Easy Tandoori Chicken with homemade Tandoori Seasoning

I tried this chicken recipe from  Nom Nom Paleo last week and I honestly couldn't get enough of it. It is super flavourful, moist and so easy to make. It does require some time to marinade (at least 4 hours), so plan for that. Other than that it is super easy to throw together. In nom nom paleo's recipe, they used a store bought tandoori seasoning but I wanted to make my own, so I included that recipe in this post as well. Don't feel like you have to (store bought is fine), but the homemade seasoning turned out to be quite delicious. 

The recipe also calls for bone-in skin on chicken thighs, but I used boneless, skinless. It turned out great, I just had to watch the time a little closer. I paired it with some rice and a kale salad, and it was the perfect meal on a busy weeknight. 

For the tandoori seasoning

Ingredients :

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix together and store in an airtight container for future use. 

(You will only need 1 tablespoon of this for the chicken recipe.)

For the Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients :

4 lbs chicken thighs, bone in, skin on 

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 cup full fat Greek yogurt or full fat coconut milk (canned)

1 heaping tablespoon tandoori seasoning

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon coconut oil, or fat of choice

Directions : 

Grab your chicken thighs and trim off any excess fat. Place in a medium sized bowl and season with kosher salt evenly. 

In a separate bowl, combine yogurt and seasoning. Pour in the lemon juice and mix well to combine. Once the marinade is ready, scoop it over the chicken and work it into the poultry with your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator and let marinate for 4-8 hours. 

When you're ready to bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a wire rack on a lined baking sheet. Grease the rack with a paper towel dipped in melted coconut oil. Arrange the chicken on the rack skin side down. Bake for 40 minutes turning once, halfway through. 

The chicken is done when there are little charred bits all over and the juices run clear when stabbed with a skewer. 

Enjoy  - Alex