One-Pan Tandoori Chicken and Rice

Photo from Simple Home 
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Tandoori chicken is one of the few dishes I'll occasionally order at an Indian restaurant. That's actually saying something because it's hard for me to pass up butter chicken or chicken tikka masala—those are almost always my go-to choices. But when I came across this recipe from Simple Home Edit, I knew I had to give it a try.

For a while, one-pot meals completely took over Instagram, and I can certainly understand why. Fewer dishes, less cleanup, and everything cooks together, allowing the flavors to build in the same pan. It's a win all around.

This recipe absolutely delivered. The chicken was packed with those warm, tandoori spices, while the turmeric rice soaked up all of the delicious flavors as it cooked. Every bite tasted like comfort food with an Indian twist.

The only downside? Waiting for the rice to finish cooking while the incredible aroma filled the house. It took every ounce of patience not to lift the lid early. Other than that, this recipe was a complete success and one I'll happily make again.

One change I've been making lately is swapping out the Greek yogurt for buttermilk in marinades, and once again it was a success. I think it's officially my go-to substitution.

I also tossed in a chopped onion that needed to be used up, and I'm so glad I did. It added another layer of flavor and made the dish even better. 

One-Pan Tandoori Chicken and Rice

Recipe from Simple Home Edit

Serves 4

CHICKEN

• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ cup plain yoghurt
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
• 1 tbsp freshly minced ginger
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1½ tsp sea salt flakes
• 1¾ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp olive oil

RICE

• 2 cups basmati rice, washed and drained
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes

Marinate the chicken – Add all ingredients for the chicken – except the chicken and olive oil – in a large bowl. Mix well to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat well. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes or up to 24 hours for maximum depth of flavor. If you don’t have time, you can cook the chicken immediately and it will still taste great.

Cook the chicken – Heat the oil in a large, deep, heavy-based pan over medium–high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side. Set aside on a plate (it will continue cooking later).

Add the rice – Reduce the heat to medium. To the same pan, add the rice, chicken stock, turmeric and salt, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan for extra flavor.

Return the chicken to the pan – Bring to the boil and nestle the chicken back into the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to stand with the lid on for 10 minutes before serving.