Indian Spiced Chicken with Raita Sauce
- Total Time: 6 hours 30 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A cool cucumber yogurt sauce offsets the heat from the spice-filled marinade in this great grilling recipe.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 cup (240 ml) Greek yogurt or plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast
Raita
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) chopped seeded cucumber
- 1 cup (240 ml) plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh mint
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fesh cilantro
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- To prepare the marinade, combine first 10 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Pour into a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; turn to coat. Marinate chicken in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- To prepare the raita, combine 1 cup yogurt and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a small bowl; cover and refrigerate.
- Remove chicken from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Prepare the grill for indirect grilling. If using a gas grill, heat one side to medium-high and leave one side with no heat. If using a charcoal grill, arrange hot coals on either side of charcoal grate, leaving an empty space in the middle.
- Remove the chicken from marinade, and discard the remaining marinade. Place the chicken on unheated part of grill rack coated with cooking spray. Close lid, and grill for 90 minutes OR until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of breast registers 165°, turning chicken every 20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 hours
- Cook Time: 90 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with raita
- Calories: 320
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
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- Kolkata-Style Spicy Chili Chicken
- Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings
- Quick Chicken Curry
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the chicken need to marinate for at least 4 hours — and can it go longer?
The marinade of Greek yogurt, fresh ginger, chili powder, lime juice, turmeric, cumin, garlic, and paprika needs time to penetrate and tenderize the 2 lb of chicken breast. The recipe allows marinating overnight, which gives the spices more time to flavor the meat all the way through — 4 hours is the practical minimum.
Why does the recipe call for indirect grilling rather than grilling directly over the heat?
The chicken grills on the unheated part of the grill rack with the lid closed for 90 minutes (turning every 20 minutes) until it reaches 165°F internally. Indirect heat allows such a large piece of bone-in chicken to cook all the way through without burning the yogurt-based marinade, which would scorch quickly over direct flame.
Why let the chicken stand at room temperature for 45 minutes before grilling?
Taking the chicken out of the refrigerator and letting it rest at room temperature for 45 minutes before it goes on the grill allows the meat to warm up slightly from its chilled state. This helps it cook more evenly — cold chicken placed directly on the grill takes longer on the outside to reach temperature than the inside, increasing the risk of uneven doneness. 
