Tandoori Inspired Oven Chicken Skewers Food

TANDOORI-INSPIRED OVEN CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• Combine yogurt, garam masala, lemon juice, lemon zest, grated ginger, and curry powder in a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag.
• Slice each chicken thigh lengthwise into 3 or 4 slices, add to the bag with the marinade, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and move an oven rack to the center of the oven. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
• Thread chicken thigh pieces onto six 15-inch metal skewers and place crossways across the prepared sheet pan, resting the ends of the skewers on the raised edges of the pan.
• Bake skewers in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Broil chicken skewers for 3 minutes until meat is lightly charred, watching closely.

TANDOORI CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• Combine yogurt, red onion, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric in a bowl. Place chicken breasts into yogurt mixture and flip to coat; cover bowl with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C). Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.
• Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and thread onto skewers. Discard used marinade. Lay skewered chicken into baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is browned with a few blackened spots and the juices run clear, about 20 minutes. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest piece should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). [See Note for grilling instructions.]

TANDOORI CHICKEN KABOBS

Steps:

• Pull the skin off the chicken pieces, remove all visible fat, and discard. Prick the chicken all over with a fork and make diagonal slashes, 1/2 inch deep and one inch apart, on the meat. Mix together the lemon juice, food coloring, if using, cumin, Garam Masala, red pepper, and salt and brush over the chicken, pushing the marinade into the slits. Combine the yogurt, ginger, and garlic and pour over the chicken. Mix, turning several times, to coat the chicken pieces evenly with the marinade. Cover and marinate at room temperature for one hour or refrigerate for 8 hours or up to 2 days. If the chicken has been refrigerated, bring to room temperature before cooking. If placing on skewers, slide meat down metal skewers prior to grilling. If grilling, heat the grill and place the grill rack at least 5 inches from the heat. If roasting, place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinade and coat generously with usli ghee. To grill, place meat side down, on the grill rack. To roast, place the chicken, meat side down, on a wire rack set over a jelly-roll pan. Grill or roast the chicken, turning 3 or 4 times during cooking, until the juices run clear, about 35 minutes. Brush the chicken with the remaining usli ghee and transfer to a platter. Surround the chicken with slices of onion, tomato, and cucumber and serve. The tandoori marinade is traditionally colored bright orange using natural food coloring. This is purely for visual effect. You can omit the color if you prefer.

RESTAURANT-STYLE TANDOORI CHICKEN IN THE OVEN!

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt and lemon juice. Add the spices, minced garlic, and chili paste, and whisk until you have a smooth, thick marinade.
• Put 6 pieces of the chicken in each of two zip-lock bags, and add 1/2 the marinade to each bag. Zip closed and knead the bags until the chicken is well-coated with marinade. Open bags slightly, squeeze out most of the air, and zip closed again. Refrigerate 12-24 hours. If serving this for dinner, I usually make the marinade and start the chicken soaking the evening before.
• Turn the bags and knead the marinating chicken once or twice while it's in the refrigerator.
• When you are ready to cook, take the chicken out of the refrigerator, line a large roasting pan with foil, lay a rack over the pan so air can circulate under the roasting chicken, and pre-heat your oven to 425. If you have a convection bake or convection roast cycle, use that.
• Place the chicken pieces on the rack so they are not touching. Empty what is left of the marinade into a bowl or measuring cup and touch up any "empty" spots on the chicken pieces with the marinade.
• Once the oven is hot, put the pan with the chicken in the oven, and leave the door closed (no peeking!). Turn the chicken pieces once after 30 minutes of cooking time, then roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly charred on the second side, but no more than 15 minutes for legs and thighs. If you are cooking breasts, poke one with a skewer to make sure the juices run clear.
• NOW TURN THE OVEN OFF, and let the chicken rest in the closed oven for 20-30 minutes more (not critical, but NO PEEKING!).
• Remove the chicken to a warm platter, garnish with the onion rings and a few squeezes of lemon, and enjoy!
• See if you don't agree this is as good as any "authentic" Tandoori chicken you've ever tried!

TANDOORI CHICKEN SATAY APPETIZERS (MADE EASY)

Steps:

• PLACE chicken tenderloins using tongs into a large Ziploc bag or a wide shallow dish for marinating. (NOTES: If thawing, thaw naturally and NOT by microwave oven. You may use whole boneless chicken breasts cut into chunks if kebab-style skewers are desired).
• PLACE chicken pieces into a large Ziploc freezer bag for marinating.
• SQUEEZE the bag to roll and coat chicken thoroughly in marinade; PLACE bag into refrigerator to marinate 3-5 hours to overnight if desired for fuller flavor and more tender chicken (recommended but not absolutely necessary); SOAK required wooden skewers in water until needed.
• SHAKE away excess marinade from chicken; BRUSH chicken on all sides with vegetable oil or light olive oil.
• PLACE oven rack within 6 inches of heat element; SET heat to HIGH setting.
• SKEWER chicken lengthwise with water-soaked skewers up to 3/4 of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so it has a "handle"; BRUSH chicken across tops with vegetable or olive oil BASTE; TURN chicken skewers over; BASTE the other side.
• SPRAY the grill of a broiler pan with grill with non-stick cooking spray; PLACE chicken with skewer handles extending over broiler pan for easy handling when broiling, SLIDE broiler pan onto oven rack.
• BROIL chicken until the edges begin to char slightly (keep a close eye on chicken since it cooks very quickly) TURN chicken within five minutes until lightly charred on edges but not overcooked; REMOVE from oven immediately, wearing oven mitts.
• ARRANGE satays in a splay, with skewer handles facing outward, on a serving platter lined with fresh kale leaves; ACCOMPANY chicken satays with a sauce of plain yogurt blended with coriander-mint chutney (or yogurt with tempered creamy peanut butter and chili-garlic sauce) and/or lime wedges if desired.
• SERVE and ENJOY!

GRILLED TANDOORI CHICKEN KABOBS

Steps:

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 10 ingredients. Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight., Drain and discard marinade. Thread chicken onto six metal or soaked wooden skewers. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack., Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear, turning occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro; garnish with lemon wedges.