One pan meals are a staple in our household and among AK readers. Not only do they require minimal cleanup (omg yes) but they’re also such a fun way to experiment with different flavors, veggies and proteins all in one pan or skillet. Plus, they’re the perfect recipes to meal prep for the week. Win-win-win.
My take on one pan tandoori chicken just so happens to be one of those meals you’ll come back to time and time again. It has the coziest spices, is packed with protein and cooked with a warming yellow coconut rice that pulls the whole dish together. Oh, and did I mention kids LOVE it, too?
If you’ve made my yellow curry chicken & rice or my mama’s Puerto Rican chicken & rice, it’s time to give this tandoori chicken a try!
What is tandoori chicken?
Traditional tandoori chicken is an Indian recipe that involves marinating chicken in yogurt and warming spices, then cooking it in a clay oven called a tandoor oven. It’s often bright red in color from spices like chili & cayenne, and sometimes utiilizes food coloring.
An AK twist on a classic
In my take on tandoori chicken, I marinate chicken thighs in greek yogurt, lemon juice and a variety of spices like cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper and garam masala. You’ll then cook it in one pan right on the stovetop with creamy spiced coconut rice for a flavorful and delicious dinner!
Everything you’ll need to make tandoori chicken
This wonderful one pan tandoori chicken uses the coziest spices and delicious flavors for both the chicken itself and the creamy coconut rice. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Chicken: I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs because they tend to be more flavorful.
- For the chicken marinade: you’ll need plain greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, fresh ginger and then lots of warming spices like coriander, cumin, paprika, ground turmeric, cayenne pepper, garam masala, salt & pepper.
- For the rice: the creamy coconut rice is made with white basmati rice, a can of lite coconut milk, red pepper flakes, turmeric, cumin, coriander salt & pepper.
- Greens: I also love adding frozen peas to the dish for a boost of veggies and texture, plus a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top.
Can I use brown rice?
I would not recommend using brown rice in this recipe as it will take much longer to cook. Alternatively, you can use the same amount of cauliflower rice for a low carb option, or 2/3 cup quinoa.
Make this tandoori chicken your own
Because this healthy tandoori chicken recipe is made with tons of pantry staples, it’s a great base for adding your own customizations and making it your own.
- Add extra veggies. Along with the peas, I think green beans, broccoli or even snap peas would be delicious.
- Turn up the heat. While this recipe does have some cayenne pepper in it, it’s not very spicy as-is. Feel free to add extra heat by upping the amount of cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Balance with sweetness. If you like a sweet and savory bite, try garnishing with golden raisins or chopped dates.
How to make tandoori chicken on the stovetop
As I mentioned before, traditional tandoori chicken is made in a clay oven or a tandoor. I decided to try my version of tandoori chicken in one pan on the stovetop to make weeknight dinners a breeze:
- Marinate your chicken. You’ll first want to add the chicken thighs and the tandoori marinade to a large bowl. Marinate it for at least one hour or overnight so that it gets super flavorful.
- Brown the chicken. Next, brown the marinated chicken in your large skillet with some olive oil. No need to cook it all the way through just yet.
- Prepare the rice. In that same skillet (this is why it’s a one pan meal!) you’ll add the coconut milk and spices. Bring it to a simmer then fold in the rice and peas.
- Cook it all together. Finally, add the browned chicken on top of your coconut milk & rice, reduce the heat, cover the skillet and cook everything together.
- Garnish and serve. After about 20-25 minutes the liquid will be absorbed and the rice will be nice and tender. Garnish with fresh cilantro, green onion and extra yogurt if you’d like, then serve warm!
Grill it or bake it
That’s right, you can easily bake or grill this tandoori chicken without the rice and use it with your favorite sides like naan or roasted sweet potato!
- To grill tandoori chicken: marinate your chicken as instructed in step 1, then preheat your grill to medium high and lightly oil the grates. Grill your chicken thighs for 6-8 minutes per side, flipping once. When the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F your chicken is done.
