Chicken Shish Kebab with Lemon Rice is a quick and healthy one-pot meal ready in just 30 minutes. In this easy Instant pot recipe, marinated chicken and vegetables are cooked in the same pot as the lemon rice, making this a weeknight favorite.
Enjoy these juicy shish kebabs and rice along with a refreshing cucumber or avocado salad.
This Chicken kebab and rice is one of my favorite weeknight meals. I love that I can take care of the protein, vegetables, and carbs, all in one shot. It comes together in just 30 minutes, most of which is hands-off cooking time.
This recipe is my Indian twist on the classic middle-eastern Shish kebab, which is also known as kabob or shish kabob.
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What is Shish Kebab?
Shish kebab is a dish in which bite-size pieces of meat, typically lamb or chicken, are threaded onto a skewer and grilled. The name of the dish is derived from the Turkish word 'sis', meaning spit or skewer.
Let's get started on this easy recipe!
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
I've broken down the ingredient list into three parts - lemon rice, chicken skewers, and marinade. Here's a look at what we need:
Lemon Rice
Pilaf: For lemon rice you need basmati rice, water, split urad dal, ghee, brown mustard seeds, serrano chiles, curry leaves, cashews, ginger, and fresh lemon juice.
Spices: We're using salt, turmeric, and ground cumin to flavor the rice. You can also check out the detailed recipe for lemon rice.
Shish Kebab Skewers
Chicken: I love the clean flavor of boneless skinless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs would work just as well. Cut into 1-inch pieces so they can absorb the marinade and cook evenly.
Vegetables: my family loves the combination of peppers, zucchini, onions, and cherry tomatoes, but I switch the vegetables from time to time.
Other vegetables that work great include potatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and butternut squash. Be sure to cut the larger veggies into 1-inch pieces.
Bamboo Skewers: 6-inch skewers work great for me. If you're air frying or broiling, soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes prior to cooking so they don't burn.
Marinade
Greek Yogurt: go for full-fat plain Greek yogurt for the richest flavor.
Lemon Juice & Olive Oil: Lemon adds brightness and acidity, and the oil adds richness.
Seasoning + Spices: I use a mix of salt, garlic powder, ginger powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, garam masala, and coriander powder. Feel free to adjust or omit the red pepper flakes to your desired spice level.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make
This easy chicken shish kebab recipe is ready in under 30 minutes, with the option to prepare the chicken in the Instant Pot, or Air Fryer. Here's how:
Step 1: Soak Rice & Prep Ingredients
Rinse rice 2-3 times until the water runs clear, then soak it while you prepare the vegetables, chicken, and marinade. Rinse the urad dal and set it aside.
Step 2: Prepare Marinade & Build Skewers
Prepare the marinade in a bowl by mixing together greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and dry spices. Add chicken and vegetable pieces and toss well.
Prepare the skewers by threading a cherry tomato, then a piece of onion, green pepper, red pepper, and zucchini, followed by chicken, then repeat.
Prepare the remaining skewers. You should be able to make 6 skewers from this quantity.
Step 3: Assemble Lemon Rice
Preheat the Instant pot by turning on Saute. Wait till it reads "hot", and add ghee, mustard seeds, and split black gram lentils (urad).
When the mustard seeds splutter and the lentils look light-golden, add green chilies, curry leaves, cashews, ginger, salt, and spices, and saute for 30 seconds. Add drained rice and water, and give it a stir.
Step 4: Pressure Cook
To cook the shish kebab along with rice, add a tall trivet, or steamer rack, in the pot with rice. Place the skewers on top of that. Close the lid and pressure cook for 6 minutes on high pressure.
If you're cooking chicken in the air fryer, then simply close the lid and pressure cook the rice for 6 minutes.
After the cooking is done, wait for 5 minutes then manually release the remaining pressure.
Alternate Cooking Method for Shish Kebab: Air Fryer
Alternatively, cook the skewers in the air fryer at 400°F for 10 minutes. No need to shake the basket.
How to check if the chicken is cooked? Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest piece. If the internal temperature reaches 165°F, the chicken is cooked.
Serving Suggestions
Drizzle some lemon juice over the skewers and fluff the rice with a fork before serving. Here are some interesting ways you can serve this dish:
Salad: Add more greens and crunch to your meal and serve it with kachumber salad or cucumber avocado tomato salad.
Chutney: Serve alongside cilantro chutney, mint chutney, or this vibrant green goddess sauce for extra awesomeness.
Alternate Grains: Serve it with quinoa tabbouleh instead of rice.
Low-Carb Meal: Pair these shish kebabs with cilantro lime cauliflower rice, or Indian cauliflower rice, and cucumber avocado tomato salad for a satisfying and delicious low-carb meal.
Try a Vegetarian Variation
Vegetarian Shish Kebabs: Substitute the chicken cubes with paneer cubes or extra-firm tofu cubes.
