Grilled Butter Chicken Kabobs
Grilled Butter Chicken Kabobs are smoky, tender, and packed with warm spices from a yogurt marinade that keeps the chicken juicy. Finished with a rich, silky butter‑tomato‑coconut sauce, they’re perfect over rice with grilled veggies and plenty of naan!
Josh’s Butter Chicken
This recipe comes from our oldest son, Josh, and after he made it for us a handful of times, I finally asked if I could share it with all of you. No gatekeeping in this house – good food is meant to be passed around.
Josh is a pretty big Gordon Ramsay fan, and after watching him make his “15‑minute butter chicken,” he went off and created his own version. I love this one even more – it uses less butter, and grilling the chicken as kabobs gives it that perfect char. Can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
Why we love this recipe:
- The yogurt marinade makes the chicken super tender and loaded with warm, fragrant spices.
- Grilling adds smoky, charred flavor that pairs perfectly with the creamy butter sauce.
- The sauce is rich, silky, and layered with ginger, garlic, jalapeño, and coconut milk.
- It’s a full, delicious meal — kabobs, veggies, rice, naan, and plenty of fresh cilantro to finish.
What You’ll Need:
- chicken breasts
- seasonings – ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garam masala, salt, and pepper
- plain Greek yogurt
- veggies – red onion, jalapeños, ginger, garlic, cilantro
- tomato sauce
- lemon
- coconut milk
- butter
- veggies to skewer – onion, bell pepper, or others of your choice (we like to add mushrooms)
- white rice and fresh naan to serve
How to make Grilled Butter Chicken Kabobs:
Step 1
Prep chicken. Slice chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and place in a mixing bowl.
Step 2
Add marinade ingredients. To the bowl with the chicken, add the seasonings (ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garam masala, salt, pepper) and Greek yogurt. Mix until well combined.
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Step 3
Refrigerate chicken. Place prepared chicken (with marinade) in the refrigerator (covered) for at least two hours or overnight.
Step 4
Make sauce. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add butter and when melted, add the red onion and jalapeños and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Then add the ginger and garlic and stir for another minute. Add chopped cilantro, seasonings (ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garam masala plus salt and pepper to taste) – and stir well.
Add tomato sauce and bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Then add coconut milk and fresh lemon juice and heat through. Pour sauce into a large blender and puree until smooth.
Step 5
Prep the vegetables for skewering. Cut the onion and bell peppers into bite‑sized chunks so they thread easily and cook evenly.
Step 6
Assemble kabobs. Assemble the kabobs by threading the marinated chicken and all your veggies onto metal skewers. Mix and match the colors and textures however you like – there’s no wrong way to build them. Just aim for even spacing so everything cooks at the same pace and gets those great grill marks.
Step 7
Light outdoor grill. Light your backyard grill (we use our Big Green Egg) to medium-high heat. Make sure it’s hot before adding kabobs to the grill grates.
Step 8
Grill butter chicken kabobs. Place the kabobs on the grill and cook them over medium‑high heat, turning every few minutes so all sides get nicely charred. Keep rotating until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender.
We use a digital thermometer to test the internal temperature and remove when chicken registers 160 degrees F, allowing for a few extra degrees of carry-over cooking.
Step 9
Serve. Serve kabobs over some prepared white rice with a ladle of the sauce, chopped cilantro, and fresh naan bread.
Store leftover chicken kabobs in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. We often meal prep and store in small containers over some rice.
Recipe FAQs:
At least 2 hours, but we often marinate overnight if time allows.
Yes. Thighs stay even juicier and are harder to overcook on high heat. You’ll want to cook them to a higher temperature, however.
Yes — it reheats beautifully. Make it a day in advance and warm it gently before serving.
You can, but the sauce won’t be as silky or rich. Full‑fat gives the best texture.
White rice, naan, grilled veggies, and a handful of fresh cilantro make it a complete meal.
Other Delicious Kabob Recipes:
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Grilled Butter Chicken Kabobs Recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade:
- 2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts – sliced into cubes
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt – full-fat or 2% is fine
For the sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large red onion – chopped
- 2 medium jalapeños – seeds removed and chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger – minced
- 4 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 teaspoons EACH ground cumin, turmeric, garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to serve
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro – chopped
- 15 oz. tomato sauce
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 15 oz. full-fat coconut milk
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice – freshly squeezed
Other:
- 1 large onion
- 2 medium bell peppers – any color
- white rice and fresh naan – to serve
Instructions
- Prep chicken. Slice chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and place in a mixing bowl.2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Add marinade ingredients. To the bowl with the chicken, add the seasonings (ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garam masala, salt, pepper) and Greek yogurt. Mix until well combined.2 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons turmeric, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
- Refrigerate chicken. Place prepared chicken (with marinade) in the refrigerator (covered) for at least two hours or overnight.
- Make sauce. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add butter and when melted, add the red onion and jalapeños and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Then add the ginger and garlic and stir for another minute. Add chopped cilantro, seasonings (ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garam masala plus salt and pepper to taste) – and stir well.Add tomato sauce and bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Then add coconut milk and fresh lemon juice and heat through. Pour sauce into a large blender and puree until smooth.2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large red onion, 2 medium jalapeños, 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons EACH ground cumin, turmeric, garam masala, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, 15 oz. tomato sauce, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 15 oz. full-fat coconut milk, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- Prep the vegetables for skewering. Cut the onion and bell peppers into bite‑sized chunks so they thread easily and cook evenly.1 large onion, 2 medium bell peppers
- Assemble kabobs. Assemble the kabobs by threading the marinated chicken and all your veggies onto metal skewers. Mix and match the colors and textures however you like – there’s no wrong way to build them. Just aim for even spacing so everything cooks at the same pace and gets those great grill marks.
- Light outdoor grill. Light your backyard grill (we use our Big Green Egg) to medium-high heat. Make sure it’s hot before adding kabobs to the grill grates.
- Grill butter chicken kabobs. Place the kabobs on the grill and cook them over medium‑high heat, turning every few minutes so all sides get nicely charred. Keep rotating until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender.We use a digital thermometer to test the internal temperature and remove when chicken registers 160 degrees F, allowing for a few extra degrees of carry-over cooking.
- Serve. Serve kabobs over some prepared white rice with a ladle of the sauce, chopped cilantro, and fresh naan bread.white rice and fresh naan
Notes
- Prep ahead: You can marinate the chicken and make the sauce the day before. Just reheat sauce to serve.
- Adjust the spices as you like. If you want more heat, include some of the jalapeño seeds and more cayenne pepper. If you want less heat, reduce jalapeño and cayenne pepper.
- Store leftover chicken kabobs in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. We often meal prep and store in small containers over some rice.