- To bake tandoori chicken: again, marinate your chicken, then preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake your chicken thighs for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F.
See how to make the tandoori chicken
Storing & meal prep tips
The best part about this recipe? It’s perfect for meal prep! Simply let the pan cool completely, divide the whole thing into 4 separate meal prep containers and place them in the refrigerator to enjoy all week long. It’s a wonderful dinner that even kids will love — just limit the spice by omitting the cayenne pepper.
More one pan meals you’ll love
- One Pan Thai Coconut Yellow Curry Chicken & Rice
- Mama’s Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice (Arroz con Pollo)
- One Pan Creamy Thai Peanut Chicken Couscous
- One Pan Ginger Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce
- One Pot Vegan Coconut Curried Brown Rice with Tofu
Get all of our delicious one pan meals here!
I hope you love this one pan tandoori chicken as much as we did. If you make it be sure to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. You can also upload a photo to Instagram and tag #ambitiouskitchen! xo.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
One Pan Tandoori Chicken with Spiced Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- For the marinade:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ tablespoon garam masala
- 3/4 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
- Juice of 1 small lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the dish:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 (15 ounce) can lite coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked basmati white rice
- ¾ cup frozen green peas
Instructions
- Add chicken, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garam masala, greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger and salt and pepper to a large bowl; mix with a spoon to combine and coat the chicken and then cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for anywhere from 1-8 hours to marinate the chicken.
- Place a large deep 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. (If you do not have a skillet a large pot will also work very well!) Add in oil; once hot, add in chicken and season generously with freshly ground salt and pepper.
- Cook until browned 4-5 minutes, then flip and and cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet, add in coconut milk, red pepper flakes, turmeric, cumin, coriander and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then fold in the uncooked rice and peas, making sure it is evenly distributed.
- Add browned chicken on top. Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet immediately and cook for 20-25 minutes.
- After 20-25 minutes, most of the liquid should be absorbed and rice should be cooked. Serve immediately. Garnish with cilantro and serve with extra yogurt if you'd like.
- To meal prep: This meal serves four. Place rice in a meal prep containers and top with 1 chicken thigh. Garnish with cilantro and green onions.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
Post originally published on January 15, 2018, and republished on April 28, 2021.
295 comments
This looks AMAZING. Definitely adding to the list of things to try and I can’t wait to give it a go!
Awesome! Let me know how you like it!
TANDOORI CHICKEN IS REAL ART AND ALL FAMILY LIKE ITS OH MY
Amazing!! So happy to hear that!
Looks delicious! Love a good one pan meal!
Aren’t they the best? Hope you get a chance to try this one!
can’t figure out how to print this recipe
Me either. And it sounds so yummy
Hi all – we’re working on a fix as we speak! For now if you click the white space under the “cook time” a print page will pop up for you. Thank you for your patience!
Email the recipe to yourself and you’ll be able to print.
We need a way to print this recipe!
We’re working on a fix as we speak! For now if you click the white space under the “cook time” a print page will pop up for you. Thank you for your patience!
Yes we do. I agree
EXACTLY what I’m craving! Thanks Monique!
Amazing! Hope you love this one!
Thanks for the note indicating not to use brown rice. I have brown basmati rice and that’s exactly whatI would have used. Too bad.
Yes I would stick with white rice or quinoa!
How much uncooked quinoa do we use, and does it change the cooking time at all?
I’d recommend about 2/3 cup quinoa and the cooking time will stay the same!
How would you recommend cooking this dish with cauliflower rice?
You can just add it like you normally would in the recipe!
Thank you!
can you swap chicken breasts for the thighs? does that change cooking time?
You can! And the cooking time should be right around the same 🙂 just look out for when the chicken is browning in the pan!
This looks amazing! Is there a possible substitute for the yogurt?
You could try dairy free yogurt!
I made it with culina plain and simple and it was super tasty!
I used sour cream instead, of course this won’t help with a dairy allergy. But if you’re just out of yogurt and don’t want to go to the store…
This recipe is amazing!! I actually used brown basmati rice because that’s all I had and just let it cook a ten to fifteen minutes longer and it turned out great. So delicious!
