Stuffed Chicken Kebabs

These stuffed chicken kebabs were featured in my cookbook The Curry Guy Bible on page 271, where I titled them Spicy Gourmet Chicken Kebabs. Let's just say this isn't the easiest of recipes but anyone can make them with a bit of patience and they are so incredibly tasty! This time I cooked the stuffed chicken kebabs in my Doori tandoor and they really came out amazing. You could also skewer them up and grill the skewered chicken on your barbecue or even cook them in your oven.

About this recipe

I saw a similar recipe being cooked at our hotel in Southern Goa. The chef let everyone watch as he prepared everything. This isn't his exact recipe but it's pretty close.

The recipe looks more difficult than it actually is but it does take some time to prepare. First you need to make the chicken keema filling before carefully slicing through the chicken breasts which are then wrapped around the chicken keema.

Sound interesting and something you might like to try? Go for it. All is explained in details below. I have separated the step by step photo instructions as you can make this in stages before actually cooking the chicken.

Ingredients

As I mentioned above, there is quite a bit of work to this one but make it and you are guaranteed to impress. Make it easier on yourself by getting all your ingredients ready before you start cooking!

• Chicken breasts
• Garlic and ginger paste
• Juice of one lemon
• Salt
• Greek Yoghurt
• Gram (chickpea) flour
• Kashmiri chilli powder (more or less to taste)
• Turmeric
• Chaat masala
• Garam masala or tandoori masala
• Amchoor powder
• Mustard oil or rapeseed (canola) oil
• Salt to taste
• FOR THE STUFFING
• Rapeseed (canola) oil
• Shallots
• Garlic and ginger paste
• Green bird’s eye chillies
• Cumin
• Turmeric
• Chicken mince
• Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
• Coriander
• Cider or white wine vinegar
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• TO FINISH
• Melted ghee or butter

See recipe card for quantities.

Step by step photos

Follow along with my step by step photos. Don't worry if your stuffed chicken roulades don't look perfect. Mine rarely do, especially when cooking for lots of people as I did this time. The roulades will still taste amazing even if they aren't as perfect as we managed to make them for the photo in The Curry Guy Bible. We had an excellent team of trained food stylists to help with that!

1. Step 1: Place one of the chicken breasts on a clean surface and place one hand over the top – this will make slicing easier. Using a sharp knife, slice horizontally into four very thin chicken steaks. If you are lacking in knife skills, no worries: aim for three steaks per breast.

2. Step 2: Using a meat mallet or something that will work as one (like a heavy cup), pound the steaks until they are about 2mm thick. They should be really thin but not falling apart.

Making the filling for the stuffed chicken kebabs.

If more convenient, you can make and store the chicken keema in the fridge a couple of days before assembling it all.

5. Step 5: To make the stuffing, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the shallots for about 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and ginger paste and fry for a further 30 seconds.

6. Step 6: Stir in the garlic and ginger paste, green chillies and turmeric and stir it all up to combine.

7. Step 7: Stir in the minced chicken and cook for about 5 minutes or until completely cooked through.

8. Step 8: Then stir in the Parmesan, coriander and vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and transfer to a bowl to cool.

Rolling and Cooking the Stuffed Chicken Kebabs

Rolling the roulades is the most difficult part of the recipe. It’s not too hard though and you will get the hang of it.

9. Step 9: Lay out one of the marinated chicken slices and top it on one side with a spoonful of the keema. Don’t add too much or it will be difficult to roll.

10. Step 10: Roll the roulades and secure with a couple of toothpicks. Then carefully skewer it, weaving the skewer through the meat.

11. Step 11: If cooking in a tandoor oven, get it roasting hot. Place the skewers inside. I recommend adding a piece of potato at the end of each skewer to stop the chicken from sliding. If cooking on a barbecue, cook the chicken over direct heat, turning from time to time to ensure even cooking.

12. Step 12: Time to grab a cold beer and let the tandoor do what tandoors do. You should check it often to ensure the chicken is cooking evenly, moving the skewers around if needed.

13. Step 13: Remove the stuffed chicken kebabs when cooked through and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before taking off the skewer and slicing.

14. Step 14: I recommend making more marinade than you need for the chicken. Heat it up and serve with the sliced, chicken roulades. Slice the chicken roulades into 1 inch thick pieces and enjoy.

