Best Tandoori Chicken Thighs With Pickled Vegetable Rice Recipes

GRILLED TANDOORI CHICKEN WITH INDIAN-STYLE RICE

Grilled Tandoori Chicken with Indian-Style Rice image

Tandoori Chicken is a popular Indian dish but many versions are bland and dry. Our grilled Tandoori chicken recipe comes out juicy and exploding with flavor!

Provided by Bill

Time 16h45m

Number Of Ingredients 25

Ingredients

3 ounces plain Greek yogurt ((85g))
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons garlic ((minced))
2 tablespoons fresh ginger ((grated))
2 teaspoons oil
2½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground Indian red pepper ((you can use cayenne or even Korean red chili powder in a pinch))
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds ((or coriander powder))
1 tablespoon freshly ground cumin seed ((or powder))
¾ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1½ teaspoons garam masala
6 chicken leg quarters ((cut into drumsticks and thighs))
1 cucumber ((sliced))
1 medium red onion ((sliced))
Cilantro for garnish ((you can also use parsley))
3 cups dry basmati rice ((585g))
3 tablespoons oil ((or butter or ghee))
3 teaspoons cumin seeds
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons salt ((or to taste))
1 cup frozen peas

Steps:

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
Use a sharp knife to cut slits into the chicken pieces; this will allow the marinade to really get into the chicken. 3 slits per drumstick and 4 to 5 per thigh should do the trick.
Usually, Tandoori Chicken calls for the skin to be removed, but I left it on because you want that crispy chicken skin (obviously). You can decide for yourself, but be aware that skin-on chicken is more prone to flare-ups when grilling. You'll have to watch the chicken more closely while it's on the grill and flip the pieces more often to avoid hot spots--all reasonable trade-offs for some extra flavor!
Place the chicken in a large dish. Spread the marinade all over the chicken and let marinate at least 12 hours, but not more than 2 days. We marinated our chicken for 16 hours, and even more marinating time wouldn't have hurt!
Be sure to take the chicken out of the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours prior to grilling, so the chicken can come to room temperature--kind of like how you never want to grill a cold steak. This is an important step since there will be marinade on the chicken, and it will burn if the chicken is left too long on the grill because its internal temperature is too low.
This is a good time to make your Indian-style jeera rice. We've measured out enough rice here to take down all of the chicken, but feel free to make more or less. Wash the rice thoroughly and drain into your cooking vessel. Cover with water and allow to soak for 20 minutes.
While that's happening, heat your oil/butter/ghee in a saucepan. When it's melted, add the cumin seeds, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Let the spices infuse the oil for 2-3 minutes. After the rice has finished soaking, drain it thoroughly and add it to the spice mixture. Sauté the rice in the pan for about 2 minutes, and transfer to a rice cooker. Add the salt and water (according to your rice cooker directions), and press Start. If you're not using a rice cooker, use our directions for perfect stovetop rice.
Now it's time to cook the chicken. Start your grill, and keep it covered until it reaches 500 degrees.
Shake off the excess marinade before placing the chicken on the hot grill. Cook with the grill covered, but stay close to watch for excess smoke, a sure indicator that your chicken is charring!
Turn the chicken as often as needed to prevent burning and keep the grill cover on so the chicken cooks through quickly. Our chicken took about 45 minutes, and we did have to turn and move the chicken pieces often.
The chicken is done when the juices run clear when poked or, better yet, use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature near the bone. The optimal temperature for chicken is 165 degrees F.
For the rice, during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time, add the frozen peas and stir thoroughly. Let the rice reheat. Serve the chicken with the rice, sliced fresh cucumbers, sliced red onion, and cilantro.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 279 kcal, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 20 g, Fat 20 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Cholesterol 107 mg, Sodium 827 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 2 g, ServingSize 1 serving

CHEF JOHN'S TANDOORI CHICKEN

Chef John's Tandoori Chicken image

Tandoori chicken gets its name from the clay oven it is traditionally cooked in, the tandoor. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and an incredibly complex mix of spices, and then roasted in the extremely hot tandoor oven. Don't worry if you don't have a tandoor clay oven sitting in the backyard; a grill will work just fine.

Provided by Chef John

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian Indian

Time 2h20m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

½ lime, juiced
1 ½ tablespoons plain yogurt
1 ½ tablespoons tandoori masala powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Steps:

Whisk lime juice, yogurt, tandoori powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour mixture into a resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
Remove chicken from the bag and transfer to a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Pat chicken pieces dry with more paper towels.
Grill chicken on the preheated grill with the lid open for 2 minutes. Close lid and continue to grill chicken for 6 minutes.
Turn chicken, close lid and grill until well-browned and meat is no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).

Nutrition Facts : Calories 214.9 calories, Carbohydrate 1.9 g, Cholesterol 93.6 mg, Fat 11.1 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 25.8 g, SaturatedFat 3.1 g, Sodium 93.4 mg, Sugar 0.4 g

TANDOORI CHICKEN THIGHS

Tandoori Chicken Thighs image

Provided by Sandra Lee

Categories main-dish

Time 2h50m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic

Steps:

Rinse and pat dry chicken thighs.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Add thighs and make sure they are coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 to 3 hours, preferably overnight.
Set up grill for indirect cooking over medium-high heat. Oil grate when ready to start cooking. Remove chicken from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Cook 40 to 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F. Check for doneness by cutting into thigh to make sure there is no redness near bone.
NOTE INDOOR GRILLING: Prepare chicken as directed. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roast in preheated oven on foil lined baking sheet for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F.