Looking for new dinner ideas? This easy chicken kofta recipe is for you: tasty and simple, perfect for any night of the week. Packed with delicious Middle Eastern flavours and simple-to-follow instructions, it is sure to become a family favourite! Serve alongside our couscous tabbouleh and tzatziki dressing to create a delicious Middle Eastern grain bowl. Ready for a new go-to dish, let's get cooking!
We love Middle Eastern flavours (you may have noticed!), and delicious grain bowls on a busy weeknight are a family favourite!
Inspired by our popular lamb koftas, these chicken koftas use ground chicken mince for a slightly leaner protein option.
Why you'll love this easy chicken kofta recipe
- Easy - This recipe is super easy to whip up even on those busy weeknights, plus there are great options for prepping ahead.
- Versatile - This versatile recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, appetizer, party food or game day snack.
- Family favourite - We have said it before, but kids seem to love eating skewers or ball-shaped food like with our Middle Eastern meatballs and this recipe definitely falls into a family favourite in our house. Adjust or leave out the chilli flakes to make this recipe more child-friendly then serve platter style alongside a variety of sides and let the kids build their own plate.
- Meal prep - A great dish for meal prep, you can prepare the kofta mix the day before and simply add the meat to the skewers and cook before serving. Or you can cook the chicken koftas and store them chilled in the fridge ready to reheat for dinner. Please see our storage and reheating advice below.
- Healthy - The addition of chicken mince makes these koftas a healthy meal option. For even more nutritious elements, add to your plate healthy grains like couscous or bulgur wheat and fresh salad ingredients with a yoghurt dressing, yum!
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Ingredients and substitutions
For the chicken koftas:
- Ground chicken mince
- Breadcrumbs - we used panko but traditional breadcrumbs work too.
- An egg yolk
- Fresh chives
- Garlic, cloves
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Ground paprika
- Ground cinnamon
- Chilli flakes - adjust to your own heat preference or leave out completely to make this dish child-friendly.
- Fresh coriander or cilantro (depending where in the world you are from)
- Salt and ground black pepper.
For the pickled onion:
- Red onion
- White wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- A pinch of salt
Serve with homemade tzatziki, cooked couscous or our couscous tabbouleh, hummus and some fresh salad ingredients.
See recipe card for quantities.
Step by step instructions
1. Prepare the chicken kofta mixture
- Place your bamboo skewers to soak in water for at least 30 minutes.
- Mix the kofta herbs and spices with the breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg yolk and chicken mince and mix till well combined. Allow the mixture to chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. (While the kofta mixture is in the fridge, prepare the pickled onion and other side elements of the dish).
2. Make the chicken skewers
- Portion the kofta mixture into 8 equal balls and shape around each skewer to form a sausage-like shape over one-half of the skewer. See image for reference. Place prepared skewers onto lightly greased baking/parchment paper on a baking tray.
3. Cook the chicken kofta skewers
To oven bake:
- Preheat your oven to 200 °C (392 °F) fan bake.
- Bake the koftas for 25 minutes, or until cooked, turn over halfway through cooking.
- To add a little extra charr, place the koftas under the grill for a minute.
To grill:
- Heat a griddle pan or BBQ until hot. Then grill your koftas, turning regularly to avoid burning, for approximately 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
HINT: We highly recommend using a food thermometer to check your chicken koftas are cooked through. The USDA states ground chicken should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165° F / 74° C.
4. Assemble
- On a serving platter or bowl, add a layer of cooked couscous (or your grain of choice) alongside some hummus. Add the chicken kofta skewers, pickled onions, your choice of salad ingredients and some tzatziki dressing. See our notes below for more serving suggestions.
- Serve and enjoy!!
Storage and reheating
Leftover chicken - Leftover chicken must be cooled quickly and stored in an airtight container in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking for it to be safe.
To store - Leftover cooked chicken koftas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat - Koftas can be reheated in a microwave or oven at 200 °C (392 °F) fan bake until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 °F / 74 °C using a food thermometer.
