My absolute favourite marinade for chicken, as a lover of deep flavours and spice this Indian spice inspired chicken marinade is on my menu at least once a week!
Easy to whip up, you can marinade in greek yogurt overnight for fantastic chicken curry marinade (I pair it with a butter chicken sauce) or you can throw it together minutes before you want to take it out to the bbq.
with smoked paprika to enhance the flavour of the cumin and coriander seed and turmeric to add a depth of flavour, with lot’s of salt and garlic this marinade is tasty made the day before or the day of cooking.
CHOOSE YOUR BASE
Add a base, either chickpea flour or greek yogurt, or both, I like to omit the yogurt if I am cooking on the bbq, as it leaves a mess on the grill.
I like to use chickpea flour over regular flour, as it doesn’t cake on your meat, the texture is silkier, and the flavour blends with the spice it’s slightly nutty, it’s lower in carbs and higher in protein and fibre.
You can buy chickpea flour at your local supermarket. It’s sometimes called gram flour or besan flour.
TOSS TOGETHER AND COOK OR MARINADE OVERNIGHT
Toss your chicken I (I usually marinade a kilo for my family of 7) through the greek yogurt and lemon juice. I use greek yogurt if I am marinading to cook inside, to sere either with salad or if I have a curry sauce on the stove, such as butter chicken or chicken korma.
I always have chickpea flour on hand and use it either alone or with greek yogurt, it adds a coating to the chicken that doesn’t go cakey or clumpy, the silky texture helps bind the spices to the meat.
BAKE, FRY OR BBQ
You can cook on the stovetop first in a cast iron pan, which I how I usually do it if I am not using yogurt, but today I had a butter chicken sauce simmering on the stove, so I opted to bake it for 40 minutes on 170 fan-forced.
Another option is to mix up this marinade and use it on my slow-cooked chicken in butter recipe! simple coat the chicken in the spices and place the butter on the top as usual.
Serve with rice, or salad or both is how I love to serve it in summer, in winter it’s with steamed rice and rich curry sauce!
Indian spice inspired chicken marinade
A great addition to the recipe book! this chicken marinade can be used for all occasions, make it as spicy as you like and use it as a dry rub or toss into Greek yogurt for a creamy take.
Ingredients
- 2 tbs ground cumin seed
- 2 tsp ground coriander seed
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbs smoked paprika
- the juice of half a lemon- or anything acidic to help break down the meat if marinading for longer periods (white vinegar, red wine vinegar 2 tbsp to replace half a lemon juice)
- 1 tsp of salt
- 4 tbsp chickpea flour-or regular flour
- a pinch or two of chilli flakes - optional
- 1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
- 100 grams of butter for cooking/ don't need to use if marinading in yogurt.
- 1/3 cup greek yogurt optional
- 1 to 1.5 kilos of chicken or one whole chicken
Instructions
- add all your spices to a bowl or jar and mix.
- Place your chicken of choice in a bowl or tray and spread the spice mix either on the chicken in into greek yogurt if you are using and coat the chicken.
- take time to coat all your chicken in the mix and sit for as long as you can, or overnight
- When you are ready cook in a preheated pan, with the butter on high heat, turning the chicken until it's brown all over
- have your oven preheated to 150 fan forced 160 conventional
- BAKE place your pan straight into the oven or remove your chicken from the pan if it's not oven safe and place it into a tray be sure to put all the juices and butter into the tray and bake for 50 minutes on 150
- after 50 minutes remove from oven and rest covered in a lid or foil for 10 minutes.
- Serve!
- for BBQ, you can mix the chicken in the spice mix and add 70 grams of melted butter or ghee to the chicken and spice mix (AFTER YOU HAVE RUBBED YOUR CHICKEN BUT BEFORE YOU COOK) before cooking on the grill of the bbq.
- Or you can use a cast iron pan or baking tray to cook the chicken in the bbq with the lid shut, (this is our favourite way to do it in summer) monitor the temperature, different cuts of meat will cook differently, thighs like a lower low heat 150-180, chicken breasts like a high for a shorter time 200-210. (15 minutes 7-8 minutes per side if full breasts, if breasts are halved lengthways, 4 minutes per side.- remove from heat and let the meat rest for 10 minutes)
- If you are baking or BBQing a whole chicken, rub the spice mix over the chicken and cook upside down. (breast side down on the tray or pan ) and cook for 80-90 minutes on 190 fan forced or 200 conventional.
Notes
Always allow your meat to rest after cooking with a covering, for at least 10 minutes.
A simple recipe this week, but a crowd favourite!
Happy eating!
The simple mamma
I just am making this recipe. I didn’t have smoked paprika but I ground up some black cardamom and wow my home smelled like heaven! When you grind it it changes it’s aroma! It’s baking happily now in the oven. It smells delightful! I made it with my home made yogurt. Which I had not strained but it sure made a nice sticky batter! I gave it a good 5 hrs. (I’m hungry). Also I used my Apple vinegar. .