Tandoori Chicken

Ainekset

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons minced or grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon garam masala

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

¼ cup juice from 2 limes, plus 1 lime, cut into wedges (for serving)

2 teaspoons table salt

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed and skin removed

Ohjeet

1. Heat the oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the garam masala, cumin, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of the garlic-spice mixture to a medium bowl, stir in the yogurt and 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining garlic-spice mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, and salt. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the skin side of each piece of chicken, making two or three shallow cuts about 1 inch apart and about ⅛ inch deep. Transfer the chicken to the bowl and gently rub with the salt-spice mixture until evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position (about 6 inches from the heating element) and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Set a wire rack over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan bottom.

4. Pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken and toss until the chicken is evenly coated with a thick layer. Arrange the chicken pieces, scored side down, on the prepared wire rack. Discard the excess yogurt mixture. Bake the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 125 degrees for breasts and 130 degrees for legs and thighs, 15 to 25 minutes. (Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces.) Transfer the chicken to a plate.

5. Turn the oven to broil and heat for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces scored side up and broil until lightly charred in spots and the thickest part of the breasts registers 165 degrees and the thickest part of the legs and thighs registers 175 degrees, 8 to 15 minutes.

6. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the lime wedges.

Muistiinpanot

We prefer this dish with whole-milk yogurt, but low-fat yogurt can be substituted. It is important to remove the chicken from the oven before switching to the broiler setting to allow the heating element to come up to temperature. Serve with Yogurt Sauce (this page), Onion Relish (this page), Cilantro-Mint Chutney (this page), and Rice Pilaf (this page).

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Traditional tandoors produce moist, smoky meat because the heat allows protein molecules on the meat’s surface to contract, trapping moisture. Juices and fat fall on the coals, creating smoky flavor. Trying to mimic the tandoor by cooking chicken in a very hot oven gave us disappointing results. Instead, we baked the chicken in a low-temperature oven until almost done, then quickly broiled it to char the exterior. To get flavor into the meat, we turned to a salt-spice rub made with garam masala, cumin, and chili powder bloomed in oil. We massaged the rub into chicken pieces to lock in juices and infuse flavor. Following a dunk in yogurt flavored with the same spice mix, the chicken was ready for the oven.