• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Love of Spice

  • HOME
  • BREAKFAST
  • MAINS
  • SNACK
  • DESSERTS
  • INSTANT POT
  • MEALTHY MULTIPOT
  • AIR FRYER
  • ABOUT
    • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch / Dinner
  • Snack
  • Desserts
  • Instant Pot
  • ABOUT
  • ×

    Home » Indian Recipes » Curries » Non Vegetarian Curries

    Chicken Keema (Indian Style Chicken Mince Recipe)

    Published on November 12, 2021 · Updated on November 12, 2021 - This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See disclosure policy.

    90 shares
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Chicken Keema is a quick and easy Indian style chicken mince recipe that goes extremely well with rotis as well as pav. And a slight variation of this recipe can also be used as stuffing for making keema naan or keema puffs.

    a big bowl full of chicken keema, served with rotis, a few green chillies & lemon wedges on the side

    If you have been following this blog for any length of time, you know I love chicken in most forms, and I have already shared many of my favorite chicken recipes on the blog, with many more to come pretty soon.

    But honestly, chicken keema is one of those dishes that took me a while to start making at home. Not because it was particularly complicated. It’s actually pretty simple and straightforward to make, as you’ll see.

    It was just that back then I had some concerns and questions about handling chicken mince meat. But then once I got familiar with it, chicken keema has become one of my go-to Indian chicken dishes to make. Outside of the good ole chicken curry, of-course.

    Which is why in this chicken keema recipe, I’ll also share how to make and handle minced chicken. Because once you get the hang of it, you’ll also be able to make multiple variations to use chicken mince in many other dishes like keema naan, keema puffs etc.

    Jump to:
    • What is Chicken Keema
    • How to Make Chicken Mince from Chicken
    • Should You Wash Chicken Mince + Steps to Follow
    • How to Make Chicken Keema
    • Ingredients You Need
    • Step by Step Recipe
    • Notes
    • Serving Suggestion
    • Variations
    • Popular chicken recipes on the blog..
    • 📖 RECIPE

    What is Chicken Keema

    Chicken Keema is an Indian spiced chicken dish made out of chicken mince meat.

    How to Make Chicken Mince from Chicken

    You can directly buy chicken mince meat at the store or make chicken mince from chicken at home. There are meat grinders available in the market to grind your own meat at home.

    But if like me, you don’t have the patience or the space to add one more equipment / appliance & clutter the kitchen, especially if the function can be accomplished with what you currently have, then simply cut the chicken into cubes, and pulse it in your mixer or food processor. You’ll have homemade chicken mince for keema!

    Pro Tip: Always use chicken thighs over chicken breast for juicier mince.

    Should You Wash Chicken Mince + Steps to Follow

    There are contrary opinions about whether keema needs to be washed, or whether any kind of mince meat can be washed.

    In-fact the NHS recommends against washing any kind of raw chicken because of possible contamination of the sink and surfaces.

    I have read several other such reports in the past as well, but I personally don’t feel comfortable not washing store bought chicken, whether it is whole chicken for making tandoori or boneless meat. So I just take extra care to disinfect everything. And yes, it gets tedious, but it’s what I feel more comfortable with.

    The one exception to this always-clean-at-home rule is chicken mince. I don’t wash store bought chicken mince. Mostly because a lot depends on the quality of the chicken, and sometimes when rinsing it, the mince can turn into a super soggy hot mess, and also lose flavour.

    That being said, if you would feel more comfortable washing chicken mince then the best way to wash it, and not lose any meat is by – first putting the mince in a bowl of water to clean it, and then straining it using a strainer, and placing a cloth above the strainer, so that the mince is collected in the cloth, and not in the strainer. You can then squeeze out all the excess liquid from the cloth. 

    A good halfway compromise would be to wash the chicken thigh meat, and then make the mince from that meat at home.

    How to Make Chicken Keema

    There are many ways to make keema chicken with different seasonings and spices. I have tried to recreate the more punjabi dhaba style chicken keema. And this is a recipe for chicken keema masala (dry-ish version of chicken keema). Check out the variations listed below the recipe for other versions.

