Life With Kids Series: Easy Bake Tandoori Chicken

Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken

The first of our "Life with Kids" series is a delicious recipe. Tandoori chicken is a staple in our house because it's super easy. The great thing about this recipe is the marinade itself, you can't really go wrong in your measurements because the yogurt dilutes everything. In fact, I eyeball everything (except the lemon juice which must be measured) and it always tastes great.

Tandoori Chicken Ingredients

Red food coloring is completely optional and not something I ever did before my daughter's "Pink phase" (Can somebody tell me how long this phase lasts)?  Nowadays, pink chicken is a bonus for our little self proclaimed princess. She calls it, "bacon chicken" and who am I to argue?

Tandoori Chicken Marinated
and Ready to Go!

We are currently loving the oven grill method of cooking. I can throw something in the oven, nurse my son, and be done before the kitchen timer beeps. The yogurt marinade helps keep the chicken from getting dry. I recommend using chicken thighs over breast because it's way more succulent. Also, since it's baked, it's super healthy.

Tandoori Chicken from the Oven

Baked Tandoori Chicken
1 Tub of yogurt (650g)
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds (or 1 tsp ground coriander)
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds (or 1 tsp ground cumin)
1 tsp turmeric *
1 tsp cayenne pepper *
1 tbsp tandoori masala *
1 cup fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 ml Red food coloring *
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 fresh lemon
12 boneless chicken thighs

* Optional Ingredients
Note:  We use either Dunya Tandoori Masala or Arvinda's Tandoori Masala. This and other spices can be found at your local grocery store or in the case of my friends, your local Indian friend.

1. Using a mortar and pestle, loosely grind coriander and cumin seeds
2. Using a cheese grater, grate ginger
3. Combine coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, tandoori masala, ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, lemon juice, red food coloring, and yogurt
4. Wash and pat dry chicken, open the thighs up and put into marinade.
5. Marinade in refrigerator for at least 2 hours but overnight is best.
6. Preheat oven to 400 F
7. Place a grill rack (I pulled the one from my toaster oven) over an aluminum foiled lined baking sheet. Place chicken on the rack.
8. Bake the chicken on each side for 30 minutes each side.
9. Put some melted butter over the tops of each chicken and broil chicken on high for 2 minutes
10. Before serving, squeeze fresh lemon over each chicken. Garnish with cilantro.

Please let us know how it goes!