time through a food processor to get a really fine paste. then egg or cooked lentils can be used to bind the paste together . But you know me, right? Although I don’t always shy away from a difficult recipe, whenever possible I am also looking to make things easier for myself.! So I came up with this small rounded patty version and later on learnt that these rounded version of kabobs are called ‘shaami kababs'(although traditionally they are also first cooked and then made into rounded shapes and grilled further). So Shaami or Seekh kababs, whatever..what’s in a name! These are so delectable that I don’t care what anyone calls them. They are perfect as an appetizer especially when you have a large gathering (always a huge crowd pleaser! ) or for a simple home meal accompanied with rice and dal, which is how my family loves to eat it. As for me, in my paleo life now, I love to have these with a salad or as a wrap with my homemade cassava tortillas!

Indian Chicken Kebabs (paleo, AIP, Keto)

I put green chillies in these because my husband and I both like the kick that it gives when you bite into one of those:) However for those with a ‘not so adventurous’ palate , I recommend that you skip these! For those on AIP elimination phase, I have indicated in the recipe below the spices that you will need to omit.

You can make these either as long cylinders/logs on skewers in the oven or make them into little patties and shallow fry them in a pan.

Recipe is now updated to show AIP version. And I have also included method to bake these in the oven. Check out my video too if you want to see how I make these!

Btw, I also sometimes add this kebab masala spice blend instead of garam masala and this makes the kebabs even more delicious because this spice mix is a Pakistani blend which has some really aromatic spices!

Chicken Seekh Kebabs || Ground Chicken Kebabs (Paleo, AIP, Keto)
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8-10
 
Delicious ground chicken 'kebabs full of flavors from fresh ginger, garlic and cilantro along with some garam masala spices! You can make them as patties or bake them on skewers!
RecipeIngredients
  • 1 lbs organic ground chicken, thawed completely at room temperature
  • ½ medium size red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger (about 2 inch by 2 inch piece)
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic(about 8-10 cloves)
  • 2 serrano chillies,finely chopped (Omit for AIP )
  • 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves,finely chopped
  • ¾ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper / Kashmiri red chilli powder( omit for AIP)
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp dry mango powder (or ¼ cup finely chopped green mangoes) - optional
  • 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) - optional
  • 1 tsp freshly roasted cumin powder(omit for AIP)
  • 1 tsp coriander powder (omit for AIP)
  • 1 tsp lime or lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • About ¾ cup coconut oil for shallow frying or grilling
RecipeInstructions
  1. Take the ground chicken in a large mixing bowl. (Make sure it is completely thawed and make sure to dab dry with paper towel to remove any excess water)
  2. Next add all the other ingredients into the bowl with the chicken. (Make sure you have chopped everything really really fine and the onions didn't let out water!)
  3. Then using a spatula or your hands mix the chicken with all the spices and the other ingredients so that it is uniformly mixed.
For baking in oven:
  1. Preheat oven to 450 Deg F (or 220 C).
  2. Line a baking tray with Al foil and oil it well with coconut oil.
  3. Oil your hands well and Take a portion of the chicken mixture and shape into a long thick cylinder/log. Insert the metal skewer into the center of the log and place on the pan. repeat as necessary. Place tray in the oven and bake for 15 mins at 450 F (220 C). Then take out and flip to the other side and bake for another 5-7 mins until both sides are golden brown. Take out of the oven and keep covered in foil until serving!
For making patties:
  1. Heat a large frying pan with about 2 tbsp of the coconut oil (for shallow frying) and then make about 1 inch thick rounded patties of the ground mixture and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes on one side and then flipping them to cook on the other side for an additional 2 mins or so. (Make sure you do not overcook them or they will get hard on top!) Remove onto plate with paper towel to drain off excess oil.
Notes
Thaw the ground chicken by taking it out of the freezer and keeping it at room temperature for 3-4 hours prior to cooking. Do not thaw in microwave as that cooks it a little and you won't get the same flavor.
Do not overcook the kabobs or the outer covering will become thick. You should remove them as soon as they are done and keep covered in Al foil until serving to keep them moist and succulent inside.
Fresh cilantro,lime and cumin I believe are the three main ingredients in this and so the other spices you can add per your taste. Use freshly roasted cumin powder for the best taste by roasting cumin seeds in a pan for a couple minutes and then grinding them.

 

Indian Chicken Kebabs (paleo, AIP, Keto)   

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48 Comments

  1. Hi Indu! I am finally through the throng of rowdy revellers to say hello and thank you for bringing these delicious kabobs! What a great combo of flavours, chillies and all! I must look out for the kabob spice so that I can try these out! Thanks so much for coming and enjoy the party!

    • Hi Selma thanks for stopping by! I know how crazy the FF gang is! thanks for being our host! You really need someone to control and calm the boisterous party-ers! 🙂
      As for the kabab masala, it’s really optional but if you find it , it makes it taste just phenomenal! Our indian grocers too sometimes carry Pakistani/middle eastern spices.

  2. These kababs are perfect for FF15, as I love chicken and I love something like this – easy to get and take a bite. 😀 These are so good with or without rice. Oh my! I could imagine how delicious are these! Did you bring enough for FF15 party goers?

    Hope you are having fun at FF15 and have a pleasant weekend! 😉

    • Hey Jhuls, yes I got enough to feed the FF crowd but they are going by pretty fast 🙂 thanks for stopping by! I know it must be kind a crazy being the co-host for FF this time! You are doing an awesome job! 🙂

      • It’s crazy in a funny-amazing kind of way! I am enjoying it so much. <3 I will do this again – pretend to be a co-host, it's really fun and exciting!

        Thanks for the compliment. Have a wonderful week! <3

  3. Oh my, these look so delicious! Lovely with all that cilantro dotted through the kebabs – it’s one of my all-time favourite herbs. Thanks for bringing these along to FF!

  4. Give me the heat! I love adding chilies to anything and these kabobs look scrumptious. I like that you redesigned the patties knowing that they would hold better in small rounds. Also makes it easier to pass at parties like Fiesta Friday, right? Have a great weekend, Indu, and a happy Mother’s Day!

  5. Your kebabs look soooo delicious, Indu. I will bookmark your recipe and make them for sure, as they have all of the flavours that I love. I may even put in a bit of chilli for the kick! Happy Fiesta Friday to you! 😀

  6. A delicious FF offering, Indu! They sound delicious…such a great blend of flavors and seasonings. I’ll gladly take mine with the chillies, please!

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