How many servings does this dish make? Thanks!
four servings 🙂
Hi Monique, looks great! When do you add the peas?
with the rice 🙂 recipe is updated — sorry about that.
No worries!! Thanks, can’t wait to try it!
Tried making this…when do you add the peas?
with the rice — recipe is updated!
Hi Monique,
Love your website. What type/brand of coconut milk do you recommend? I think my dad brought home the wrong kind (he brought back the stuff in a box) – just want to make sure I make this recipe perfectly!
Thank you!
Hi Danielle! I usually use Thai Kitchen Lite Coconut Milk (here). Enjoy!
Turned out amazing! So flavorful and hearty.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! Such a great dinner.
I used to really love your blog, but now I’ve gone vegan, and so it’s all Oh She Glows & Minimalist Baker for me now. I know you have some great vegan recipes, but so do they, and on their pages I don’t have to view the meaty ones in between. You’re very talented though and I hope you keep doing what you do well.
Those are great blogs for vegans! You can also click the “vegan” button under recipes on my site to see strictly vegan recipes 🙂
Nat, I modified the marinade with Just Mayo thinned out with almond milk instead of yogurt. I subbed two blocks of pressed tofu cut into cubes instead of chicken. I baked the tofu and stirred it into the rice when it was done, then served it on a bed of fresh spinach. It was fantastic! And vegan 🙂
Made this tonight for my roommate and I and we both LOVED it. I used homemade coconut milk instead of canned. My roommate said it was the best dish I’ve ever made. Thanks so much for all your delicious recipes!
Amazing! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 And homemade coconut milk sounds delicious!
Yummy, quick, easy and flavorful! What more could you want!?
I am new to your blog and recipes. I made this recipe and your flourless chickpeas blondies today. They are both amazing. Thank you! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Welcome to Ambitious Kitchen! You started out with a couple of my favorites 🙂 So glad you enjoyed them!
I prepped the chicken on a Sunday night and this was the absolute BEST to come home to on a (rainy and cold Canadian) Monday night and just throw everything in the pan. The dreamiest dinner ready in 30min – I had to stop myself from eating the entire pan in one sitting.
Notes – I didn’t read the tip to not use brown rice and… it’s right (go figure)!! It didn’t cook through completely; will use basmati next time. I also wilted some spinach in right at the end for an extra kick of greens.
Will be making this again and again!
So happy to hear this! It’s one of my favorite one pan dinners. And yes – the brown rice is tough to cook with for these quick meals (it just takes so long to cook!) Glad you enjoyed this one 🙂
This looks fantastic! How spicy is it with the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes? Would it change the flavor too much if I leave them out?
Hi Julie! It’s not too spicy, but if you’re worried about the spice level at all feel free to leave it out (or just use about 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper).
Thanks! I reduced the pepper and it was still too spicy for me, but my husband loved it! I’m just a wimp I guess. =) I will try it again with even less spice because it is so tasty!
Everyone has different spice tastes! You can definitely adjust this one as needed 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it otherwise!
This was delicious and very easy/quick for a weeknight dinner. It makes me feel very accomplished to make something this delicious on a weeknight as opposed to something quick and boring. I have also tried the Thai coconut one pan meal with the same result. I would love to see more one-skillet dinners like these! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that, Erica! You’re right that quick/easy can still be unique and delicious 🙂 I’ll definitely keep the one pan meals coming!
honestly, it’s like you looked in my bare cupboards and my(nearly empty) fridge and came up with this recipe. I’m using full fat coconut milk but otherwise I had everything! So awesome after four days of being stuck at home with sick kiddos to be able to make “real” food. And the marinade smell a amazing! So excited to try it tonight!
Those types of meals are the best! I’m so glad you were able to whip this up 🙂 Enjoy!
Monique, this is an absolute favourite of mine and of my otherwise rather fussy teenager. I do like your recipes in general, but this one is ah-mazing!!!! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars
So happy to hear that! I’m sure cooking for a teen is quite the challenge. Glad the family loves this one <3
Can this marinate longer? Like 24 or is that too long?
