Chicken Keema Masala is a hot and spicy Indian curry made using minced chicken, onions, tomatoes, and spices. It is super easy to make and tastes great with Indian bread. Here is how to make it in a pan over the stovetop or in an instant pot.
Here are some more minced meat recipes that you may like – Keema Kaleji, Methi Keema, Keema Paratha, Keema Naan, and Mutton Keema Kofta.
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About This Recipe
Chicken Keema Masala (Chicken Kheema, Chicken Qeema) is a hot, spicy, and flavorful Indian curry made using chicken mince (ground chicken), red onions, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and earthy spices.
This one-pot dish is super easy to make and comes together in under 30 minutes. Serve it on the side with Indian bread or use it to fill samosas, rolls, sandwiches, or wraps.
I am sharing the method to make chicken keema recipe in a pan over the stovetop or in an instant pot in the post below.
Ingredients
Ground Chicken – Ground chicken or chicken mince is the star ingredient of this dish. You can either buy packaged mince or make homemade chicken mince using boneless chicken in a food processor.
You can also replace minced chicken with ground turkey.
Onions, Tomatoes, and Yogurt (Dahi) make the base of the curry.
Spice Powders and Whole Spices – This recipe uses everyday spice powders such as turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, and black pepper powder.
Green cardamoms, cinnamon, and cloves are the whole spices used in the dish. You can also add black cardamoms and bay leaves for extra flavor.
Other Ingredients – Other than the above-mentioned ingredients, you will also need fresh ginger, lime, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), vegetable oil, ghee, green chillies, crushed coriander seeds, ginger garlic paste, mint leaves, Kasuri methi, salt, and green onions.
How To Make Chicken Keema Masala
In A Pot Over Stovetop
Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil and 2 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add 2 whole green cardamoms, 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick, and 2-3 cloves and saute for 3-4 seconds.
Add 1 cup chopped onions and fry until they turn golden brown in color (6-8 minutes). Stir frequently while frying.
Now add 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and fry until the onions turn dark brown in color (4-5 minutes), stirring frequently.
Add 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes and ½ cup whisked yogurt (dahi) and cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy. Keep mashing the tomatoes from the back of the ladle while cooking.
Now add 5-6 green chilies (slit into half), 2 tablespoon coarsely ground coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, and 1 teaspoon cumin powder and cook until the oil separates from the sides of the pan (3-4 minutes). Stir continuously while frying.
Add 500 g chicken mince (keema) and 2 teaspoon salt and mix well.
Note – I buy mince chicken from a local butcher and hence rinse it in a fine-mesh strainer. If you are buying the packaged mince, there is no need to rinse it.
Reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 18-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked well. Stir 2-3 times while cooking. You can add some water if the mince is getting dried.
Finally, add ½ cup chopped mint leaves, 2 tablespoon Kasuri methi, ½ cup chopped green onions, 2-inch piece of ginger (julienned), 2 tablespoon lime juice, and ½ teaspoon garam masala and mix well.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Garnish with 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) and serve hot.
In An Instant Pot
Press SAUTE button of the instant pot.
Add vegetable oil and ghee to the pot.
Once the oil is hot, add green cardamoms, cinnamon, and cloves and saute for 3-4 seconds.
Add onions and fry until they turn golden brown in color (6-8 minutes). Stir frequently while frying.
Now add ginger garlic paste and fry until the onions turn dark brown in color (4-5 minutes), stirring frequently.
Add tomatoes and yogurt and cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy. Keep mashing the tomatoes from the back of the ladle while cooking.
Now add green chilies, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, black pepper powder, and cumin powder and cook until the oil separates from the sides of the pot (3-4 minutes). Stir continuously while frying.
Add chicken mince, ½ cup water, and salt and mix well.
Close the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the pot.
Press SAUTE once again.
Finally, add mint leaves, Kasuri methi, green onions, ginger, lime juice, and garam masala and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
As chicken is lean meat, it doesn’t have a lot of fat and is also high in protein, therefore it is very healthy to include it in your meals. You can control the ghee/oil and spices if you are making it for your weight loss diet.
You can use the leftover chicken qeema to make biryani or pulav. My favorite way of using it is to make chicken keema sliders or sloppy joe, where you stuff the leftover keema in between mini pavs.
You can also make a roll or sandwich using the leftover mince. It can also be used to make samosas and cutlets.
Keema can be made in a variety of styles and Kerala style is another way of cooking it. It is quite different from the North Indian or Pakistani version that I have shared below.
To make it in Kerala Style, heat 3 tablespoon coconut oil in a pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 15-20 curry leaves and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced ginger, and 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies and fry for 8-10 seconds.
Now add 1 cup chopped onions and fry until they turn transparent. Add ½ cup chopped tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, salt to taste and 1 teaspoon Kerala garam masala powder and cook for 2 minutes.
Add 400 g chicken mince and mix well. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked. Add ½ cup grated fresh coconut and mix well. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.
Variations
Keema Curry – You can add some water, milk, or coconut milk to the main recipe and make keema curry. Add some heavy cream to the ready curry for a richer version.
With Peas -Add some green peas to make Keema Matar.
With Chicken Liver – Add some chopped chicken liver and make Keema Kaleji.
You can also add greens like methi and palak while making keema masala.
Veggies like capsicum (shimla mirch) and potatoes (aloo) can also be added to keema curry.
Add some pav bhaji masala to make tawa keema.
You can also top it over pizza or mix some with spaghetti.
If looking for a vegetarian version, use soya granules in place of chicken mince to make soya keema masala.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken Keema Masala can be served with any Indian bread. Plain Roti, Tawa Paratha, Naan, Garlic Naan, Rumali Roti, or even Laccha Paratha goes well with it.
You can also serve it with Pav or Bread. Keema Pav is a very popular combination. Dal Rice and Keema is also a favorite combination of mine and believe me, is a very satisfying meal. Make sure to serve some onion slices and lemon wedges along with it for a delicious meal.
Storage Suggestions
Chicken Keema Curry stays good in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days. Store it in an airtight container.
You can freeze it for up to 2 months in freezer-safe containers or zip lock freezer bags.
To reheat, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and heat it on the pan or microwave. If the keema has dried out, then splash some water while reheating it.
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Recipe Card
Chicken Keema Masala Recipe (Indian Mince Chicken Curry)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 whole green cardamoms
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 2-3 clove
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup plain yogurt (dahi) (whisked)
- 5-6 green chilies (slit Into half)
- 2 tablespoons coarsely ground coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 pound chicken mince (500 g)
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- ½ cup chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons Kasuri methi
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- 2 inch piece of ginger (julienned)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil and ghee in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add green cardamoms, cinnamon, and cloves and saute for 3-4 seconds.
- Add onions and fry until they turn golden brown in color (6-8 minutes). Stir frequently while frying.
- Now add ginger garlic paste and fry until the onions turn dark brown in color (4-5 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Add tomatoes and yogurt and cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy. Keep mashing the tomatoes from the back of the ladle while cooking.
- Now add green chilies, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, black pepper powder, and cumin powder and cook until the oil separates from the sides of the pan (3-4 minutes). Stir continuously while frying.
- Add chicken mince and salt and mix well.
- Note – I buy chicken mince from a local butcher and hence rinse it in a fine-mesh strainer. If you are buying the packaged mince, there is no need to rinse it.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 18-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked well. Stir 2-3 times while cooking. You can add some water if the mince is getting dried.
- Finally, add mint leaves, Kasuri methi, green onions, ginger, lime juice, and garam masala and mix well.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!