Dollop
Air fryer chicken 65
South India’s fiery, crimson bites of yogurt-marinated chicken, crisped in the air fryer and tossed with sizzling garlic and chile.
- 60 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 2
- About $3.15 a serving
- 790 calories
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 1 lemon, half juiced, half cut into wedges
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, 2 grated, 2 thinly sliced
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 jalapeño, slit lengthwise
- ½ red onion, cut into rings (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1½ cups water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
Each serving has about 790 calories, 55 g protein, 86 g carbs and 24 g fat, and costs about $3.15 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No plain Greek yogurt? Plain yogurt or sour cream works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No basmati rice? Jasmine rice or long-grain white rice works.
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, grated garlic, paprika, cayenne, garam masala, turmeric and ½ teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Add the chicken, cover, and it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Marinate. Marinating means letting food sit in a flavorful liquid, called a marinade, before you cook it. Always marinate in the fridge, and never reuse marinade from raw meat unless you boil it first.
How you’ll know: The food is coated all over, sealed in a bag or covered dish, and chilling in the fridge.
Timer: 20 min
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Meanwhile, the rice, put it in a small with the water and remaining salt, and bring it over high heat.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
once, cover, turn the heat to low and cook 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and keep the lid on.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Timer: 5 min
Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken and until no dry powder is left.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
the chicken with 1 tablespoon of oil, lay it in the basket in one layer, and cook 7 minutes.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Timer: 7 min
Shake the basket and cook 5 to 7 minutes more, until the edges are and dark red and the biggest piece reads 165°F.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 6 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Heat the last tablespoon of oil in a large over medium, add the garlic and jalapeño, and sizzle 1 minute, until the garlic is pale gold.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Medium heatTimer: 1 min
Tip in the chicken and for 30 seconds. Serve with the rice, lemon wedges and onion rings.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Medium heat
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
More dinners like this
Chilli chicken (Indo-Chinese)
45 min
Air fryer chicken karaage
55 min
Air fryer chicken nanban
50 min
Chicken inasal
65 min
High-protein dinners ›Air fryer chicken thigh recipes ›What to make with chicken and rice ›