I think that should work!
I marinated mine for about 24-36 hours (got busy and didn’t have time to cook). Only thing I did was not add the lemon to the marinade until a few hours before I knew I’d be cooking. Chicken turned out awesome.
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed.
Hats off!! Easy and Delicious!! The rice was full of flavour from chicken and coconut milk.
Yes absolutely! This is my favorite way to cook chicken and rice 🙂
Hey Monique,
I’m such a big fan of your blog. I made your banana and chocolate chip muffins last night and they were delicious! I’m curious about making this but am trying to avoid white rice. If I were to use cauliflower rice would you recommend using raw or frozen cauliflower rice? I was worried that the cauliflower wouldn’t be able to absorb the liquid the way regular rice would.
Hi Monique,
Can u tell me what brand of basmati u use. My brand Is always cooked on the stove in under 10 minutes so 20 to 25 mins would turn it to mush. Just curious. Thanks,
Paula
Hi Paula! I get usually get mine from Whole Foods (I think the brand might be Lundberg Farms?) but have never had an issue with cook time in this recipe.
This recipe was delicious! Loved the creamy rice. And have loved all of your recipes, thank you!
So glad you loved it!!
Love love love this dish! My husband and I love making it together. We usually use chicken breasts instead of thighs, but tonight we tried the thighs. We like the breasts better personally. But mmm those spices and Greek yogurt, and that coconut milk?!! Like seriously best ever! Thank you so much 😍
Amazing!! So happy to hear that Michelle 🙂
I made this dish tonight and subbed out the chicken for tofu and it turned out really good.
Hi. Can I use jasmine rice for this recipe?
Hi! Yes that should work.
If I was looking to add more vegetables what would you suggest? Diced tomatoes? Onions?
Onions and even some green pepper would be great!
I added diced carrots and red bell peppers plus some sliced red onion, really liked the color and texture from both carrots and peppers.
Good Lord this is DELICIOUS!! I made it last night and have already told all my friends about it because if your friend has this recipe and does not share it with you, question that friendship!
I put mead in marinade in morning and cooked after work, doubled recipe and it worked fine in a 14″ skillet. I used regular coconut milk instead of lite because that is what I had on hand. Generously garnished with cilantro. And next time I’ll squeeze a lime over the finished dish.
This one goes on continuous loop in my house now.
Amazing!! I’m so glad you found this one 🙂 perfect for meal prep!
I just made this and it is delicious! I wanted to use brown rice instead of white rice, and so I put the rice in for 25 minutes before the peas and chicken since it needs longer to cook. But then I had to fiddle around a bit to get everything to cook fully when I added the chicken because the dish was at a lower starting temperature. Do you have any advice for modifying the recipe to use brown basmati rice?
Hi Sarah! I don’t typically cook one pan meals with brown rice because the timing is off. I’d recommend sticking with white or even using quinoa 🙂
I’ve made this 3 times so far and it is delicious and so easy. Once you purchase the spices and have them on hand it makes it easy! Another favorite is your Roasted Tomato Basil soup. So easy and delicious. I add the cream to this and it is so tasty!
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Carol.
Wow! This recipe tasted even better than I thought it would . Delicious!
I’m glad you liked it!
Hi Monique,
I was wondering if you can help me out with the cauliflower rice substitution. How much raw cauliflower rice should I add in? Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes! ♥️♥️
Hi Caron! You should be able to use the same amount of cauliflower rice, or a little bit more if you prefer 🙂 Enjoy!
Do you think I could make 16 servings of this in Dutch oven pot?
Thanks!
I think that you’d have to use a very large dutch oven if you want to quadruple the recipe! Let us know how it goes!
So so so good
Glad you loved it!
This is my third time making this recipe. I LOVE it. The marinade is so flavorful, and easy to make ahead of time. I usually throw the chicken in the marinade the night before and let it sit overnight. When making the rice I also throw in a handful of spinach at the end to add an extra serving of veggies. It’s a great and easy weeknight meal.