    Also I have listed the ingredients and method to make chicken keema that is good for 4-6 people. As that is my go-to quantity, on a regular basis, so that I have enough to use it as filling for keema naan or keema puffs.

    If you want to make more or less quantity than what I have shared, simply use the slider in the recipe card below to adjust the quantities based on your preference.

    Ingredients You Need

    top shot of all the ingredients required to make chicken keema
    ingredients – chicken mince, oil, whole spices, chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli, onions, along with spice powders for flavoring, salt, yogurt and chopped coriander leaves

    Step by Step Recipe

    • In a wide bottomed pan, lightly heat up 4 tablespoon oil, and add in whole garam spices (1 bay leaf, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 7 cloves, 7 black peppercorns), and lightly roast for 1-2 minutes, till they start giving off a slight fragrance.
    • Then add in 2 tablespoon chopped garlic & 1 tablespoon chopped ginger, and roast for 1-2 minutes, till they start getting light reddish in color.
    • Now add 2 cups of chopped onions, 1 teaspoon of salt to brown the onions faster, and 2 chopped green chillies. Saute till the onions turn light golden brown. This might take about 10 minutes in a wide pan.
    • When the onions are done, add in the masalas – (1 tablespoon garam masala powder, 1 tablespoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon chilli powder). Mix well, and saute for 1-2 minutes, till the masalas get lightly cooked. Here it’s best to sprinkle a few spoons of water if required, to avoid the masalas from burning.
    step by step photos of roasting whole spices, ginger, garlic, onions, and spice powders to make the base for chicken keema masala
    • Now add in 2 pounds of chicken mince, along with ¼ cup yogurt, the rest of the salt (1 teaspoon), and mix well.
    • Cook covered for 20-25 minutes on medium flame, stirring intermittently, till the chicken is cooked through.
    • Garnish with ½ cup chopped coriander leaves, and serve hot with rotis, chapatis or pav.
    step by step photos of making chicken keema masala

    Notes

    • It’s best to always choose a wide bottomed pan for making keema, as the chicken that is in the minced form, cooks really fast. Using a wide bottomed pan will ensure it will cook evenly too. And some of the chicken doesn’t get overcooked, and turn rubbery and dry, while the rest of the chicken is getting cooked.
    • If you are using chicken mince that was refrigerated, it’s best to thaw it at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before cooking it in the pan. Also best to get refrigerated yogurt to about room temperature too.
    • I usually pre-mix the spice powders in a bowl before adding them to the cooking pan, so that the spices don’t burn as I keep adding the spice powders one at a time. 

    Serving Suggestion

    Serve hot with rotis / chapatis or pav.

    a close up shot of a spoon full of chicken keema, with more chicken keema in the background

    Variations

    • You can add tomatoes if you want to give it a more tangy taste. I prefer this version without tomatoes for spicy chicken keema.
    • Peas are a common addition to keema masala. You can use fresh or frozen peas, and add it in before the chicken.
    • You can make a more liquid-y curry by adding water, or cashew milk for a thicker curry. Cashew milk will also give the curry a nutty flavor. 
    • If you are making chicken keema to use as a stuffing for naan or puffs, then skip the whole spices. I usually follow the same recipe, and then just pick out the whole spices before stuffing.

    Popular chicken recipes on the blog..

