Grilled Curry Chicken Kebabs Recipe

By
Shao Z.
Shao Zhi Zhong is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Shao Z.
Shao Zhi Zhong is a Chinese-born and Philadelphia-raised food writer and recipe developer who specializes in Chinese home cooking. She's also a web designer.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated Aug. 29, 2018
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Grilled chicken kebabs packed with curry flavor. Shao Z.

Why It Works

  • A flavor-packed marinade made with curry and coconut milk not only adds flavor but also improves browning.
  • Salt in the marinade seasons the chicken and helps it retain juices as it cooks.
  • Using a two-level fire allows you to control how quickly the chicken cooks.

Even relatively dry, bland chicken can come out juicy and flavor-packed on the grill. All it takes is a quick injection of flavor in the form of a great marinade with the right ingredients, plus a little bit of good technique.

Recipe Facts

4

(2)

Active: 30 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons coconut milk

  • 6 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)

  • 2 teaspoons curry powder

  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce

  • 1/4 teaspoon chile flakes

  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot (about 1 shallot)

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 pound skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine coconut milk, minced garlic, curry powder, fish sauce, chili flakes, minced shallot, and kosher salt. Stir until everything is combined and add the chicken. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.

  2. When you’re ready to cook, thread the chicken onto the bamboo skewers.

  3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

  4. Place skewers on the middle of the grill (between the hot and cool sections), cover, and cook until skewers are well browned on the first side, about 5 minutes. If skewers are browning too fast, shift them to the cooler side; if not browning fast enough, move them closer to the hotter side. Flip the skewers and cook until the second side is browned and the thickest piece of chicken registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a serving platter, let rest for 2 minutes, and serve.

Special equipment

bamboo skewers (soaked overnight or at least 3 hours), grill, instant-read thermometer

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
145 Calories
7g Fat
2g Carbs
19g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 145
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 10%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 92mg 31%
Sodium 345mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 17mg 1%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 247mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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