Tandoori Chicken Skewers with Cumin Coriander Lime
Tandoori chicken skewers are marinated in yoghurt, lime, garlic and warm spices, then grilled until lightly charred and juicy. Cumin and coriander give them depth, while the BBQ adds smoky flavour, making this a dependable spicy chicken recipe for easy outdoor cooking.
Ingredients
- 800 g boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 3 to 4cm pieces
- 150 g Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 3 garlic cloves finely grated
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger finely grated
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp mild chilli powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 red onion cut into chunks
- 1 red pepper cut into chunks
- 1 green pepper cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander chopped, for serving
- lime wedges for serving
- 8 to 10 metal skewers or bamboo skewers soaked in water
Instructions
Make the tandoori marinade
- In a large bowl, mix the Greek yoghurt, lime juice, lime zest, grated garlic, grated ginger, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt, black pepper and neutral oil until smooth and evenly coloured.
- Add the chicken and stir thoroughly so every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, though 4 to 6 hours gives the best depth of flavour.
Thread the skewers
- Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers, alternating with chunks of red onion, red pepper and green pepper. Don’t crowd the pieces too tightly. A little space helps the outside colour and keeps the chicken from steaming.
- Leave the skewers out for 15 minutes while the BBQ heats. That helps the chicken cook more evenly from outside to centre.
Prepare the BBQ
- Preheat the BBQ for medium-high heat, around 200 to 230C at grill level. Clean the grates and oil them lightly. Set up one direct heat zone and one cooler finishing zone.
- If you’re using charcoal, wait until the coals are mostly grey and settled. Strong flare-ups are not very useful here, and they can make the yoghurt coating darken too quickly.
Grill the tandoori chicken skewers
- Place the skewers over direct heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning as the marinade starts to colour and catch lightly. Once they have a few charred spots, move them to the cooler side of the BBQ.
- Cook with the lid down for another 6 to 8 minutes, turning once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 74C internally. Rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
Finish with coriander and lime
- Scatter over the chopped coriander and squeeze fresh lime over the skewers just before serving. The lime wakes up the spices and gives the chicken a fresher finish.
- I like these best when the outside has a few dark patches and the inside stays tender and juicy, with the peppers still soft but not collapsed.
Notes
Chicken thighs are ideal here because they stay juicy over direct heat and hold their shape nicely on skewers. Greek yoghurt should be thick rather than runny, otherwise the marinade slides off instead of coating the chicken properly. Lime juice and zest both matter. The juice sharpens the marinade, while the zest gives the finished skewers a fresher citrus aroma.
The spice mix is warm and fragrant rather than fierce. Ground cumin and coriander are doing most of the flavour work, with turmeric adding colour and garam masala bringing depth. Mild chilli powder keeps the recipe spicy enough to earn its place in the line-up without turning it into an endurance test. If your chilli powder is especially hot, scale it back a little.
Nutrition
Calories: 404kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 34gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 720mgPotassium: 730mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1680IUCalcium: 92mgIron: 2.8mg
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