Tandoori Chicken

 

This is one of my favorite Indian dishes, it is so flavorful!! The spices give this a unique flavor like no other. You can make this mild to extra spicy by increasing the amount of black pepper in the marinade. I like mine on the medium heat scale and use 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Adjust the salt according to how long you plan on marinating the meat; the longer you plan on marinating the chicken, the less salt you will need. If you plan on marinating for up to 4 hours, use 2 teaspoons, if you plan on marinating overnight or all day, use 1 teaspoon. The ingredient list may make the recipe seem labor intensive, but it actually comes together without much effort.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 pound bone in, skin on chicken pieces (I use 2 whole thighs with drumsticks attached pieces)

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 inch piece ginger root, grated

2 large cloves garlic, processed through a garlic press

2 tablespoons avocado oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (Don’t use the store bought lemon juice)

1 tablespoon dried fenugreek

2 teaspoons coriander powder

2 teaspoons salt free garam masala

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons black pepper (depending how spicy you like it)

1 to 2 teaspoons Himalayan salt (depends on how long you plan to marinate, see recipe intro)

1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

 

 DIRECTIONS

Place the chicken pieces, skin side up, on a cutting board and make 3 to 4 gashes through the flesh of the chicken; set aside.

Mix all the ingredients together, except for chicken pieces in a large re-sealable plastic bag and swish together to blend the ingredients.

Once marinade ingredients are well blended add the prepared chicken pieces to the marinade and swish together, making sure all pieces are well coated and the marinade is rubbed into the gashes.

Marinate for 4 hours or overnight. The longer you plan on marinating the chicken, the less salt you will need. If you plan on marinating for 4 hours, use the full 2 teaspoons. If you plan on marinating overnight or all day, use 1 teaspoon.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove chicken from marinade and place on a rimmed, parchment paper lined baking sheet, skin side down.

Cook for 20 minutes and turn the pieces over, cook for another 20 to 25 minutes or until thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This will depend on how thick your pieces are and the type of oven you are using. If you do not have a thermometer, check the thickest piece of chicken by pulling the meat away from the bone with a fork and make sure there is no pink inside.

Serve with a side of basmati or jasmine rice or with Naan bread.

Enjoy!

 *Please keep in mind that not all dried herbs and spices are gluten free so check the labels to make sure the brand you are using is gluten free. The same applies for prepackaged store-bought items, check the labels to be sure. If in doubt, call the toll free number on packaging to be safe and to make your cooking/eating experience truly gluten free