I know the word tandoori chicken makes us think about the clay ovens, smoke flavored chicken cooked in pure raw heat. But I am going to take liberty and declare that you can make some great tasting chicken with the same spices as used in tandoori chicken, cook it slow and call it whatever you will – It will taste amazing. So I am calling it slow cooker chicken tandoori !
The idea for a slow cooker chicken tandoori was borrowed from Emiril’s slow cooked chicken, but I had to make it my own and just had to make it Indian. So there!
This is a great slow cooker recipe. Something you can fix when you leave for work and then come home to the wonderful aroma of this dish.
Slow cooker chicken tandoori
Ingredients
- 1 Whole chicken organic, skin removed
- 2 heaped tablespoons Greek style plain yogurt
- 1-2 tablespoon Tandoori masala powder If using prepackaged, i would recommend using Shaan
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala
- 3-4 Shallots peeled and halved
- 2-3 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- to tasteSalt
- 1 Clove pound to a powder form
- 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste can use microplane grater to grate ginger and garlic if you don't have the paste
For the glaze
- 1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala
- 3-4 tablespoons Cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon Oil or Butter
Instructions
- Wash and dry the chicken
- Make incisions in the more meaty parts like breast and thigh to allow spices to penetrate deeper
- Mix the tandoori masala, garam masala, kashmiri chili, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste and salt into the yogurt
- Apply this mixture onto the chicken
- Sprinkle the clove powder on the chicken
- Lower the chicken into the slow cooker with the breast side up. Tuck in snugly and throw in the shallots
- Close the lid, lock it and cook on high for 1 hour and then on low for 2 hours
- If you are leaving this to cook while you are away from home, slow cook for 4 hours
- Check for doneness - At this point you can check the thermometer, cut a slice and look for raw signs. A chicken cooked is a chicken white and the juices run clear, or with this kind of recipe.. the chicken will look cooked to the point of falling off the bones
- Gently place the whole chicken in a roasting pan leaving the juices in the slow cooker. There would be about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of liquid left
- Broil the chicken for about 3 minutes on low and 2 minutes on high for that perfect roasted look
- While you are broiling the chicken, heat a pan and add the butter/oil for glaze
- Add in the cumin powder and the garam masala
- Add the reserved liquid along with any shallots
- Reduce this to your desired thickness - about 2-3 min on high
- Plate the chicken on a platter and pour the sauce on it. Serve with lemon wedges, salad and buttered rice or any grains or bread of your choice.
Recipe Notes
These timings may vary, so base this on your slow cooker. Always undercook, you can cook it further but there is nothing you can do about overcooked food.
I use an internal meat thermometer to check the doneness of the chicken. A temperature of 165 F is ideal.
Until we meet again on the culinary journey !
Stay Blessed
Ansh