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Tamarind chicken skewers with coriander chutney

Name: Tamarind chicken skewers with coriander chutney
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: PT12-15M
Total time: 42 min
Yield: Makes 6-8
Ingredients: 4 garlic cloves, finely grated; 20g ginger, finely grated; 1 green chilli, finely chopped; 2 tbsp tamarind paste; ½ tbsp light brown soft sugar; ½ tbsp tomato ketchup; ¼ tsp ground turmeric; 1 tbsp gram (chickpea) flour; 450g free-range chicken thigh fillets; 2 limes, cut into 2cm thick wheels; 2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil; For the coriander chutney; 2 tbsp desiccated coconut; ½ tsp ground cumin; 2 garlic cloves; 1 green chilli; 30g coriander, roughly chopped; Juice 1 lime; Specialist kit; Metal or soaked bamboo skewers (soaking in water for half an hour helps stop them burning)

By: Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

Published: 2 Jul 24
Updated: 2 Jul 24

Tamarind chicken skewers with coriander chutney

A sticky, tangy and tart tamarind coating helps to keep these chicken skewers super juicy, with a fresh, fiery chutney for drizzling and dipping. Amazing piled high onto parathas or other flatbreads.

Easy to make, endlessly versatile and great for a crowd, skewers are one of the best thing you can put on your barbecue. Browse our full collection of fantastic skewer recipes, including chipotle pork and pineapple skewers.

Easy
July 2024

Test kitchen approved

Makes 6-8
Hands-on time 30 min, plus at least 4 hours marinating. Barbecue time 12-15 min

A sticky, tangy and tart tamarind coating helps to keep these chicken skewers super juicy, with a fresh, fiery chutney for drizzling and dipping. Amazing piled high onto parathas or other flatbreads.

Nutrition: Per skewer (for 8)

Calories: 168kcals
Fat: 10g (3g saturated)
Protein: 16g
Carbohydrates: 3.5g (1.9g sugars)
Fibre: 1.2g
Salt: 0.5g

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Before you start

Cooking on skewers is all about layering – but if you’re grilling ingredients prone to drying out over a high heat (that’s most meat and fish), make sure you pack them tightly together as you load up each skewer. This will give you a charred, smoky crust and juicy centre.

Wooden skewers need a half-hour soak in water to stop them burning; they’re also single-use, which is fine for street food vendors but a bit wasteful at home. We’d almost always choose metal, which can be used again and again, and has the bonus of cooking from the inside out, as it heats up.

Before you start

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, finely grated
20g ginger, finely grated
1 green chilli, finely chopped
2 tbsp tamarind paste
½ tbsp light brown soft sugar
½ tbsp tomato ketchup
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp gram (chickpea) flour
450g free-range chicken thigh fillets
2 limes, cut into 2cm thick wheels
2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

For the coriander chutney

2 tbsp desiccated coconut
½ tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves
1 green chilli
30g coriander, roughly chopped
Juice 1 lime

Specialist kit

Metal or soaked bamboo skewers (soaking in water for half an hour helps stop them burning)

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Method

In a large bowl or lidded container, combine the garlic, ginger, chilli, tamarind, sugar, ketchup, turmeric and gram flour. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and stir into the marinade. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
To make the chutney, toast the coconut in a dry frying pan for about 8 minutes, stirring, until golden. Whizz to a paste in a blender with the cumin, garlic and chilli. Add the coriander, lime juice and 1 tbsp water, then whizz to a smooth sauce, scraping the sides of the blender now and then and adding a splash more water if needed. Season.
Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to barbecue. Thread onto skewers, shaking off the excess marinade. Add a slice of lime to the top of each skewer. Stir the oil into the leftover marinade and use it to brush the skewers as they cook. Grill for 12-15 minutes, turning every 4 minutes, until the juices run clear and the chicken is charred in places.