Meal prep instructions
This chicken kofta recipe is great for meal prep, as various elements of this dish can be made ahead.
- Pre-make the kofta skewers - you can make the kofta skewers the night before and store them covered in the fridge until ready to cook. This is a great meal prep step for speeding up the cooking process on those extra busy nights!
- Cook ahead - Koftas can be cooked ahead and reheated to serve, please see our food safety storage and reheating notes above.
- Side dishes - the pickled red onion, tzatziki and couscous are all be made or cooked the day before and stored covered in the fridge overnight.
More delicious chicken dinner ideas
Looking for more chicken recipe ideas? Try these:
Chef tips
- Allow the kofta mixture to chill before shaping- Don't skip this step, allowing the chicken mince mixture to chill makes it easier to handle and helps the koftas hold their shape.
- Grilling highly recommended - if possible we highly recommend grilling the chicken koftas, as this will add extra charring and flavour.
Serving suggestions
These flavorful koftas pair perfectly with a variety of sides and accompaniments, try serving your chicken koftas with:
- Warm pita or flatbread
- A fresh light salad
- Tzatziki, hummus or tahini sauce.
- Rice or couscous
- Pickled vegetables
- Roasted vegetables
- Baba ganoush
- Olives
Create a Middle Eastern platter and let your guests create their own delicious bowls!
Variations
We love how versatile this recipe is when it comes to how to serve the dish, here's some inspiration for you:
- Wraps - serve with delicious flatbread to create chicken kofta wraps, like with our lamb kofta wraps.
- Protein - this recipe works with a variety of different ground mince why not try beef, pork, lamb or even venison koftas.
- Meatballs - Forget the skewers and simply serve this recipe as delicious Middle Eastern meatballs.
This chicken kofta recipe is a true crowd-pleaser—simple to make, bursting with flavour, and endlessly versatile. Whether you’re serving it with flatbreads, salad, or dipping sauces, it’s bound to become a household favourite. Give it a try and bring a touch of Middle Eastern flavour to your table!
Did you try this dish? Please leave a rating and review below. And if you have any questions about the recipe, you can ask us in the comment section below too.
Happy cooking!
Recipe
Chicken Kofta Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Place your bamboo skewers into a dish and cover with hot water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. (This will stop them burning during cooking)
- In a large mixing bowl, add the prepared breadcrumbs, chives, garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground paprika, ground cinnamon, chilli flakes, chopped fresh coriander, salt and pepper and mix. Add the egg yolk and chicken mince, then mix until well combined. Allow the mixture to chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes (Prepare the other elements while the mixture is chilling).500 g Ground chicken mince, ¼ cup Breadcrumbs, A small bunch Fresh chives, 2 cloves Garlic , 2 teaspoon Ground cumin, 2 teaspoon Ground coriander, 1 ½ teaspoon Ground paprika, ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon Chilli flakes, 2-3 stalks Fresh coriander / cilantro, ½ tsp Sea salt, ¼ tsp Pepper, 1 Egg yolk
- Portion the mince mix into eight equal balls and shape around each skewer to form a sausage-like shape on half of the skewer. Place on lightly greased baking paper (parchment paper) on a baking tray.
- Heat a griddle pan or BBQ until hot. Then grill your koftas, turning regularly to avoid burning, for approximately 4 minutes on each side until cooked through. (See note 1 below for internal cooking temperature)
- If baking, preheat oven to
200 °C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease, we use cooking oil spray.
- Place the koftas on the baking sheet and bake for 25-26 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked through. To create a little extra charr on the koftas, after cooking place under the grill for one minute. (See note 1 below for internal cooking temperature)
- Peel and thinly slice the red onion, place into a bowl and add the vinegar, oil and salt, give a good mix and set aside.1 Red onion, 4 tbsp White wine vinegar, 1 tbsp Olive oil, A pinch Salt
- On a serving platter or bowl, add a layer of cooked couscous and hummus, add the cooked koftas with some pickled onions, chopped cucumber or tomatoes and a drizzle tzatziki dressing.
- Serve and enjoy!
