This Paleo Indian Chicken Kebab recipe is served with coconut cashew cream for an easy, healthy, summer meal that will take you to the Middle East!
Let’s talk about chicken on a stick. Because eating chicken off sticks is about the greatest fun that you can have at dinner EVER.
But maybe I just need to get out more? Don’t answer this.
Besides being fun and general good times for your mouth, these kebabs are a little bit smokey, a little bit spicy and a whole lot of family-loves-it yum at the dinner table.
why you will LOVE this recipe
- If you tried the coconut curry with sweet potato noodles from a few weeks ago, then you are going to L-O-V-E this.
- Similar spicy-sweet Indian flavors, lots of creamy goodness and SUPER EASY TO MAKE. It’s kind of like Indian Spiced Chicken just without the cashew cilantro pesto (although that would be a GOOD DIP!)
- It’s the dinner that has ALL the components, but it’s in-your-face-in-30-mins-weeknight-friendly food.
- There’s creamy, saucy goodness in the form of the spectacularly nutty coconut cashew cream. It is really just 2 ingredients (coconut milk and cashews), which you put into a food processor and press that magical button that is the biggest time save of ALL the evers.
iNGREDIENTS
FOR THE CASHEW CREAM:
- 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews, 70 grams
- 5-6 tbsp light coconut milk
- salt
For the Chicken:
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks
For the Cauliflower Rice:
- 6 cups cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1 large head
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 6 cups fresh spinach, packed
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, plus 2 tbsp, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh mint, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
iNSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and lay the cashews on a small baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with water. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the coconut oil, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, allspice, cayenne, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.
- Place the chicken into the mixture and toss until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up until overnight.
- Once marinated, lightly rub your grill with coconut oil and heat to medium-high heat.
- Assemble the kebabs, alternating between one piece of chicken, followed by one pineapple chunk, until skewers are full.
- Grill until charred and no longer pink throughout, about 7 minutes per side, flipping once. Remove from the heat, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, place your cauliflower into a large food processor and process until the consistency of rice.
- Heat the coconut oil on medium heat in a large pan, and place the cauliflower rice in. Cover and cook until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes, stirring every so often.
- Once golden, add the spinach into the cauliflower, stir and turn the heat to low. Cover and cook until the spinach is just wilted. Stir in the chopped cilantro and mint, season with salt and pepper, and cover to keep warm.
- Drain the soaked cashews and place them into a small food processor (mine is 3 cups) and process until broken down into small crumbs. Add in the coconut milk and a pinch of salt, and process until thick and smooth.
- Serve the skewers over the cauliflower rice alongside the cashew cream and DEVOUR!
what should i serve with chicken kebabs?
You’ll want to serve up these kebabs with cauliflower rice.
Except this aint yo’ Momma’s Cauliflower rice… mostly because she probably didn’t make it, due to it just being all trendy and PIN ALL THE CAULIFLOWER as of late. BUT ALSO because it’s sautéed in good fo’ yo’ body coconut oil until it’s perfectly golden-brown and lightly crispy. Then it gets a little cozy with cilantro and mint. <— Uhmm, HELLO, fresh herby goodness.
I mean. If you are REALLY against cauliflower rice, this chicken would be SUPER yummy with some Thai Mango Avocado Salad with Grilled Sweet Potatoes!
Tips & Tricks To Making Delicious Chicken Kebabs
- Soak your skewers, friends. Unless you want your super-fun meal to end in not-super-fun times at the ER and possible singed-off eyebrows, which I am sort of guessing might kind-of-totally ruin your night. And week. And maybe WHOLE LIFE.
- The amount of coconut milk needed for the cashew cream will depend on the strength of your food processor. The stronger the food processor, the less milk you’ll need.
- Allowing the chicken to marinate for at least two hours allows the flavors from the marinade to fully penetrate the chicken and infuse it with flavor. As well, this marinade contains lemon juice, an acidic ingredient that can cause the chicken to become tough if left at room temperature for too long.
FAQs
Allspice comes from Central America and the Caribbean. It is indeed a spice derived from the dried fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. It’s called allspice because it tastes like a mix of several spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It smells spicy and warm and is commonly used in baking, as well as in savory dishes like curries and stews.
