Recipe

Tandoori Chicken

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Serves: 12

The delicious mixture of spices for this tandoori chicken is worth keeping on hand all the time. Tandoor ovens in India go up to 800 degrees, but a similar effect can be achieved using a very hot oven.

Ingredients

Tandoori Chicken:

12 boneless, skinless chicken breast(s)
1/2 cup (125 mL) tandoori spice mixture, recipe follows
4 tbsp (60 mL) ginger, fresh, minced
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) lemon juice
3 cups (750 mL) plain yogurt, low-fat
3 tbsp (45 mL) honey
cooking oil spray

Spice mixture:

2 tsp (10 mL) peppercorns
4 tsp (20 mL) cumin seeds
1 tbsp (15 mL) coriander, whole seeds
16 cloves, whole
1 tbsp (15 mL) turmeric
4 tsp (20 mL) paprika
1 tsp (5 mL) cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) nutmeg
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt

Instructions

Tandoori Chicken

1 Spray 1 or 2 wire racks with low calorie nonstick spray and set on baking sheets.
2 Place spice mixture in a large mixing bowl.
3 Mix well and add ginger, garlic, lemon juice, yogurt and honey. Stir to combine throughly.
4 Remove all visible fat from chicken.
5 Cover with yogurt mixture and marinate in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
6 Allow to sit at room temperature for ½ hour before baking.
7 Remove chicken from marinade and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake in an oven preheated to 500°F (260°C).
8 Roast for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).

Spice mixture

1 Toast peppercorns, cumin, coriander and cloves in a dry skillet over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
2 Grind while still warm and combine with all other spices.
3 Spice mixture recipe can be doubled or tripled and stored for later use.