diff --git a/src/material/chips/chip-grid.spec.ts b/src/material/chips/chip-grid.spec.ts
index c78f3771818f..c6c177552da4 100644
--- a/src/material/chips/chip-grid.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material/chips/chip-grid.spec.ts
@@ -396,23 +396,23 @@ describe('MatChipGrid', () => {
 
           dispatchKeyboardEvent(firstNativeChip, 'keydown', TAB);
 
-          expect(chipGridInstance.tabIndex)
+          expect(chipGridNativeElement.tabIndex)
             .withContext('Expected tabIndex to be set to -1 temporarily.')
             .toBe(-1);
 
           flush();
 
-          expect(chipGridInstance.tabIndex)
+          expect(chipGridNativeElement.tabIndex)
             .withContext('Expected tabIndex to be reset back to 0')
             .toBe(0);
         }));
 
-        it(`should use user defined tabIndex`, fakeAsync(() => {
+        it('should use user defined tabIndex', fakeAsync(() => {
           chipGridInstance.tabIndex = 4;
           fixture.changeDetectorRef.markForCheck();
           fixture.detectChanges();
 
-          expect(chipGridInstance.tabIndex)
+          expect(chipGridNativeElement.tabIndex)
             .withContext('Expected tabIndex to be set to user defined value 4.')
             .toBe(4);
 
@@ -420,13 +420,13 @@ describe('MatChipGrid', () => {
           let firstNativeChip = nativeChips[0] as HTMLElement;
 
           dispatchKeyboardEvent(firstNativeChip, 'keydown', TAB);
-          expect(chipGridInstance.tabIndex)
+          expect(chipGridNativeElement.tabIndex)
             .withContext('Expected tabIndex to be set to -1 temporarily.')
             .toBe(-1);
 
           flush();
 
-          expect(chipGridInstance.tabIndex)
+          expect(chipGridNativeElement.tabIndex)
             .withContext('Expected tabIndex to be reset back to 4')
             .toBe(4);
         }));
diff --git a/src/material/chips/chip-listbox.spec.ts b/src/material/chips/chip-listbox.spec.ts
index 6a97e749de7b..b87a91e7a7b9 100644
--- a/src/material/chips/chip-listbox.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material/chips/chip-listbox.spec.ts
@@ -367,13 +367,13 @@ describe('MatChipListbox', () => {
         it('should allow focus to escape when tabbing away', fakeAsync(() => {
           dispatchKeyboardEvent(chipListboxNativeElement, 'keydown', TAB);
 
-          expect(chipListboxInstance.tabIndex)
+          expect(chipListboxNativeElement.tabIndex)
             .withContext('Expected tabIndex to be set to -1 temporarily.')
             .toBe(-1);
 
           flush();
 
-          expect(chipListboxInstance.tabIndex)
+          expect(chipListboxNativeElement.tabIndex)
             .withContext('Expected tabIndex to be reset back to 0')
             .toBe(0);
         }));
@@ -384,19 +384,19 @@ describe('MatChipListbox', () => {
 
           fixture.detectChanges();
 
-          expect(chipListboxInstance.tabIndex)
+          expect(chipListboxNativeElement.tabIndex)
             .withContext('Expected tabIndex to be set to user defined value 4.')
             .toBe(4);
 
           dispatchKeyboardEvent(chipListboxNativeElement, 'keydown', TAB);
 
-          expect(chipListboxInstance.tabIndex)
+          expect(chipListboxNativeElement.tabIndex)
             .withContext('Expected tabIndex to be set to -1 temporarily.')
             .toBe(-1);
 
           flush();
 
-          expect(chipListboxInstance.tabIndex)
+          expect(chipListboxNativeElement.tabIndex)
             .withContext('Expected tabIndex to be reset back to 4')
             .toBe(4);
         }));
diff --git a/src/material/chips/chip-set.ts b/src/material/chips/chip-set.ts
index cb3f233ba8cd..d31cd06bfd38 100644
--- a/src/material/chips/chip-set.ts
+++ b/src/material/chips/chip-set.ts
@@ -192,17 +192,17 @@ export class MatChipSet implements AfterViewInit, OnDestroy {
    * it back to the first chip, creating a focus trap, if it user tries to tab away.
    */
   protected _allowFocusEscape() {
-    if (this.tabIndex !== -1) {
-      const previousTabIndex = this.tabIndex;
-      this.tabIndex = -1;
-      this._changeDetectorRef.markForCheck();
+    const previous = this._elementRef.nativeElement.tabIndex;
+
+    if (previous !== -1) {
+      // Set the tabindex directly on the element, instead of going through
+      // the data binding, because we aren't guaranteed that change detection
+      // will run quickly enough to allow focus to escape.
+      this._elementRef.nativeElement.tabIndex = -1;
 
       // Note that this needs to be a `setTimeout`, because a `Promise.resolve`
       // doesn't allow enough time for the focus to escape.
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        this.tabIndex = previousTabIndex;
-        this._changeDetectorRef.markForCheck();
-      });
+      setTimeout(() => (this._elementRef.nativeElement.tabIndex = previous));
     }
   }