Easy Chicken Keema Recipe

Chicken keema is essentially hot and spicy chicken minced meat and is a simple Indian dish to make that tastes absolutely delicious.

It uses onions, chili, tomatoes, mint leaves and a variety of fragrant herbs and spices to create. With the many spices being used in this recipe, chicken keema is extremely flavorful.

You will love its versatility as it can be used in many other dishes such as masalas, curries and kebabs.

You can also pair it with rice, paratha, naan or bread!

With many different ways of incorporating chicken keema into other recipes, we are sure you will love our chicken keema recipe that is quick and easy to make!

You can easily substitute the minced chicken meat with pork, turkey or beef if you prefer.

This recipe will give you a base keema that is dry which you can then modify to make a curry or gravy version.

Ingredients

• Chicken keema or chicken minced: You can use either lean chicken minced or store-bought chicken minced with a little fat.
• Onion: Use red onion if you can. We want it to be chopped finely.
• Tomatoes: We will be using tomato puree and tomato paste.
• Chilies: We will be using green chilies in this recipe.
• Ginger garlic paste: You can make this at home as well.
• Whole spices: Bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves, black peppercorn.
• Spice powders: Cumin powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder.
• Oil: You can use any oil you prefer.
• Herbs: Mint leaves and coriander or cilantro chopped.

Tip #1: Marinate the chicken keema for best results. You don’t have to marinate overnight. We will be doing a flash-marinate with the tomato puree, paste and salt. It really changes the taste of the meat!

Tip #2: Make sure you use fine minced meat if you want to use the chicken keema for parathas or kebabs.

Tip #3: Don’t skip the herbs! They help to elevate the entire dish and is really refreshing.

Instructions

1. Flash-marinate chicken keema
   Mix the chicken keema minced meat together with the tomato puree and tomato paste in a bowl. Let it sit and soak in the tomatoes while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Sizzle whole spices
   Add cooking oil to a pan on medium heat. Add the whole spices and let them sizzle for a little.
3. Onions + green chilies
   Add in the onions and green chilies. Fry till onions turn translucent.
4. Ginger paste
   Add in the ginger paste. We want to fry till the raw ginger smell dissipates.
5. Garam masala, red chili powder and mint leaves
   Add in the garam masala, red chili powder and mint leaves, and fry till the raw smell disappears. The color of the onion and spices should start to turn dark.
6. Remove mixture
   We will now remove the mixture into a plate so that we can reuse the pan for the chicken keema.
7. Marinated chicken keema, bay leaves, salt and turmeric powder
   Add the bay leaves first, then chicken keema. Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder. Cover and cook the meat over low heat until it is soft. Sprinkle water if needed.
8. Add back onion mixture
   Add back the previous mixture into the pan. Stir and cook over low heat until everything is mixed well.
9. Coriander leaves
   Add the chopped coriander leaves and turn off the heat.
10. (Optional) For gravy or curry version
    Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and pour it into the pan. Cook till the curry thickens.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can the chicken keema be stored for?

The chicken keema can be kept for up to a week if it is properly stored in the refrigerator and in airtight containers.

If you made the curry version, it is best to be consumed within 2 days as coconut milk will not last as long. You might notice the fat solidifying on the surface but it will melt into the curry once it is reheated.

What can coconut milk be substituted with?

If you do not want to use coconut, an alternative is to use cashew milk. To make your own cashew milk, blend 12 cashews with water till it turns into a smooth milk.

You can also use cream in place of milk. In a separate bowl, pour the cream and then add a little chicken keema. Stir before adding to the pan.

How to reduce the spiciness level of the chicken keema?

You can skip the black peppercorns and reduce the chili powder to your liking.

Can the chicken keema be frozen for longer storage?

Absolutely! Both the dry chicken keema and curry version can be stored in individual freezer-safe bags. But we definitely recommend consuming them fresh for best taste!

You can keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months.

How to reheat the chicken keema?

If you stored it in the refrigerator, you can add it directly to a hot pan or skillet on medium heat and sprinkle some water. Cover while reheating.

If you stored it in the freezer, you may need to thaw the chicken keema in the refrigerator first before reheating.

You can also use the microwave oven for reheating, but make sure to use bowls that are microwave-safe like ceramic.

What to pair chicken keema with?

For the base dry version, it can easily be paired with rice for a sumptuous meal.

For the curry version, you can mop up the gravy with naan, paratha or bread. You can also eat it together with rice.

Recipe

Yield: 6

Chicken Keema

Print

Chicken keema is an Indian-styled minced chicken dish that is cooked with a variety of fragrant herbs and spices. It is full of flavor and tastes absolutely delicious!

It can also be used for many other dishes like curries and masalas.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.1 lbs chicken, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ⅔ cup tomato puree
• 1½ cup onions, chopped
• 2 green chilies
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 3 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp salt (modify to taste)
• 16 mint leaves, chopped
• 4 tbsp coriander leaves
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 small cinnamon sticks
• 4 green cardamoms
• 8 cloves
• 8 black peppercorns
• ½ cup coconut milk (optional, for curry version)

Instructions

1. Flash-marinate the chicken keema. Mix the minced meat together with tomato puree and tomato paste in a bowl.
2. Add cooking oil to a pan and place it on medium heat. Add bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, green cardamoms, cloves and peppercorns. Let them sizzle for a little.
3. Next, add in the onions and green chilies. Fry till onions turn translucent.
4. Add in the ginger paste and fry till the raw ginger smell disappears.
5. Add in the garam masala, red chili powder and mint leaves, and fry till the raw smell disappears. The color of the onion and spices should start to turn dark.
6. Remove the mixture into a plate so that we can reuse the pan for the chicken keema.
7. Add the bay leaves first, then chicken keema. Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder. Cover and cook the meat over low heat until it is soft. Sprinkle water if needed.
8. Add back the previous mixture into the pan. Stir and cook over low heat until everything is mixed well.
9. Add the chopped coriander leaves and turn off the heat.
10. (Optional) For gravy or curry version, add coconut milk and pour it into the pan. Cook till the curry thickens.

Notes

1. Flash-marinating the chicken keema is important to ensure the meat tastes great.
2. We are frying the whole spices tp remove the raw smell and let the intense flavors seep in to the meat.
3. The herbs provide a refreshing flavor to the dish and it is recommended not to skip them if you can.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 407Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 387mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 7gSugar: 6gProtein: 24g

Nutrition information is only an estimate and can vary depending on ingredients used.

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For more meal ideas, check out our Chicken Tenderloin, Pork Jowl, Black Pepper Angus Steak, Chicken Breakfast, and Blackstone Chicken recipes!

And don’t miss out on other ground meat ideas with our Ground Turkey and Rice, Ground Veal, and Ground Elk recipes!

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