Air fryer tandoori chicken
Yogurt and spice-marinated chicken that comes out of the air fryer charred at the edges and juicy inside, with a cool cucumber raita.
- 50 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.60 a serving
- 310 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, divided
- 1 lemon, half juiced, half cut into wedges
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1½ lb chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch chunks
- ½ cucumber
- ½ red onion, sliced into thin rings
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional)
- 2 naan, warmed (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1¼ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Each serving has about 310 calories, 46 g protein, 10 g carbs and 10 g fat, and costs about $2.60 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No plain Greek yogurt? Plain yogurt or sour cream works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
- No cucumbers? English cucumbers or mini cucumbers work.
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
½ cup of the yogurt with the lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon of salt and the oil in a large bowl.
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.
Cut the chicken into 2-inch chunks, them into the marinade, and wash your hands and board. Cover and it in the fridge for 20 minutes, or up to a day.
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
Dolly’s tip: Even 20 minutes makes a difference. Overnight makes it extra tender.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.
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
Shake the extra off the chicken and lay it in the basket in one layer.
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.
Cook 12 to 14 minutes, flipping halfway, until at the edges and the biggest piece reads 165°F.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
Timer: 13 min
Dolly’s tip: Those dark, blistered edges are the good part. It isn’t burnt.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.
While it cooks, the cucumber, squeeze it dry in a paper towel, and it into the rest of the yogurt with the last ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Grate. Grating means rubbing food across the holes of a grater to make fine shreds or flakes. It spreads cheese, garlic or ginger evenly through a dish so it melts right in.
How you’ll know: Even shreds fall off the back of the grater, and you stop while the piece is still big enough to hold.
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.
Serve the chicken with the onion rings, lemon wedges, raita, cilantro and warm naan.
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.
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