Tandoori Chicken

I am so excited to share this recipe! The coating on the chicken is incredible - a zesty blend of onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, coriander, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper - all in a tangy yogurt base. All the flavor and color... And check this out: everything gets blended in a food processor so prep and cleanup are a BREEZE! It's that simple, but WOWZA - the flavor explodes! I'm 100% sure this dish will be making the regular rotation in my house.

Wanna know how you get that classic tandoor char without the tandoor oven? The broiler! It's so easy - just broil the chicken about 5 inches from the heat source and it cooks through while toasting that incredible coating. As you bite in, you get moist chicken, tangy coating and a little crunch from the caramelization. One, two, three, awesome.

The best combo on earth - the tandoori chicken and the refreshing yogurt sauce served with it. The yogurt is spiked with paprika and cilantro so it partners perfectly with all the flavors going on in the chicken (there's paprika in the chicken coating too). The cilantro is, well, cilantro - a refreshing and bright addition to just about anything!

If you want to prep ahead, that totally works. As you can see below, you can marinate the chicken in the coating for up to 24 hours. That means, when you're ready to eat, you just broil and serve! Weeknight dinner done!

Tandoori Chicken

1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt, divided
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika, divided
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and ground black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 5 ounces each
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions for serving, optional

In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of the yogurt, vegetable oil, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the paprika, cayenne pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process until the mixture is well blended (it won’t be completely smooth). Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish. Pat the chicken dry and add it to the yogurt mixture. Turn to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 15 minutes (and up to 24 hours).
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Transfer the chicken to the prepared pan and broil, 5 inches from the heat source, for about 6 to 8 minutes per side, until slightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the center of the chicken reads 165 degrees.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon paprika and cilantro. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken with the yogurt sauce on the side. Top with green onions if desired.

Serves 4