Grilled Tandoori-Style Chicken

Growing up with a severe peanut and tree nut allergy, there were very few foreign foods that I was able to experience safely. It wasn’t until I was an adult that allergies become well known and restaurants started preparing food safely. It was about seven years ago that I was first introduced to Indian food and since then it has become one of my favourites.

Seeing as there aren’t too many nut-free Indian restaurants near me, I’ve had to learn how to make dishes myself or at least variations of them. This Grilled Tandoori-Style Chicken is a great summer weeknight dinner that’s easy to marinate when you get home and then toss on the grill. You can prepare the chicken ahead of time and marinate it overnight too.

Traditional tandoori chicken is marinated in yogurt with a spice mixture to give it a fiery red colour, and then roasted in a tandoor oven. This recipe uses the same style of marinade, but it’s cooked on the grill. I served it up with a small side salad, naan (Indian flatbread) and buttery basmati rice…with lots of cilantro!

 

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large sealable plastic bag and knead to combine. Add chicken to bag and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes.

Heat grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from bag and place on hot grill. Discard marinade. Cook chicken on the grill 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly with a sharp knife.

Serve with your favourite Indian side dishes such as basmati and naan (Indian flatbread). For an extra touch, drizzle the chicken with fresh lime juice and grill the bread before serving. The leftovers are great in sandwiches too. Enjoy!