Variations

There are of course so many ways you can change this recipe to taste. You just need to think it up and give it a try. Here are a few popular options:

• Spicy - Add as much chilli powder and green chillies as you think you can handle for a spicier version. You can also do this with the marinade later as it is heated up and used as a dipping sauce.
• Use another filling - Use whatever you like. Paneer and spinach, ground beef... In my book The Curry Guy, I used a lamb mince filling for a recipe called ShaCooTee and it tasted amazing stuffed into chicken breasts.
• Different marinade - You can use whatever marinade you like for this one. I have a lot of different tandoori recipes on my site with different marinades for you to try.

Equipment

Skewers: If using a tandoor oven, you will need to use the metal skewers that come with it. If cooking on your barbecue, smaller skewers will do. In fact, if cooking on the grate, you might be able to get away without skewering.

A sharp chefs knife: You will need this to thinly slice the chicken and finely chop the aromatics.

A frying pan: For cooking the keema.

Mixing bowl or shallow dish: For marinating the chicken.

Storage

These stuffed chicken roulades will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days once cooked. To reheat them, you can simply fry them up in a pan with a little oil until heated through, heat them in your microwave or place in an oven or air fryer at 200°C/400°F until heated through. Be careful not to over cook them or the meat could turn dry.

The marinade sauce can also be stored for around 3 days and reheated over a medium heat in a saucepan until hot.

Freezing: You can freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Let them defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Related

If you like the look of these stuffed chicken kebabs, you might like to try some of these tandoori favourites too.

Pairing

I think you'll love these stuffed chicken kebabs with a good bread. I have a lot of them.

Continue to Content

Yield: 4 - 6

Gourmet Stuffed Chicken Kebabs

Print

You are going to love these stuffed chicken kebabs. In the photos above, I marinated the meat before rolling the chicken into roulades. In the recipe in my book, below, the chicken is first rolled around the chicken keema and then marinated. Both options work well. I was just checking!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 x large boneless chicken breasts place in the freezer for 30 minutes
• 3 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
• Juice of one lemon
• ½ tsp salt
• 200g (1 cup) Greek Yoghurt
• 1 tbsp gram (chickpea) flour
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (more or less to taste)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 2 tsp garam masala or tandoori masala
• 1 ½ tsp amchoor powder
• 2 tbsp mustard oil or rapeseed (canola) oil
• Salt to taste
• FOR THE STUFFING
• 1 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil
• 2 shallots – finely chopped
• 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
• 3 green bird’s eye chillie – finely chopped or blended to a paste
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 120g (1/4 lb) chicken mince
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander – finely chopped
• 1 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• TO FINISH
• 3 tbsp melted ghee or butter

Instructions

1. Place one of the chicken breasts on a clean surface and places one hand over the top. This will make slicing easier.
2. Using a sharp knife, slice horizontally into four very thin chicken steaks. Placing your hand over the breast makes slicing easier.
3. Now using a meat mallet or something that will work as one like a heavy cup, pound the steaks until they are about 2mm thick. They should be really thin but not falling apart.
4. Place the pounded chicken steaks in a mixing bowl and mix well with the garlic and ginger, lemon juice and salt. Set aside for about 20 minutes while you make the second marinade and stuffing.
5. Whisk the yoghurt with all the other marinade ingredients in a bowl until creamy smooth. Set aside.
6. Now heat the oil for the stuffing in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the shallots for about five minutes or until soft and translucent.
7. Add the garlic and ginger paste, the chillies, cumin and turmeric and stir it all up to combine. Continue cooking for about 45 seconds and then add the minced chicken.
8. Cook for about five minutes or until completely cooked through and then stir in the Parmesan, coriander and vinegar.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer this stuffing to a bowl to cool.
10. Take one of the chicken breast steaks and lay it lengthwise in front of you. Place about 2 tbsp of the stuffing mixture on one end and the roll it all up lengthwise tightly.
11. Secure with a toothpick or two and repeat with the rest of the steaks.
12. Place these rolled bundles of deliciousness into the second marinade so that they are completely covered in sauce. You could cook these now or let them sit for a few hours or overnight for best results. Be sure to retain any leftover marinade.
13. When ready to cook, heat your BBQ for direct cooking. Skewer the chicken pieces directly though the center of the mince filling. It is important that each of the chicken bundles are pressed together on the skewer to help keep the stuffing in. I usually put about 3 or 4 on one skewer.
14. Cook over the coals for about five minutes until the underside is cooked through and lightly charred. Then turn the skewers to cook the other side about five more minutes. Continue turing until the stuffing is hot and the meat is cooked through and white.
15. Baste with some melted butter or ghee and transfer to a warm plate to rest for a few minutes. Next heat the retained marinade until simmering hot.
16. Serve the kebabs with some of the heated marinade.

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