Chicken Tikka
Devoted Scramble fan Karen Murray of Southold, New York, shared this delicious recipe with us. The yogurt marinade makes the chicken very moist and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups plain reduced-fat Greek or traditional yogurt or use soy yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic minced, about 1 tsp.
- 1 - 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger peeled and minced, to taste
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. curry powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 lime juice only, about 2 Tbsp.
- 1 1/3 Tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts halved crosswise
- 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
- 1/2 cup mango chutney for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a food processor, blender, or by hand, mix together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, curry powder, salt, lime juice and 1 Tbsp. oil until it is smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup of that yogurt mixture in a small bowl and refrigerate it to serve with the cooked chicken later.
- Place the remaining yogurt mixture in a shallow container. Cut thin slits in the chicken breasts; add them to the yogurt mixture, and turn to coat them well. Cover and marinate them, refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to cook it, remove the chicken from the marinade, scraping the excess marinade from the chicken and discarding it.
- Place a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-low heat and add the butter or margarine and the remaining 1 tsp. oil. When the butter/margarine has melted, add the chicken breasts in a single layer.
- Sauté them, flipping once or twice, until the chicken starts to brown on its surface and is no longer pink in the center, 10 – 12 minutes total. (If the outside is cooking faster than the inside, reduce the heat slightly and partially cover the pan.)
- When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pan to a cutting board and slice it into strips. Serve it immediately with the reserved marinade and the chutney (optional) or refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Slow Cooker Directions
- There's no need to marinate in advance. Prepare the yogurt mixture and reserve 1/2 cup as directed. Place the chicken and remaining yogurt mixture in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 - 7 hours or on high for 3 - 4 hours. (Slow cooker cooking times may vary—Get to know your slow cooker and, if necessary, adjust cooking times accordingly.)
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Peel the garlic, peel and mince the ginger, combine the dry seasonings, juice the lime, make the marinade, cut the chicken and refrigerate, marinate the chicken in the refrigerator, or fully prepare and refrigerate the dish.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Double the cumin and use 1 Tbsp. curry powder.
Tip: When browning food on the stovetop, make sure to use a heavy pan that has plenty of room — a cast iron pan works especially well for browning. If the pan is overcrowded, the heat from the stove gets trapped under the food and steams the food instead of browning it. If you don’t have a pan large enough to give your ingredients plenty of room, try cooking in batches, keeping the first batch warm on a plate with foil or in a low temperature oven.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 280, Total Fat: 9g, 14%; Saturated Fat: 3g, 16%; Cholesterol: 125mg, 42%; Sodium: 222mg, 9%; Total Carbohydrate: 3g, 1%; Dietary Fiber: 0g, 0%; Sugar: 2g; Protein: 45g
Like this recipe? Check out The Scramble's family-friendly meal plans to see just how simple getting dinner on the table can be!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!