How to Store
Leftover chicken shish kebabs will keep in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Remove the chicken and vegetables from the skewers. Place in a zip-top plastic storage bag and seal tight. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheating Instructions: Reheat the kababs on the skewer in a 350°F oven until just warmed through, about 10-15 minutes. Or, remove the chicken and vegetables from the skewers. Heat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Skewers: If there are any splits or splinters on the bamboo skewers, rub two together over one another, as if you were sharpening a knife.
- Soaking: If you're air frying, soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes prior to cooking to prevent them from scorching.
- Marinade: Marinating the chicken for 20 minutes to an hour will impart much more flavor and keep the meat tender and juicy. If short on time, marinate the chicken and vegetables on the skewers.
- Size: Make sure to cut the chicken and vegetables all roughly the same size for even cooking. 1-inch cubes work best.
- Vegetarian: Replace the chicken with 1 pound paneer or tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes. Cooking times remain the same.
- Low Carb: Skip the lemon rice and serve these kebabs with cauliflower rice instead along with a salad of choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
These chicken shish kebabs are made with chicken breasts, an easy chicken kebab marinade recipe, and fresh vegetables.
Chicken shish kebab is a versatile dish that can be paired with your favorite grains like rice or quinoa, roasted vegetables, or a simple Greek or garden salad.
Oven-broiled chicken kebabs will take approximately 10 minutes total cooking time (6 minutes first side, 4 minutes second side).
If you have time, I highly recommend marinating the chicken and vegetables for 20 minutes to an hour for added flavor.
More One-Pot Chicken Dinners
These are all part of the Chicken, Meat & Seafood Recipes collection:
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Shish Kebab with Lemon Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Rice
- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed and soaked for 15 minutes
- 2 teaspoons Urad dal split split black gram lentils, rinsed and dried
- 2 teaspoons ghee or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds or black
- 1-2 whole serrano chillies trimmed (optional)
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons cashews split in half (or slivered almonds)
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste (about ½ inch)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1¼ cups water
- 1 lemon juiced, to add after cooking
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish
Chicken Skewers
- 1 lb. chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium onion cut in 1 inch pieces, layers separated
- 2 bell peppers (red + green) cut in 1-inch pieces
- 1-2 zucchini cut in ½-inch rounds
- 6 inches long bamboo skewers pre-soaked if air-frying or broiling
Marinade
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice : juice of 1 small lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
Instructions
- Rinse rice 2-3 times until the water runs clear, then soak it for 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables, chicken, and marinade. Rinse the urad dal and set it aside.
- Prepare the marinade in a bowl by mixing together greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and dry spices. Add chicken and vegetable pieces and toss well. Prepare the skewers by threading a cherry tomato, then a piece of onion, green pepper, red pepper and zucchini, followed by chicken, then repeat. Prepare the remaining skewers. You should be able to make 6 skewers from this quantity.
- Preheat the Instant pot by turning on Saute. Wait till it reads "hot", and add ghee, mustard seeds, and split black gram lentils (urad).
- When the mustard seeds splutter and lentils look light-golden, add green chilies, curry leaves, cashews, ginger, salt, spices, and saute for 30 seconds.
- If you want to cook the shish kebab along with rice, add a tall trivet, or steamer rack, in the pot with rice. Place the skewers on top of that. Close the lid and pressure cook for 6 minutes on high pressure.If not, simply close the lid and pressure cook the rice for 6 minutes. After the cooking is done, wait for 5 minutes then manually release the remaining pressure.Alternatively, cook the skewers in the air fryer at 400°F for 10 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is done, wait for 5 minutes then manually release the remaining pressure. Open the lid after the pin drops.
- Drizzle lemon juice over the shish kebabs and fluff the lemon juice with a fork. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Skewers: If there are any splits or splinters on the bamboo skewers, rub two together over one another, as if you were sharpening a knife.
- Soaking: If you're air frying, soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes prior to cooking to prevent them from scorching.
- Marinade: Marinating the chicken for 20 minutes to an hour will impart much more flavor and keep the meat tender and juicy. If short on time, marinate the chicken and vegetables on the skewers.
- Size: Make sure to cut the chicken and vegetables all roughly the same size for even cooking. 1-inch cubes work best.
- Vegetarian: Replace the chicken with 1 pound paneer or tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes. Cooking times remain the same.
- Low Carb: Skip the lemon rice and serve these kebabs with cauliflower rice instead along with a salad of choice.
Lisa M says
Probably one of the tastiest and most visually appealing meals I’ve ever made. Thank you so much! I did make a few adjustments - couldn’t find curry leaves and the family doesn’t like peppers so I omitted them, but it was still delicious. Thank you so much! I’d attach a picture of I could figure out how to 🙂
Aneesha says
That's awesome Lisa! I'm very glad that you enjoyed this recipe. As for attaching a picture, you can attach it on Instagram with #spicecravings 🙂 Thank you!