Love that! Great idea with the extra spinach. So happy you love this one!
Hi! I made this for my boyfriend last night, and it turned out excellently– great recipe! I do have a question, though– should I scrape off the yoghurt marinade before adding the chicken to oil to brown? It cooked just fine, but took longer than expected, and of course this also made the finally dish much spicier.
Hi Eliza! Glad you both loved it 🙂 And nope, no need to scrape the marinade off. If you check out the recipe video you can see exactly what I did with the chicken after marinating!
Soooo delicious! We added a little chutney and skyr on the side to cut the spice a little, but it was amazing! Will definitely make this gem again!
That sounds amazing. Glad you enjoyed!
Hey Monique! This dish is delicious; however, I had to add some chicken broth to cook the rice down, it did not work with just coconut milk. Excellent meal!!!!
Hi Lisa! That’s strange, I’ve never had an issue. Did you use light coconut milk? Full fat coconut milk is thicker so the rice won’t cook the same. Either way, I’m glad adding more broth worked for you!
Loved this dish! A great at-home meal to bring us the Indian food flavors we love!
Absolutely! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Delicious!!! I used full fat coconut milk and added a variety of veggies. Everyone loved it.
Perfect! So happy to hear that 🙂
Fav dinner!!
Thank you for sharing. Lot of taste and spices. My husband loves it!!
Absolutely! So happy to hear that.
Incredibly tasty. I’m always blown away by your recipes! We will definitely be revisiting this one.
So happy to hear that, Julia! Love this dinner.
This recipe was delicious and very easy. I marinated the chicken for about 4 hours. I used fresh tumeric (3 of fresh for 1 of dried) and full fat coconut milk because that is what I had on hand. Oh – and I used 1/4tsp habanero powder instead of red pepper flakes because we like it spicy and love the flavor pairing of coconut and habanero. Great recipe.
Perfect! Glad those adjustments worked out well 🙂
Delicious, one of our new favs!
I’m so glad! Yum 🙂
This is one of my favorite recipes and the first I ever discovered from Ambitious Kitchen! I’m making it today for the first time in awhile, and am wondering about using the instant pot.. sauté method the chicken and just before letting everything simmer (rice coconut milk etc) doing high pressure? Any body tried this? Either way, can’t wait to have it tonight! Thank you Monique!
This recipe had a refreshing level of spice to it without being overbearing. The chicken was tender and I like the addition of the peas, but i definitely needed to add some additional liquids for the rice to cook properly. I garnished with greennonions, chopped cilantro, and a sprinkle of lime juice, otherwise the recipe was made as listed. Very tasty!
I’m glad you loved the flavors in here! Hmm not sure what happened with the rice cooking – I haven’t had that issue before but will look into it!
This recipe was easy and so so delicious!! Even my picky eaters gobbled it up. I’ll definitely make it again (several times!).
So happy to hear that! Perfect dinner.
My daughter suggested that I try your recipes and I am so glad I did! This meal was comforting, spicy and delicious. I only made one substitution with the rice as we do not eat white rice. I cooked it a little bit longer and it came out perfect. Chicken thighs were still moist. I will be back😊
I love this recipe!! I’ve made in 3+ times. I don’t really cook and hate a hassle, but I found this recipe easy yet impressive, and SO flavorful.
Absolutely! Perfect leftovers, too 🙂
I’m so excited to try this recipe. Just curious is the coriander you use in the marinate and the dish ground or fresh?
It’s ground! Enjoy 🙂
This dish is so easy to make and so tasty, can’t believe how much flavour there is with so little effort. Made the recipe exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing. Last week I made your Puerto Rican Chicken (Arroz con Pollo) and loved that too. Such a bonus they can be made in one pan. These recipes are brilliant, cheers!!
Absolutely! Easy and delicious 🙂 glad you loved them both!
