Alright, so I decided to give tandoori chicken a shot the other day. I’ve always loved it when eating out, but figured it might be complicated. Found a recipe that claimed to be ‘quick and easy’, so thought, why not? Let me walk you through how I did it.
Getting Started – The Prep
First things first, I grabbed some chicken. I went with boneless, skinless thighs because they cook relatively quickly and stay juicy. I think I had about a pound and a half, maybe a bit more. Cut them into slightly larger than bite-size pieces. Nothing too precise, just chopped them up.
Then came the marinade. This is the key part, right? I got a bowl and started tossing things in:
- A good dollop of plain yogurt, maybe about a cup. Full fat seemed like the way to go.
- Minced garlic and ginger. I used the stuff from a jar to save time, probably a tablespoon of each. Fresh is probably better, but hey, we’re going for quick!
- Lemon juice, squeezed from half a lemon.
- The star: Tandoori masala powder. I was generous here, maybe 2-3 tablespoons. Gotta get that flavour.
- A bit of paprika for color, maybe a teaspoon.
- Salt, to taste of course.
I gave that all a really good mix until it looked like a vibrant reddish-orange paste. It smelled pretty good already.
Marinating Time (The Quick Version)
Dumped the chicken pieces into the bowl with the marinade. Used my hands (clean ones, obviously!) to get in there and make sure every piece was nicely coated. The recipe said marinate for hours or overnight for best results, but I was hungry and aiming for ‘quick’. So, I covered the bowl and stuck it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Figured it was better than nothing.
Cooking the Chicken
I decided to bake it. Seemed easiest. Preheated my oven to around 400 degrees Fahrenheit (about 200 Celsius). Lined a baking sheet with foil – less cleanup is always a win. Spread the marinated chicken pieces out on the foil in a single layer. Didn’t want them crowding each other too much.
Slid the baking sheet into the hot oven. Now, the waiting game. The kitchen started smelling amazing pretty fast. That smoky, spicy tandoori smell is just fantastic.
I let it bake for about 20-25 minutes. Around the 15-minute mark, I flipped the pieces over to get them browned on both sides. I checked a larger piece by cutting into it to make sure it was cooked through – no pink inside.
The Final Result
Pulled the baking sheet out. The chicken looked great! It had those nice charred bits on the edges, the color was fantastic, and it smelled incredible. I let it rest for a couple of minutes.
So, how was it? Honestly, pretty darn good! For a quick job, the flavour was definitely there. The chicken was tender and juicy. Was it exactly like the restaurant stuff cooked in a proper tandoor oven? Maybe not quite that smoky depth, but it was surprisingly close and seriously tasty.
It was definitely quick to put together, maybe 15 minutes of prep plus the short marinating time and baking. And it was super easy – mostly mixing and baking. Served it up with some leftover rice and a quick cucumber salad. A success, I’d say. I’ll definitely be making this again when I need a fast, flavorful meal.
