Grilled tandoori chicken with an incredibly flavorful yogurt marinade bursting with Indian spices that can be cooked on the grill. Serve with naan bread or Indian basmati rice and Mango Chutney.
Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken thighs (boneless, skinless, left whole or cut into 1 ½ inch cubes for skewers) or chicken breasts (see notes)
For the marinade:
½ cup whole milk PLAIN yogurt
6 cloves garlic – finely minced ( or sub 1-½ tablespoon granulated garlic)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoon paprika (not smoked)
1-½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne, more for spicy (half a teaspoon is quite mild)
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground clove
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions:
- In a medium bowl whisk all marinade ingredients together until well combined (or use a blender) Add the chicken and let marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to 24-48 hours in the fridge. The longer, the better.
- If using wood skewers, soak wood skewers in water at least 30 minutes to prevent burning. The long, stainless steel ones are better for grilling.
- Pre-heat grill to med-high heat. Make sure the grate is cleaned and very well-greased.
- Sear the chicken, for 4-5 minutes or until good grill marks appear. Resist the urge to move them early, or too much or you will lose the lovely yogurt crust.
- Once the chicken has nice deep grill marks it will naturally release itself a little from the grill. Use a metal spatula to help preserve that golden yummy crust.
- Once both sides have grill marks, turn the grill down, or move to a cooler part of grill and cover – or alternatively, finish cooking in a 350° oven until meat is cooked through.
Serve with grilled naan bread or fluffy basmati rice, and this easy to prepare mango chutney.
Notes:
- For vegetarians — use the same marinade with tofu.
- If chicken breasts are used, they will require slightly less cooking time, so be mindful that your chicken doesn’t dry out.