Make this now! This recipe is GREAT for both meal prep (leftovers are amazing) and for having people over, since the last 20 minutes are passive. A few successful modifications I’ve made:
– Chicken breasts instead of thighs (same cooking time like some of the comments say)
– Switching up the veggies – I’ve done green beans, diced zucchini (try to get a little of the moisture out if you can), and kale. It is great with the peas, but I usually like to use fresh veggies if I have them on hand!
– 1.5x the recipe (to serve 6) – also same cooking time
Definitely been a go-to and will stay that way – thanks, Monique!
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing 🙂 glad you love it!
OMG! This dish is FANTASTIC! I marinated the chicken overnight. The combination of spices go so well together. I will definitely make this 100 more times!!
I forgot to mention in my review. I am dairy free so I used plain coconut yogurt instead of plain Greek yogurt. It was delicious!!!
Perfect! Sounds delicious 🙂
The most delicious and easy go-to week night meal. We eat this about once a month and love it every time!!!
So happy to hear that!
Super easy! Amazing flavours!! Will be a definite repeat in my house!!
So glad you enjoyed!
Amazing! Loved the peas in the rice. Perfect blend of spices.
So glad you enjoyed!
Amazingly delicious!! This is now one of my staples in my recipe rotation. I used quinoa instead of rice, Next time I will probably use 1 cup instead of ⅔. I used coconut cream instead of milk, I don’t know what difference this made. I used extra peas, 1 cup, and I’ll provably add even more next time, just a bit. I didn’t do the cooking with chilli flakes. Hmmm, what else, I doubled the recipe because we’re fatties, I mean foodies. To do this I cooked the chicken in two batches and used a big saucepan. I have a 1 year old so I’m all about preparing as much as I can the night before as the days are big! So I marinated the chicken in the spices the night before then added the yoghurt and lemon at lunch time. Overall mine was more saucy than your pictured, maybe it was the extra yoghurt from doubling it, or the coconut cream, but I actually liked it saucy. This was the first recipe of yours that I’ve tried. I loved it! I look forward to trying more.
So glad it was a hit! Coconut cream is much thicker than coconut milk, which is where the texture difference likely came from. Hope you find more recipes here that you love!
If you are borrowing from the culture you should be sharing how people can help the situation in India ASAP.
Planning to make this for dinner tomorrow night! I can’t wait!
Would you recommend adjusting the total cooking time if you use chicken breasts instead of thighs? Not sure if that would work given the rice still requires its cooking time too.
It should be ok, just maybe use a bit smaller chicken breasts!
I am dairy free- would either coconut or cashew yogurt work for the marinade?
Yes that should work!
I made the Tandoori chicken.. with Cauliflower riced it was delicious. I grilled my chicken on the grill after marinating it for a day. I actually added a chick pea/pasta rice after only because I don’t do rice. This dish was so tasteful. It could have used more salt.. it was awesome. I added Organic peas and also added some cremeni mushrooms to my dish because I love them. Added a Chick pea/Lentil Rice to mine. Delicious.
Perfect! Sounds delicious. Feel free to add salt to taste 🙂
This was absolutely fantastic—so easy and flavorful!
I am married to a Persian, he rinsed and soaked the rice for a couple hours before cooking (to reduce starch & rice stickiness.)
We were out of peas, but added a can of chickpeas. This is going into regular rotation!
Perfect! So glad it was a hit!
Can I give this 10 stars?!? Even my semi-picky 5yo (that refused to try Indian food) loved it! Because of 2 kids, I cut the cayenne back a ton and left out red pepper but it was still so flavorful and good. Definitely making this again!
Amazing! So glad it was a hit!
I haven’t finished cooking this recipe – I’ve just put the marinade together and I’m glad I tasted it before adding the chicken. It is SO spicy. Even with 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne instead of one. I upped the yogurt and that seems to have mellowed it a bit.
I’m still excited to see how the rest of the recipe turns out though! Love a one pan meal.
I’m glad you gave it a quick taste before, too! Feel free to omit the cayenne or just use about 1/4 teaspoon if need be next time. Enjoy!
