Tandoori chicken…Mmm…absolutely delicious. Super tasty, flavorful chicken, brightly colored and always satisfying. Tandoori Chicken is one of the most popular chicken appetizers across the globe. Tandoori chicken has definitely been a dish that has been with me since my childhood. Still remember my dad bringing home tandoori chicken from his restaurant and I couldn’t wait to tuck in. Tandoori chicken originates from India, it is a chicken dish which is prepared by marinating chicken pieces in spices and yogurt and cooked in a clay oven.

Even without having a clay oven you can make this easy dish at home in an oven or even on a grill. The taste is still phenomenal and can be made very easily with just a few simple steps. Here in my recipe I will be sharing tandoori chicken bites recipe. This chicken will be cooked in the oven. In this recipe chicken breast pieces are used, bite size pieces that cook very easily and quickly. You can have these tandoori chicken bites for the perfect appetizer with dipping sauces or even as a side to rice and naan bread. They are packed full of flavor and can be prepared in minimal time with a cook time of less than 30 minutes in the oven.

Super tasty and easy tandoori chicken bites are perfect for lunch or dinner appetizers and make the perfect dish when having guests over. They can be marinated overnight and cooked easily on the day of serving.

Ingredients needed to cook easy tandoori chicken bites

Chicken breast pieces, in this recipe I will be using 1 pound of chicken breast cut into roughly 1 and a half inch size.

Spices which include turmeric, chili, coriander, cumin, garam masala, black pepper. As well as using these spices I will be using 2 tablespoons of Shan tandoori masala. This can be easily found in Indian grocery stores.

Mint sauce for that extra flavor.

Lemon juice and yogurt which help to tenderize the chicken, breaking down the meat and allowing flavors to infuse.

Cooking oil added to the marinated chicken once everything is mixed in. This helps to add more flavor and will aid in cooking the chicken breasts without drying them out too much.

Marinating the chicken

Once all the ingredients are mixed in with the chicken everything is mixed in very well and the chicken is marinated for 25-30 minutes. This will help the spices and flavors to infuse into the chicken. You can also marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge this will of course give you a lot more flavor and save you time if you want to prepare this ahead of time.

Cooking the chicken

Thread the chicken evenly onto skewers, you can use metal skewers or wooden skewers, just make sure to soak the wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes to avoid burning. There are a few ways to cook this chicken and it all depends on preference. When the weather is good then I like to barbecue the chicken outside. Otherwise I will put them in the oven and cook them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes turning half way at 13-15 minutes. At this point you can also baste the chicken with some melted butter, using a brush to brush the butter over the chicken. Chicken breast don’t take too long to cook so will cook fairly quickly. You can also finish them off under the grill or broiler for a few minutes too. The chicken is perfectly cooked and ready to eat after resting for a few minutes.

Best to be eaten right away.

Easy Tandoori Chicken Bites

Recipe by Shema Course: AppetizersCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

3-4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Tandoori Chicken Bites Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound/450 grams chicken breast pieces cut into bite size pieces 1 and half inch size
  

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
  

• 1/2 Turmeric of powder
  

• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
  

• 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
  

• 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
  

• 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
  

• 2 teaspoons of Shan tandoori masala
  

• 1 tablespoon of mint sauce
  

• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
  

• 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt
  

• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
  

• 2 tablespoons of melted butter to baste the chicken

Directions

• Prepare chicken breast by cutting it into roughly 1 and a half inch size pieces
• Prepare marinade by mixing all the ingredients with chicken
• Mix everything in well by coating all the chicken pieces
• Marinate chicken pieces for 25-30 minutes or overnight
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
• Insert chicken pieces into skewers (look at picture above)
• Place the chicken onto a baking tray/sheet pan, single layer
• Bake the chicken for 13-15 minutes, open oven and baste with melted butter and turn over
• Bake for another 13-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked
• Brush with melted butter and rest the tandoori chicken bites for a few minutes just before serving
• Serve nice and warm
• Enjoy with salad, dipping sauces, pilau rice or naan bread.

Notes

• Best to be eaten right away.

Check out more chicken recipes here Chicken Curry, One pot Chicken Biryani