Broiled Tandoori-Style Chicken With Almonds and Couscous Recipe

Tandoori chicken is traditionally cooked in a clay tandoor oven, but here we use the high heat of an indoor oven broiler for similar roasted effect. Add couscous and it becomes a meal.

By
Michael Harlan Turkell
Michael Harlan Turkell: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Michael Harlan Turkell

Michael Harlan Turkell is a once-aspiring chef and now an award-winning food pho­tographer and writer. He has photographed many prominent chefs’ cookbooks, co-authored a few, and even wrote one of his own: ACID TRIP: Travels in the Word of Vinegar (2017).

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Updated Mar. 12, 2019
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Photographs: Vicky Wasik

Why This Recipe Works

  • Cooking the marinade yields extra juices in the pan, which are then used to cook the couscous.
  • Using dark chicken meat guarantees juicier results, no matter how long the chicken is cooked.

This easy one-skillet meal cooks up under the broiler in no time. It starts with chunks of chicken meat marinated in a mixture of yogurt and spices, tandoori-style. The chicken is then broiled with its marinade until the meat is browned and tender. After that, the cooking liquid is used to steam couscous, giving it an extra dose of flavor. Dates and almonds round out the dish.

Recipe Details

Broiled Tandoori-Style Chicken With Almonds and Couscous Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 90 mins
Serves 2 to 4 servings

Tandoori chicken is traditionally cooked in a clay tandoor oven, but here we use the high heat of an indoor oven broiler for similar roasted effect. Add couscous and it becomes a meal.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (225g) yogurt

  • 2 ounces (60ml) fresh lemon juice, divided

  • 1 tablespoon tandoori spice blend, such as Penzey's

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 pound (450g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces; 70g) slivered almonds

  • 1 cup (5 1/2 ounces; 150g) dry couscous

  • 1/3 cup (1 3/4 ounces; 50g) pitted dates, chopped

  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl, stir together yogurt, 1 ounce (30ml) lemon juice, and tandoori spices. Season with salt. In a plastic zipper-top bag, combine chicken and yogurt mixture and mix thoroughly to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

  2. Turn on broiler and set oven rack about 6 inches from broiler element. In a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet, toast the almonds under the broiler until slightly browned, about 2 minutes (check frequently as broilers can vary considerably). Remove almonds from the pan and set them aside.

  3. Scrape chicken and yogurt marinade into the same skillet. Broil, turning once, until chicken is browned on both sides and just cooked through, about 6 minutes per side (again, check frequently as broilers vary). Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken pieces from the skillet and set aside in a warm place.

  4. Scrape yogurt mixture from the skillet into a heatproof measuring cup. If needed, stir in enough water to bring the total volume up to 1 cup. Return 1 cup of the yogurt mixture to the skillet and broil until boiling, about 2 minutes.

  5. Add the couscous to the skillet, scatter dates on top and cover skillet to allow couscous to steam in the hot liquid for 5 minutes. Uncover. Either directly in the skillet or in a serving bowl, toss couscous with half the toasted almonds, half the parsley, and the remaining lemon juice. Top with the chicken, garnish with the remaining almonds and parsley, and serve.

Special equipment

12-inch cast iron or stainless steel skillet

Make-Ahead and Storage

The chicken can be marinated for up to 8 hours before cooking.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
479 Calories
20g Fat
41g Carbs
38g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 479
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 129mg 43%
Sodium 928mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 17mg 86%
Calcium 239mg 18%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 881mg 19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)