Name: Spicy pesto chicken kebab
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 500 g boneless chicken thighs (cut in 1 inch cubes); 1 cup grape/cherry tomatoes (optional); 2-3 tbsp yoghurt; 1 tsp garam masala; 1 tbsp black pepper; 2-3 tbsp lemon juice; 1-2 tbsp chaat masala; salt to taste; 2-3 cups fresh basil leaves; 2-3 fresh chilis (optional); ¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated); ¼ cup pine nuts (or walnuts); ¼ cup olive oil; 3 cloves garlic

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A delicious, fusion kebab recipe made with a spicy pesto sauce and juicy chicken chunks. This pesto chicken kebab recipe should be on your must try list, if you love kebabs

Kebabs are a very popular appetizer, especially in the Indian sub-continent. Besides being utterly delicious and absolutely healthy, the fact that there is so much variety is even more amazing. Ranging from very spicy to mild kebabs, very elaborate marinades to much simpler ones – kebabs come in many forms. And talking of it’s many varieties I have a fusion kebab recipe for you, my spicy pesto chicken kebab. Both the Mr. and I, we love kebabs and I make them quite often too. So, this time I thought of combining one of our favorite sauces – pesto – with juicy chicken thighs to be grilled to perfection. And voila what an idea it was! We absolutely loved the combination and I have made them quite a few times since, as well. Moreover, the fact that I have used my homegrown basil leaves for the pesto sauce, made the kebab recipe even more special.

This is a very simple yet a delicious recipe of kebabs that you can enjoy along side a coriander-mint chutney and some bread. These creamy, yummy pesto chicken kebab is a hit with everyone. However, when making for kids, you can keep the chilis out. To let the flavor of the beautiful basil shine through, I have kept my kebabs minimally spiced. Similar to a lot of grilled kebab recipes, this one too is marinated with yoghurt. This keeps the chicken juicy even after it’s been cooked. And it is also for the same reason that I use chicken thighs to make my kebabs. Since they have fat on them, they do not dry out post cooking as chicken breast chunks would.

Serving suggestions

While my pesto chicken kebab makes for an amazing finger food, it can also be had as a main meal. Like I have mentioned in my other kebab recipes, I love having them with breads and dinner rolls. That’s how I make a main make out of these melt-in-the-mouth, juicy kebabs, by combining them with breads. In fact, kebab pav (dinner rolls), naan and kebab are some very popular street food combinations that you will find in India. These are generally served with some chilli and mint chutneys and sometimes even yoghurt. I love serving a cooling mint-coriander chutney with my kebabs. This one even pairs well with the pesto ones too. You can find my mint chutney recipe here.

This yummy pesto chicken kebab recipe will come together really effortlessly. Made with a handful of ingredients and under 30 minutes, this recipe should be on your to do list. It is especially a fun chicken recipe for your summer barbecues and summer parties. Fresh herby and lightly spiced chicken kebabs are just what you would want in your summer food. These kebabs are loved by children and adults, alike. So, if you are planning to make them sometime, I’d love to hear hear back from you. You can share your food pictures with me over on Instagram or drop your feedback in the comment section below. I really hope that you are going to throughly love making and relishing these yummy kebabs with your loved ones!

Eat hearty!