Yes, because pork, like chicken, has a similar texture and takes on flavors well. Just remember though that pork is generally fattier than chicken, so it may produce more grease when cooked. This can make the kebabs more greasy and cause them to stick to the grill or skewers. So to counteract this, you may want to trim the fat from the pork before cooking it. It also takes less time to cook pork so keep an eye on it and remove it from the heat once it has cooked through. Failure to do so may result in tough and dry meat.
If you don’t have a food processor, don’t worry. You can use a blender to puree or emulsify ingredients, like sauces and smoothies. Or a hand-held mixer when you need to mix or whip ingredients, such as when making dough or whipping cream. If these aren’t an option and you want a workout, you can pull out a knife and cutting board and chop, dice, or mince by hand, though you may not be able to attain as fine a texture as the kitchen appliances mentioned.
how to store chicken kebabs
Once cooled, the kebabs should be wrapped in plastic or stored in an airtight container. You can also leave them on a plate and cover them with plastic wrap or tinfoil. Make sure the container or wrapping is airtight to prevent the kebabs from drying out or absorbing odors from other foods in the refrigerator. The kebabs will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can reheat them on the grill or in the oven. Just be sure they are cooked through.
Ingredients
For the Cashew Cream:
- 1/2 cup Raw Unsalted Cashews 70 grams
- 5-6 tablespoons Light Coconut Milk
- Salt
For the Chicken:
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil Melted
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger Minced
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Minced
- 1 teaspoon Allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- pinch of Black Pepper
- 1 pound Chicken Breast Cut into cubes
- 1 1/2 cups Pineapple Chunks
For the Cauliflower Rice:
- 6 cups Cauliflower Cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1 large head
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 6 cups Fresh Spinach Packed
- 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro Plus 2 tablespoons, minced
- 3 tablespoons Fresh Mint Minced
- Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and lay the cashews on a small baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with water. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the coconut oil, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, allspice, cayenne, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.
- Place the chicken into the mixture and toss until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up until overnight.
- Once marinated, Lightly rub your grill with coconut oil and heat to medium high heat.
- Assemble the kebabs, alternating between one piece of chicken, followed by one pineapple chunk, until skewers are full.
- Grill until charred and no longer pink throughout, about 7 minutes per side, flipping once. Remove from the heat, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, place your cauliflower into a large food processor and process until the consistency of rice.
- Heat the coconut oil on medium heat in a large pan, and place the cauliflower rice in. Cover and cook until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes, stirring every so often.
- Once golden, add the spinach into the cauliflower, stir and turn the heat to low. Cover and cook until the spinach is just wilted. Stir in the chopped cilantro and mint, season with salt and pepper, and cover to keep warm.
- Drain the soaked cashews and place them into a small food processor (mine is 3 cups) and process until broken down into small crumbs. Add in the coconut milk and a pinch of salt, and process until thick and smooth.
- Serve the skewers over the cauliflower rice alongside the cashew cream and DEVOUR
Tips & Notes:
The amount of coconut milk needed for the Cashew Cream will depend on the strength of your food processor. The stronger the food processor, the less milk you’ll need.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
Cassie Tran says
Wow—these look awesome! Now you got me craving for kebabs!
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you Cassie! xooxo
Katalina@ Peas and Peonies says
So easy, beautiful, delicious and gorgeous, major craving right now!
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you Katalina! Wish I could send you some!
Dani @ DaniCaliforniaCooks says
Love the idea of mixing cashews and coconut for a dip!! So creative! And tasty 🙂
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you Dani! Glad you’re down for the dippage! 😀
Meg @ With Salt and Wit says
Confession…I don’t think I have ever had Indian food. Eeek. I know! After seeing these kabobs, thats gotta change. Yum!
Taylor Kiser says
WHAT? YOU NEED to try some butter chicken girl, AMAZING! Thank you!
Jennie @onesweetmess says
I need to hop aboard the cashew choo-choo train, because that cream sauce sounds amazing. Pinned!
Taylor Kiser says
YEAHHH you do! Thanks for the pin girlfriend!
Karly says
It’s so hard to remember to soak the skewers ahead of time! I’m loving these kebabs and think they would be great for dinner tonight! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks Karly!
Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet says
Cauliflower rice is too good to remain a trend!! I hope it is here to stay for awhile. 🙂 Love these kebabs!
Taylor Kiser says
Me too! I want to eat it always! Thank you!