Chicken Shashlik (Saucy with Gravy)
Chicken Shashlik is an Indo-Chinese recipe made with boneless chicken, bell peppers, and red onion. Similar to Chicken Manchurian, this dish is coated in a sweet and spicy gravy that’s bursting with flavor. This is a unique, flavorful, and kid-friendly weeknight dinner that can be made quickly and easily using pantry staples.
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“Love this recipe-took me back to my childhood! Thanks Izzah for giving us such a great recipe like always.”
Kiran
What is Chicken Shashlik?
The word ‘Shashlik’ refers to skewered and grilled meat, similar to (and possibly a derivative of) shish kabab. It’s especially popular in Russia and Central Asia, where it was traditionally made with mutton.
I’m not sure how Shashlik transpired into the Indo-Chinese version as we know it. My guess is restaurants were involved, and they started serving saucy versions along with the skewered.
If you’re not familiar with Chicken Shashlik, you’re not alone. Even within the Pakistani & Indian population, Chicken Shashlik is not as well known as other Indo-Chinese dishes like Chicken Manchurian. (More Indo-Chinese favorites: Spicy Cashew Chicken and Chicken Jalfrezi.)
What is the difference between Chicken Manchurian and Chicken Shashlik?
Though they both share similar Indo-Chinese sweet and hot flavor profiles, Chicken Manchurian and Shashlik have two main differences:
- The chicken is cooked in different ways. Manchurian is usually coated in batter and deep fried, while Shashlik is either grilled or stir-fried (for the gravy version).
- The amount of ‘tomatoey’ flavor. Shashlik is a bit more ‘ketchupy’ (in the most nuanced way) than Manchurian.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The key ingredients are chicken, red onion, bell peppers, garlic, and ginger. The remaining ingredients for the marinade and sauce are pantry staples:
Notable Marinade Ingredients
- Yogurt – Though I’m not sure if it’s a ‘traditional’ Shashlik ingredient, using yogurt in the marinade enhances the taste and texture.
- Worcestershire sauce – I find it’s best to only add it in the marinade or else it can get overpowering.
- Soy sauce – Used both in the marinade & sauce.
- Vinegar – You can use white vinegar (which I used for this recipe) or rice vinegar.
Notable Sauce Ingredients
The sauce Ingredients (pictured on the tray) complement the marinade. The additional ones are:
- Ketchup and Tomato paste – Both key ingredients that add tang and bold tomato flavor to the sauce.
- Chili garlic sauce – Use any brand you like (I use Huy Fong). Adjust the amount depending on the brand and how spicy you prefer it.
- Cornstarch – Used to thicken the sauce.
- White Pepper Powder – I love the milder “Chinese” flavor it gives. If you don’t have it, feel free to subtitute black pepper.
How to make Chicken Shashlik
- Start by marinating the chicken. You can do this up to a day in advance but marinating right before is just fine. Then prepare the sauce and set it aside.
- Next, cook the chicken. Sauté garlic and ginger, then stir-fry the chicken before covering to finish cooking. Then raise the heat to saute out extra moisturé. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and cover to keep it moist.
- In the same pan (no need to clean it up), stir-fry the vegetables with a generous pinch of salt. Do this on the highest heat so they can get as ‘charred’ as possible.
- Lastly, add the sauce back in followed by the chicken. Stir it all up until it starts to bubble and the oil starts to shine.
What to Serve with Chicken Shashlik
Chicken Shashlik is typically served with plain or fried rice. I think it’d also be great with noodles.
Tips & Variations
- The size of the chicken cubes will affect cook time. Larger pieces will take longer to cook, while smaller pieces will cook faster. To prevent overcooking and drying out the chicken, try to cut them evenly and stop cooking as soon as it’s cooked through.
- If you have leftovers, you’ll find the chicken soaks up the sauce and gets even more tender the next day.
- I had Shashlik at a restaurant here and they added barbeque sauce to the gravy. I found that to be an interesting addition worth sharing. Feel free to experiment with Indian and Pakistani sauces like Hot and Sour Sauce.
- If you’d like more gravy, add ¼ cup of water and bring to a boil again. You can also add 1/4-1/2 tsp cornstarch to this water if you want it to remain thick. Be sure adjust salt and seasoning.
More Indo-Chinese Recipes
Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! If you have a photo of your dish, please feel free to upload it and share with others. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!