    ⭐️ Whole Chicken Tandoori Recipe
    ⭐️ Restaurant Style Chicken Lollipop
    ⭐️ Mangalorean Chicken Ghee Roast
    ⭐️ Tandoori Spiced Chicken Wings
    ⭐️ Chicken Kali Mirch / Pepper Chicken
    ⭐️ Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

    As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️ 

    📖 RECIPE

    a big bowl full of chicken keema, served with rotis, a few green chillies & lemon wedges on the side

    Chicken Keema Recipe (Indian Style Mince Chicken Recipe)

    Chicken Keema is a quick and easy Indian style chicken mince recipe that goes extremely well with rotis as well as pav.
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Indian Curries, Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 361kcal
    Author: Shantala Shenoy Nayak

    Ingredients

    Chicken

    • 2 pounds chicken mince

    Ingredients for keema

    • 4 tablespoon oil
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 inch cinnamon stick
    • 7 cloves
    • 7 black peppercorn
    • 2 tablespoon chopped garlic
    • 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
    • 2 cup chopped onions
    • 2 teaspoon salt divided
    • 2 – 4 chopped green chillies
    • 1 tablespoon garam masala powder
    • 1 tablespoon coriander powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
    • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
    • ¼ cup yogurt
    • ½ cup chopped coriander leaves
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a wide bottomed pan, lightly heat up 4 tablespoon oil, and add in whole garam spices (1 bay leaf, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 7 cloves, 7 black peppercorns), and lightly roast for 1-2 minutes, till they start giving off a slight fragrance.
    • Then add in 2 tablespoon chopped garlic & 1 tablespoon chopped ginger, and roast for 1-2 minutes, till they start getting light reddish in color.
    • Now add 2 cups of chopped onions, 1 teaspoon of salt to brown the onions faster, and 2 chopped green chillies. Saute till the onions turn light golden brown. This might take about 10 minutes in a wide pan.
    • When the onions are done, add in the masalas – (1 tablespoon garam masala powder, 1 tablespoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon chilli powder). Mix well, and saute for 1-2 minutes, till the masalas get lightly cooked. Here it's best to sprinkle a few spoons of water if required, to avoid the masalas from burning.
    • Now add in 2 pounds of chicken mince, along with ¼ cup yogurt, the rest of the salt (1 teaspoon), and mix well.
    • Cook covered for 20-25 minutes on medium flame, stirring intermittently, till the chicken is cooked through.
    • Garnish with ½ cup chopped coriander leaves, and serve hot with rotis, chapatis or pav.

    Notes

    1. It’s best to always choose a wide bottomed pan for making keema, as the chicken that is in the minced form, cooks really fast. Using a wide bottomed pan will ensure it will cook evenly too. And some of the chicken doesn’t get overcooked, and turn rubbery and dry, while the rest of the chicken is getting cooked.
    2. If you are using chicken mince that was refrigerated, it’s best to thaw it at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before cooking it in the pan. Also best to get refrigerated yogurt to about room temperature too.
    3. I usually pre-mix the spice powders in a bowl before adding them to the cooking pan, so that the spices don’t burn as I keep adding the spice powders one at a time. 
    Variations
    1. You can add tomatoes if you want to give it a more tangy taste. I prefer this version without tomatoes for spicy chicken keema.
    2. Peas are a common addition to keema masala. You can use fresh or frozen peas, and add it in before the chicken.
    3. You can make a more liquid-y curry by adding water, or cashew milk for a thicker curry. Cashew milk will also give the curry a nutty flavor. 
    Notes on making chicken mince at home
    1. If you are looking to make chicken mince at home, use chicken thighs to make the mince, they are more juicier than chicken breasts. 
    2. You can use a meat grinder like this to mince your meat, or mince the meat in regular mixer or food processor.
    3. For making chicken mince in the regular mixer or food processor, just cut thigh meat into bite sized pieces, and pulse it in the mixer till you get the desired consistency of mince meat.
    Notes on washing keema / chicken mince
    1. You don’t need to wash the raw chicken keema / mince meat, but you can if you want to. 
    2. The best way to wash chicken keema, and not lose any meat is by first putting the chicken mince in a bowl of water to clean it, and then straining it using a strainer, and keeping a cloth above the strainer, so that the mince is collected in the cloth, and not in the strainer. You can then squeeze out all the excess liquid from the cloth. 
    3. That being said, know that washing keema will also result in loss of some flavour.
     

