Beef vs Chicken Seekh Kabobs: Which Should You Buy?

Beef or chicken seekh kabobs: which should you buy?

Buy beef if you want a rich, deeply spiced kabob that stands up to naan and a strong chutney, and chicken if you want something lighter and milder that children and first-time kabob eaters tend to reach for. Most households in Southern California, from Artesia to Irvine, end up keeping one pack of each in the freezer. Both are 100% Zabiha halal, hand-formed and grilled in the same kitchen.

RNK Foods is the frozen-food line of the family behind the Ribs 'n' Kabobs restaurant at 18925 Norwalk Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701. We sell two seekh kabobs online, Beef Seekh Kabobs and Chicken Seekh Kabobs, each in a 1 lb pack. The recipes are the family's own, in use since 1999, and the kabobs are hand-mixed, hand-formed, grilled and then frozen so you can heat them at home in minutes. Here is how the two compare, side by side.

How do beef and chicken seekh kabobs compare?

	Beef Seekh Kabob	Chicken Seekh Kabob
Meat	100% Zabiha halal ground beef	100% Zabiha halal ground chicken
Flavor	Rich, bold, smoky	Lighter, fresh herbs, aromatic spices
Texture	Firmer bite, juicy	Softer, tender
Spice level	Fuller, more warming	Milder
Pan time from frozen	4 to 5 minutes on medium	4 to 6 minutes on medium
Other methods	Microwave 2 to 3 minutes	Oven 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes
Pack size	1 lb	1 lb

What does the beef seekh kabob taste like?

The beef kabob is the one most people picture when they hear "seekh kabob". The ground beef is hand-mixed with fresh herbs, onions, garlic, ginger and the family's blend of traditional spices, formed by hand and grilled for a rich, smoky flavor. The result is tender and juicy with a firmer bite than chicken, and a taste that carries through naan, rice and a heavy mint chutney without getting lost.

It is the pack to buy when:

• You are feeding people who grew up eating kabobs and want the classic.
• The kabobs will be the center of the meal rather than a side.
• You are making kabob wraps with a lot of other flavors in them.
• You want leftovers that still taste strong the next day in a lunch box.

How do you cook the beef kabobs?

Straight from frozen. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, or for grill flavor heat a non-stick pan with a teaspoon of oil or butter over medium heat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning frequently. You can also thaw the pack in the refrigerator first and warm it a little less. Keep it frozen until you need it.

What does the chicken seekh kabob taste like?

The chicken kabob is lighter in every sense. Ground halal chicken is blended with fresh herbs and a traditional mix of aromatic spices, hand-formed and grilled for a juicy, smoky flavor. The spice is there but it does not shout, so the herbs come through more clearly. The texture is softer and more tender, which is why it works so well sliced into salads, rice bowls and tacos.

It is the pack to buy when:

• You are cooking for children or guests who prefer milder food.
• You want a lighter dinner, or you eat kabobs several times a week.
• The kabobs are going into a rice bowl, a salad or a pita with yogurt.
• You are introducing someone to Pakistani grill food for the first time.

How do you cook the chicken kabobs?

Pan sear on medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes with a light brush of butter or oil, or oven bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes on a baking tray. Either way they are ready in under 10 minutes. Keep the pack frozen and use it within 6 months of purchase for the best quality. Because it is poultry, heat until steaming hot in the center. The USDA's general guideline for poultry is 165°F.

Which one is better for a party?

Both, honestly. When a table has biryani, curry and salad on it as well, the kabobs are one dish among several, and a mix of the two keeps everyone happy. A simple rule of thumb for a crowd of mostly adults is two packs of beef for every one pack of chicken. Move closer to equal when there are many children, or guests who prefer milder food. For a gathering in Cerritos or Irvine where you are not sure who is coming, equal packs of each is the safe choice.

A 1 lb pack is a sensible portion for a family dinner of three or four with naan, rice and sides. For larger numbers, our party planning guide works out packs from guest counts, and for 50 or more guests the catering packages take over from frozen packs.

Should you buy both?

Yes, if you have the freezer space. Keeping one pack of each means you can match the kabob to the meal: beef for a Friday night spread with naan and chutney, chicken for a Tuesday rice bowl. Both go from freezer to table in under ten minutes, and both are made from scratch in the same kitchen, verified by HFSAA, with no pork and no alcohol on site. Our step-by-step guide on how to cook frozen seekh kabobs covers the pan, oven and microwave for both.

Which one keeps better?

Both keep the same way: frozen, sealed, used within 6 months of purchase for the best quality. Neither needs thawing. If you cook one pack at a time and seal the other straight back into the freezer, there is no difference in how they hold up.

Where can you buy them in Southern California?

Both kabobs are on the RNK Foods menu. We ship in insulated packaging to California addresses with ZIP codes starting 900 to 935, covering Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial and Ventura counties, with free shipping above the threshold on the shipping policy page. You can also collect your order at the Ribs 'n' Kabobs restaurant in Artesia, a short drive from Cerritos, Long Beach and the rest of Los Angeles County, where the same kabobs come off the lava rock grill for the restaurant menu.