Chicken Koftas

These chicken koftas will turn out tender and moist no matter which way you choose to cook them—broiled, grilled, or air-fried. Beautifully seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices, they’re perfect for summer eating.

Prep Time:

25 mins

Cook Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

35 mins

Servings:

4

Yield:

3 koftas

Ingredients

• 1 cup coarsely chopped sweet onion
• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 1 pound lean ground chicken (8% fat)
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs or cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.
2. Add onion, cilantro, mint, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño to a food processor; pulse until very finely chopped, about 10 (1-second) pulses. Transfer mixture to a kitchen towel, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
3. Add squeezed onion mixture, ground chicken, breadcrumbs, oil, egg, garlic powder, salt, cumin, coriander, and black pepper to a large bowl; mix gently until thoroughly incorporated.
4. With moistened gloved hands, shape chicken mixture into 12 (3×1-1/2-inch) cylinders and place on a baking sheet. (If grilling, shape mixture onto skewers).
5. To Broil: Preheat the oven’s broiler and set a rack about 7 inches from the heat source. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat with cooking spray. Arrange koftas in a single layer about 2 inches apart, and spray with cooking spray. Broil, flipping koftas halfway through cook time, until browned and a thermometer inserted into center reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 8 minutes.
6. To Grill: Preheat grill to medium, 350 to 400 degrees F (175 to 200 degrees C). Place skewers on oiled grates; grill, covered, flipping every 2 minutes, until charred and a thermometer inserted into center reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 8 minutes. Alternative Method: Heat a large oiled grill pan over medium-high, about 2 minutes. Add koftas to pan; grill, uncovered, flipping every 2 minutes, until charred and a thermometer inserted into center reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 10 minutes.
7. To Air-fry: Preheat an air fryer to 380 degrees F (193 degrees C) for 2 minutes. Spray koftas with cooking spray. Working in batches if needed, add koftas to air fryer basket in a single layer, and cook, flipping after 4 minutes, until browned and a thermometer inserted into center reads  165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 8 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)