    Please note: The nutrition values are best estimates provided as a courtesy. The exact values can vary depending on the exact ingredients or brands used. If you rely on them for your specific diet and/or health issues, please consult a registered dietician or nutritionist.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 1032mg | Potassium: 965mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 209IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg

    Video Recipe

    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @loveofspice or tag #loveofspice!

    This recipe was first published in July 2020, and has been republished with updated instructions, notes & tips, step images as well as video in Nov 2021.

    If you’d like FREE recipes and meal prep ideas delivered directly to your email inbox every Friday in one short email, then subscribe to the Foodie Friday list HERE, and never run out of ideas on what to cook over the weekend or prep for the week ahead. 🙂

    « Bhindi Masala (Indian Okra Stir Fry)
    Kolhapuri Chicken Recipe | Chicken Kolhapuri Style »
    90 shares

    Subscribe for Friday Emails with Recipes + Meal Ideas!

     
     

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Annie Tinkler

      July 24, 2021 at 2:54 am

      5 stars
      Beautiful Seems. I recently got hold of some ghee and I loved the process of this Kerman. Instructions are so clear and great tips. I’ll use many more of your recipes.

      Reply
      • The Love of Spice

        July 28, 2021 at 2:27 pm

        Thank you, Annie. You’ll love it!

        Reply
    2. Natasha

      July 16, 2020 at 6:44 am

      5 stars
      Fabulous one. Though I have given up eating chicken, but this is son drool worthy.

      I like the tip on washing the keema.

      Thank you Shantala.

      Reply
      • Shantala's Kitchen

        July 16, 2020 at 9:34 am

        Thanks for reading, Natasha.

        Reply
    3. Roshan

      July 15, 2020 at 10:16 pm

      I used to make a version of this for my dad… less spicier and with some tomatoes and an egg thrown in at the end 🙂

      Reply
      • Shantala's Kitchen

        July 16, 2020 at 9:35 am

        ooohh yeah an egg would go really well with this!

        Reply
    4. Damyanti

      July 15, 2020 at 10:38 am

      5 stars
      Love this one…

      Reply
      • Shantala's Kitchen

        July 15, 2020 at 10:48 am

        Thank you so much!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    CONNECT WITH ME!

    About Me

    Hi there, I am Shantala, an Indian foodie in an American kitchen. Welcome to The Love of Spice - my food blog, virtual home & passion project, all rolled into one. On here I share Easy-to-Follow Family Recipes, along with tips on Indian Meal Planning & Lunch Box Ideas for Kids & Adults. I hope you enjoy the site, and find it useful. :) read more

    Subscribe for Friday Emails with Recipes + Meal Ideas!

     
     

    Recent Posts

    a bowl of red coconut chutney.

    Red Coconut Chutney Recipe

    a bowl of white coconut chutney.

    Coconut Chutney Recipe (South Indian Style)

    soft rava upma served in a plate.

    Rava Upma Recipe (with Tips to make Soft, Fluffy Upma)

    a big serving bowl of spring onion sabzi.

    Spring Onion Sabzi (Kandyachya Patichi Bhaji)

    close up shot of whole masoor dal tadka in a big bowl.

    Whole Masoor Dal Recipe

    Popular Posts

    a whole chicken tandoori placed on a black cutting board, with a bowl of green chutney and a couple of lemon wedges on the side

    How to Make Whole Chicken Tandoori | Whole Tandoori Chicken Recipe

    coriander mint yogurt chutney

    Coriander Mint Chutney Recipe | Green Chutney Dip for Tandoori, Tikka and Kababs

    close up of 4 pieces of mysore pak placed on a blue plate

    Fail-proof Mysore Pak Recipe [with VIDEO]

    top shot of a plate full of homemade chicken 65, with another serving on the side, along with some schezwan chutney

    Chicken 65 Recipe (Dry Version) – Three Ways

    a plate of kolhapuri misal pav served with chopped onions, farsan, tari and tea

    Spicy Kolhapuri Misal Recipe | Maharashtrian Misal Pav

    Copyright © 2023 SHANTALA's KITCHEN

    90 shares
    90 shares