Chicken Malai Kebabs, Murg Malai Kebabs or Creamy Chicken Skewers
A popular Indian classic, commonly known as Murg Malai Kebabs. These chicken malai kebabs are creamy chicken skewers. A simple, easy and effortless recipe using a yogurt-based marinade with cheese and spices takes five minutes to marinate and six minutes on the grill. Serve with naan, chapati, roti or flavored rice.
Chicken Malai Kebabs, Creamy Chicken Skewers, Murg Malai Kebabs, Indian Chicken Skewers,
Have you been to an Indian restaurant and eaten these Murg Malai Kebabs? Well, if you ordered kebabs at an Indian restaurant you most probably have tried these. Murg Malai kebabs mean Creamy Chicken Skewers. Murg is chicken, malai is cream and kebabs refers to the skewers. Honestly, ain’t nothing like these, they just melt in the mouth.
Unlike most other Indian dishes this can be made absolutely without any red chilly, cayenne, paprika, green chilly peppers, which is why this one is very popular with my non-Indian friends.
The recipe as you can see in the video is pretty, simple, easy and straightforward. You can make this in summer over a BBQ or in winter using a skillet. They take about 5 minutes to marinate and about 6 minutes to cook. If you choose to skip the marinade time, you can have dinner in 15 minutes or less. Most importantly the flavor? That’s a whole new world with these kebabs. While the lemon juice tenderizes the chicken, the yogurt, sour cream and cheddar cheese when grilled over it just melt into the chicken to give you this soft, juicy, creamy chicken that is nothing like you have tasted before.
Chicken Malai Kebabs, Creamy Chicken Skewers, Murg Malai Kebabs, Indian Chicken Skewers,
Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)
- Chicken – Personally? for me, chicken thighs are always the best for grilling. They do not dry when cooking, and they absorb a lot more favor, unlike breast. Having said that, you can most certainly use chicken breast. The cooking time will be less if you use chicken breast, about 3 to 4 minutes on the high grill.
- Ginger and garlic – a must have in Indian meat dishes. I always use fresh ginger and garlic in my recipes. You can grate them or mince them finely so they cook and blend into the meat, plus, no one likes to bite into a big piece of ginger or garlic.
- Lemon juice – this tenderizes the chicken but also blend all the ingredients together beautifully.
- Yogurt, sour cream – Use plain yogurt which adds a nice tartness and the sour cream makes it creamy. So do use a combination of the two as they do really well in this dish.
- Cheddar – not much but goes a lot way in making this kebab so much more creamy.
- Spices – Not much and not too many so you should not have a problem finding them. Having said that if you still don’t have these spices try adding 1 tbsp curry powder instead. It will be a little different than this recipe because curry powder has more spices in the blend but it will still be delish!
Chicken Malai Kebabs, Creamy Chicken Skewers, Murg Malai Kebabs, Indian Chicken Skewers,
Recipe – Chicken Malai Kebabs – Murg Malai Kebabs – Creamy Chicken Skewers (Save/Pin)
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Chicken Malai Kebabs, Creamy Chicken Skewers, Murg Malai Kebabs, Indian Chicken Skewers,
Ingredients
- Chicken – 500 grams
- Ginger – 1 Tbsp grated
- Garlic – 1 Tbsp minced
- Garam Masala – 1 Tsp
- Coriander Powder – 1 Tsp
- Cumin Powder – 1/2 Tsp
- Yogurt – 3 Tbsp
- Sour Cream – 3 Tbsp
- Cheddar – 3 tbsp grated
- Fresh Herbs – 1/4 cup (cilantro)
- Lemon Juice – 3 Tbsp (1/2 lemon)
- Salt – 1 Tsp
- Pepper – 1 Tsp
- Green chilly – 1 Tbsp (optional if you want it spicy)
Method:
- Soak 10 to 12 skewers – always soak skewers in water for at least 30 mins.
- Prepare Chicken – clean, cut into bite-size pieces – pat dry any excess moisture.
Marinate Chicken
- Place chicken in a marinate safe bowl
- Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
- Add spices, ginger, garlic and combine well.
- Then add in the yogurt, sour cream and grated cheddar – combine well.
- Lastly, add the cilantro and chilly if using.
- Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinade for an hour to 3 hours or overnight in the fridge.
Skewer and Grill
- When ready to grill – thread the chicken pieces on the skewers.
- Add about 3 to 4 pieces on each skewer
- Brush or drizzle some cooking oil over the skewers
- Heat the grill on high.
- Grill the skewers for 3 minutes on each sides turning as needed to ensure it cooks evenly on all sides.
- Enjoy!
Tips and troubleshooting to perfect grilled skewers.
- Always grill meat when it’s room temperature not cold. Cold meat will seize the meat making it tough on the hot grill.
- Cut meat into bite-size pieces – large pieces tend to either burn on the outside while the meat towards the skewer cooks.
- Always soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent skewers burning
- Make sure grill to HOT when grilling – you must hear that sizzling sound or you start to stew the meat.
- Never overcrowd the grill pan, this will reduce the temperature of the pan and stew not grill the meat.
- Turn the meat to make sure you cook evenly
- If the meat is stuck to the grill do not force the meat off. let it cook until the meat is released. This will give you a nice grilled meat and not waste the best part stuck to the grill. Plus you won’t ruin your grill pan.
Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
Chicken Malai Kebabs, Creamy Chicken Skewers, Murg Malai Kebabs, Indian Chicken Skewers,
Chicken Malai Kebabs aka Creamy Chicken Kebabs aka Murg Malai Kebabs
Ingredients
- 500 grams Chicken
- 1 tbsp Ginger grated
- 1 tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
- 3 tbsp Yogurt
- 3 tbsp Sour cream
- 3 tbsp Cheddar grated
- 1/4 cup Cilantro
- 3 tbsp Lemon Juice 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tbsp Green chilly optional if you want it spicy
Instructions
- Soak 10 to 12 skewers - always soak skewers in water for at least 30 mins.
- Prepare Chicken - clean, cut into bite-size pieces - pat dry any excess moisture.
- Marinate Chicken
- Place chicken in a marinate safe bowl
- Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
- Add spices, ginger, garlic and combine well.
- Then add in the yogurt, sour cream and grated cheddar - combine well.
- Lastly, add the cilantro and chilly if using.
- Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinade for an hour to 3 hours or overnight in the fridge.
- Skewer and Grill
- When ready to grill - thread the chicken pieces on the skewers.
- Add about 3 to 4 pieces on each skewer
- Brush or drizzle some cooking oil over the skewers
- Heat the grill on high.
- Grill the skewers for 3 minutes on each sides turning as needed to ensure it cooks evenly on all sides.
- Enjoy!
Detailed Video on YouTube - Subscribe for more videos
Nutrition Information
Do you love Indian Food?
Well then you must check out some of my other Indian recipes from slow-cooked curries to quick and easy as well as Indian Biryani and desserts
A Collection of Modern Indian Recipes by Veena Azmanov
Yum! These chicken malai kebabs look delicious! I love Indian food but am not the best at cooking it, so I’m really excited find your website. I will definitely be trying some of your beautiful recipes!
Thank you, Chelsey. So happy to hear that. I hope you enjoy my recipes and let me know if you try any. Have a great day.
This is the perfect recipe for me to make this weekend. I love grilled chicken.
Thank you Arelene.
The kebabs look so doggone good. This is the perfect excuse for me to make some more flatbread! I have a recipe that uses yogurt as a marinade for chicken — the acid in the yogurt also helps to tenderize the meat as well as the lemon juice. We have a skillet with ridges — it’s a matter of finding it in all our boxes. Great recipe, Veena, looking forward to trying it.
Thank you, Marisa. I hope you manage to find all the stuff you need. I can only imagine how difficult it is for you living like this.
These look amazing. I can already imagine how tasty they are, especially with naan bread! And yes, we soak the skewers too (lesson learned the hard way lol).
Thank you, Jolina. yes soaking the skewers is so important or they burn on the grill.
This looks delicious! I like that it’s pretty simple and you know it’s very low carb which is great for me and my hubby!
Absolutely, Denise. It’s low in carb and you can definitely enjoy it. Thanks
These look so mouthwatering!! Beautifully seasoned and such a savory blend of spices .. gorgeous pictures and perfect for summer bbqs 🙂
Thank you, Heather. I hope you try it.
Creamy chicken skewers and only 5 min to marinate most definitely a winner allready.Perfectfor a bbq which i happen to have 2 coming up..I know what im cooking lol
Thank you Karyn. Yes, very simple and easy
Awesome idea and a very nice combination of spices. I can see this skewers as a main dish at our family table!
Thank you, Ruchi -I hope you try it.
Have never tried Chicken Malai Kebabs before but will definitely give them a try! These juicy kebabs look like a recipe our whole family would enjoy. Right on top of my list next time we’ll have a barbecue.
You will love this Oanu. You must try. Very simple and easy to make too.
One of our favorite kebabs that we all love at home and a regular at home. Looks really delicious!
Thank you, Jyothi. So happy you enjoy these.
OMG , Veena the kebabs look so good, I have a confession to make — we don’t frequent Indian restaurants — it’s just because we don’t know what to order. If I had you by my side you could tell me all about the dish. We do love spicy and this recipe looks fantastic. We’ll have to make it at home.
Thank you, Marisa. You are not alone quite few people are intimidated about what they must order in an Indian restaurant. Usually, they do explain the menu what the dish is and almost ever well known Indian restaurant today will option for non-spicy as well as spicy. The next time you go, make sure you take some tips from me.
These look like the perfect party pleaser for BBQ season. You can never go wrong with “meat on a stick”. Always a crowd pleaser. These would be great on the grill.
Absolutely Gloria. One can never go wrong with meat on a stick and a grill. Always a crowd pleaser. Thanks
I love the seasoning on these kebabs, I love how tender these look and some of the seasoning I am not familiar with but they sure look like they are bursting with flavor!
Thank you, Claudia. Yes, these are very tender and juicy. You will love these.
We’ve made this so many times and it always is a winner with our family and friends. Love the tips too! They really helped me up my grilling game. I use to stack too much on the skewer so I can do them fast. Now they turn out perfect. As always, your recipes always work Veena. Thanks for this lovely blog.
Thank you so much, for your awesome feedback Lela. So happy to hear you enjoy this and my other recipes. Yes, adding less to the skewer makes sure you grill not stew the meat. Enjoy!