Chicken Shashlik (Saucy with Gravy) – Indo-Chinese Recipe
Watch the Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb (454 g) boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1” pieces (See Note 1)
Marinade:
- 1/4 cup (61 g) plain, whole milk yogurt
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce, I use gluten-free
- 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar, I use cane sugar
- 1/2-1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sea salt
Sauce/Gravy:
- 1/4 cup (65 g) tomato ketchup
- 3 tbsp (45 g) tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp (25 g) chili garlic sauce, (use 1 tbsp for less spice)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) water
- 2 tsp corn starch
Chicken Shashlik:
- 1/4 cup (56 g) neutral oil, divided
- 1 tbsp (~5 garlic cloves) minced/finely chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp (~1 inch) minced/finely chopped ginger
- 1 small to medium (230 g) red onion, chopped into 1” squares
- 1 small to medium green bell pepper, chopped into 1” squares
- 1 small to medium red bell pepper, chopped into 1” squares
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with all the ingredients listed under ‘Marinade’. Set aside.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients listed for the ‘Sauce/Gravy’ and set aside.
- Heat a large sauté pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Once hot, heat 3 tbsp of oil and add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the chicken with its marinade and stir-fry until it changes color (~3-4 min). Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a light boil.
- Lower the heat to a low, cover and allow the chicken to simmer for 8-10 minutes. (Typically 8 min for breast, 10 min for thighs.) Then raise the heat to high to sauté out the excess moisture (~3-5 min). There will still be plenty of curry but the oil will start to separate from it. Transfer the chicken, including its curry, to a bowl. Cover to keep it moist and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened but remain crisp.
- Pour the prepared sauce into the vegetables and stir for 1-2 minutes, until thickened and starting to bubble. Add the cooked chicken and allow it to cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the oil starts to shine.*(See Note 2) Taste and adjust salt and seasoning. Turn off the heat and serve hot.
52 Comments on “Chicken Shashlik (Saucy with Gravy)”
Made two versions – your exact recipe which was absolutely delicious and a vegan version using plant protein, vegan yoghurt and no Worcester sauce, which was equally delicious. Will definitely cook this again. Thank you
Hi Helena! So wonderful to hear that. Thanks so much for trying and sharing your vegan variation!
perfect weeknight dinner – comes together so quickly and better than takeout 🙂 I didn’t have tomato paste or white pepper but it tasted great.
So glad it worked out, Azka! Thank you for trying my recipes and taking the time to review! I’m truly very grateful!
Excellent, the whole family loved it!
So glad to hear that, Marissa. Thank you for taking the time to review! 🙂
Thank you so much for your response Izzah! I’ll try it out in the IP and let you know 🙂
I appreciate all of your recipes! Thanks to you I feel confident in my desi cooking. Keep the instant pot ones coming because it’s the only thing I feel like I can’t mess up! Thanks for being the best food blogger out there 😍 we’re so fortunate to have you
Thank you, Farha. Your comment really means so much to me. I’m just as fortunate to have you as a reader!
Hi love! Is there an instant pot version for this?
Hi Farha! You could make the chicken base in an IP if you’d like (a 5 min High pressure time would work I think). Otherwise it’s more of a stir-fry so the IP wouldn’t be necessary.
This is absolutely delicious! Thank you for your blog. I’ve just made this and have shami kebab mixture in the fridge to ball up and cook. TY for sharing your lovely recipes. Love Liza (U.K.)
Thank you so much, Liza! I hope you enjoyed the Shami as well. 🙂
If guys only knew why shashlik actually is. This dish has nothing to do with it, FYI. Also shashlik has nothing to do with crazy Indian spices.
Hi Igor, as mentioned in the ‘what is chicken shashlik’ section, this is not the authentic Russian/Central Asian version, but the Indo-Chinese version that’s more familiar to us.
Dear Izzah,
I’ve made about 4 of your recipes in the past 2 weeks and one by one they’ve soothed both my appetite and my longing for home! I recently moved out of my (Pakistani) family home & will personally vouch that all your recipes are authentic, easy to follow through and delicious.
So, thank you for that!
What a nice comment to receive. Thank you for being so kind and taking the time to share. It’s very rewarding for me!
So good! And easy and fairly quick! Made it tonight and we really loved it!!
I love coming to your blog for recipes! Especially since I love pakistani/indian cuisine but find that some recipes can be quite daunting! Thank you for all your recipes!!!
I’m so glad you gave it a try, Nic! Thanks very much for taking the time to share such a nice review!
Love this recipe-took me brought to my childhood! Thanks Izzah for giving us such a great recipe like always 🙂
Aw thank you, Kiran! Appreciate it very much!
This is a keeper! I’m single, but I made the full amount for those nights when I’m too tired/busy to cook something. I refuse to buy frozen dinners and your recipe is the reason why. Try to find this is in the frozen food aisle 🙂
Yay! The first review! I’m so glad you got a chance to try and am grateful for you taking the time to leave such a nice comment!