Grilled Tandoori Chicken with Indian-Style Rice
User Reviews
5
48 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
16 hrs
-
Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
16 hrs 45 mins
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Servings
8
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Calories
279 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Grilled Tandoori Chicken with Indian-Style Rice
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This recipe features chicken leg quarters marinated in a complex blend of Indian spices, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and ginger, then grilled to maintain crispy skin and juicy interiors. The accompanying Indian-style rice is seasoned with aromatic spices, cloves, and peas, creating a flavorful plate reminiscent of classic tandoori preparations.
Description
Grilled Tandoori Chicken with Indian-Style Rice begins with marinating chicken leg quarters in a spicy yogurt-based mixture containing paprika, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and more. The marination penetrates the meat deeply after at least 12 hours, enhancing flavor and tenderness. The chicken skin is left intact for crispiness on the grill, requiring attentive cooking to prevent flare-ups.
The rice is prepared separately using basmati rice cooked with cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, salt, and peas. This imparts a fragrant, mildly spiced profile complementing the bold chicken. Together, the dish balances intense spices in the chicken with the subtly spiced, fluffy rice.
Serve the grilled chicken alongside the Indian-style rice with fresh cucumber, red onion slices, and herb garnish such as cilantro. This combination makes for a satisfying main course that offers both texture variety and aromatic depth.
Note that the chicken should be brought to room temperature before grilling for even cooking. The recipe includes nutritional information specific to the chicken component, and the rice portion provides about 320 calories per serving.
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Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 3 ounces yogurt 85g, plain, Greek
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons ginger grated, fresh
- 2 teaspoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 2½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground red pepper you can use cayenne or even Korean red chili powder in a pinch, Indian
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds or coriander powder, ground
- 1 tablespoon cumin seed or powder, freshly ground
- ¾ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cloves ground
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons garam masala
For the rest of the dish:
- 6 chicken leg quarters (cut into drumsticks and thighs)
- 1 cucumber (sliced)
- 1 red onion sliced, medium
- cilantro you can also use parsley, for garnish
For the Indian-style rice, or "jeera" rice:
- 3 cups basmati rice 585g, dry
- 3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil or butter or ghee, generic cooking oil
- 3 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 6 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1 cup peas frozen
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
- This recipe provides nutrition info only for the chicken portion; rice servings contribute about 320 calories each.
- Marinate the chicken between 12 to 48 hours for optimal flavor infusion.
- Remove chicken from refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before grilling to ensure even cooking temperature.
- Skin-on chicken will require careful grilling to avoid flare-ups; frequent turning helps achieve crispy skin safely.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
279kcal
(14%)
Carbohydrates
6g
(2%)
Protein
20g
(40%)
Fat
20g
(31%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Cholesterol
107mg
(36%)
Sodium
827mg
(34%)
Potassium
378mg
(8%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
700IU
(14%)
Vitamin C
4.4mg
(5%)
Calcium
48mg
(5%)
Iron
1.8mg
(10%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 279 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 279kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 20g | 40% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 107mg | 36% |
| Sodium | 827mg | 34% |
| Potassium | 378mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 700IU | 14% |
| Vitamin C | 4.4mg | 5% |
| Calcium | 48mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1.8mg | 10% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
48 reviews
Excellent
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