Curry Spiced Chicken Skewers

August 22, 2021

Years ago, if you were to ask me if I liked curry, I would have said no. Why? I didn’t even know, I just remember trying some pre-made frozen curry when I was young and it was overwhelmingly spicy and had no texture or layers of flavor, so this is what I always recalled when I was asked about curry.

Luckily, since then, I have been properly introduced to some truly spectacular, authentic curry and it changed my world. Curry is amazing. There are so many layers of flavor and if you are someone who doesn’t like spicy food, I want you to know that not all curry is spicy! When a dish is described as having “curry spices”, most of those spices are turmeric, cumin, coriander, cardamom, mustard seeds, fenugreek and cinnamon… aka layers upon layers of warm, inviting flavors. Yes, there are some chilies used, but a good curry balances these flavors to create just the right amount of everything.

The marinade that I use for these curry spiced chicken skewers is so well balanced that everyone will be able to appreciate their flavors. They are salty, warmly spiced, tangy and even a little sweet. The skewers can marinade for a bit and be ready when you are and then they only take a few minutes to cook over a griddle, skillet or even an outdoor grill, if you prefer. Serve them with rice and maybe some cilantro lime crema and you are going to be surprised at how much you love the flavors going on in these skewers.

Let’s get them started…

The first step is to marinate the chicken. This marinade is so flavorful and great for any dish that you want to add some warm layers of curry flavor into. The ingredient list is a little long, but each element brings something special to the dish and most of these items are pretty common pantry staples.

Start by cutting 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes and placing them into a glass bowl. For the marinade, combine 4 cloves of crushed garlic, a 1 inch portion of crushed ginger, 3 spring onions roughly chopped, 1 tablespoon of sambal oelek, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup of plain greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of ground fenugreek, if you have it on hand.

This spice combination is so warm and inviting. Garam masala is one of my favorite spice blends. Just opening the jar makes me smile and think of my favorite Indian dishes. Turmeric is full of powerful medicinal benefits, coriander adds a fresh brightness to this blend and the chili powder brings tons of warmth. This spice blend is something that I add to grilled chicken, steaks and wings often. Try it out sometime!

Combine all of the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk until they are fully incorporated. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss until every piece of chicken is fully coated. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill the chicken in the refrigerator for anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. The longer it goes, the better it will become, but if you only have 30 minutes to spare, you will still get a delicious result.

Once your chicken is ready to go, place a flat griddle or wide skillet over medium heat. While the griddle preheats, carefully thread your chicken onto skewers leaving a little empty space for handling at the end of each skewer. I am using bamboo skewers today, but any skewer will work. This recipe will make five or six 10 inch skewers, but can easily be doubled or tripled for a larger crowd.

Once the chicken has been skewered and the griddle is warm, place the skewers down with the handle space in an area that will be easy to rotate them as they cook. Its ok if the spewers are close to each other, but don’t let them touch.

Cook them for 2-3 minutes on the first side and then rotate them. Increase the heat to medium high once both sides of the chicken have been cooked for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Starting over medium will give the chicken a chance to cook through before charring. If you place them directly over a hot griddle, they will look charred and crispy on the outside, but may still be pink along the skewer.

Watch them carefully, rotating as soon as one side is charred to your liking and once all sides have some nice grill marks (or maybe griddle marks is more appropriate in this case), remove them from the heat and serve!

Look at that color! I can’t decide whether I like the charred bits or that orangey color from the turmeric better. Let’s say its a tie. The entire kitchen smells so good right now too. Homey, comforting, spicy…. perfect.

If you aren’t familiar with curry flavors or maybe even think that you aren’t a fan, try these chicken skewers. The flavors are well balanced between salty, spicy and tart with just the right amount of sweetness. My husband is not a fan of spicy food and he loves these curry spiced chicken skewers!

I usually serve these skewers with some fluffy white rice that I add a squeeze of fresh lime, some finely chopped cilantro and a pinch of garlic salt into with some cilantro lime crema on the side. Garnish them with cilantro and a few lime wedges and enjoy the flavorful curry goodness.

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