Quite spicy because I marinated the chicken overnight and used a pinch of thai dragon pepper from a friend’s garden. My fault that I slightly overcooked the thighs and dish so it was a bit dry. But, I loved this dish and will make it again (and watch my cooking times).
Glad you enjoyed regardless! Love the kick of spice 🙂
One-pot of deliciousness, coconut rice with chicken sounds so yummy, pinning!!
Absolutely! Enjoy!
Monique! Amaaaaazingly easy and delicious
This is coming from a horrible cook. I have only made and stuck to your PB Banana oat cups and banana blender pancakes bc they’re fool proof but decided to try this. So so sooo good.
I didn’t make the rice or quinoa; just made the chicken and ate it with Naan bread. Soooo good. Thank you for making your meals soo easy and delicious!
I just reheated the chicken for lunch; Shredded it and ate it on top of Spinach and Kale. The warm chicken wilted the salad a bit and it was heavenly. Ps I’m Sri Lankan and seeing how you seem to really enjoy spice, you should try some Sri Lankan dishes a try!! Would love to see a n AK spin on our food!
Amazing!! So glad you loved it. And YES would love to try a Sri Lankan dish sometime!
This is listed as freezer friendly. Do you have advice on how to freeze this?
Great question! You can divide it into containers, let cool, and freeze until you’re ready to enjoy (it should last several months). To reheat, you can thaw the containers on the counter, and then heat in a pot on the stove 🙂
SO good! So easy and so delicious! My husband and I inhaled this. Definitely going to be a go-to dinner at our house!
Yay!! So happy that you guys loved it. Can’t wait for you to try it again 🙂
This dish is AMAZING, soooo flavourful and healthy! I did not have coriander, so I used Italian spice mix instead, it worked perfectly for someone who eats moderately-spicy food. I made it for tomorrow, but I can’t stop eating it now 🙂 Thank you, Monique, you are simply unbelievable!!!
I’m SO happy to hear you loved this one, Marija! Yay!
Sounds amazing! If grilling the meat, can you grill it in advance and then throw it in the pan to “reheat”?
I’ve never tried that but I don’t see why not! 🙂
Amazing flavour and super quick and easy. My rice needed a bit more liquid at the end, but I just added a bit of chicken stock to finish the rice. Served with a side of roasted cauliflower.
So glad that you enjoyed it, Jenny 🙂
This is AMAZING. We left out the crushed red pepper flakes so it wouldn’t be too spicy for our 5 year old and added spinach along with the peas. It ended up being the perfect amount of spice. Everyone cleaned their plate!
Awesome, I am so glad to hear that! Good call on reducing the spice 🙂
I loved all the spices. Chicken was so tender! I will do sweetened coconut milk for a sweet and spicy kick next time! Will be keeping this recipe!
So happy you loved it, Ana! And yummm, that sounds amazing 🙂
I love a meal that doesn’t make a disaster in the kitchen. I added half a red bell pepper that I needed to use up. My husband and I devoured this. Another slam dunk from Monique!
Oh YAY, so glad you guys loved it! Great idea to add red pepper, too 🙂
Even though they say never try a new recipe on guests, I made this for a birthday celebration. I doubled the recipe, but other than that I followed it exactly. It was so delicious! There were 9 of us and there was enough for seconds. Thank you for a fantastic recipe that I will use again!
Yay!! So happy that you loved it, Erin. And HBD to your friend 🙂
Made this last night for dinner and my husband commented today that it was one of his top five most flavorful meals I’ve ever made. Holy cow! Easy AND it gets me compliments like that – I will 100% be adding this to the rotation (esp when I’m trying to wooo him ;)). Thank you for putting this together!
Omg that’s incredible!! So happy that you guys both loved this one so much, Meredith 🙂 Can’t wait for you to make it again!
I have made this at least 4 maybe even 5 times now and figured it’s finally time to leave a review. I am simply OBSESSED. this is the perfect weeknight recipe, quick, easy, one pan and SO flavorful and fragrant. It saves great for leftovers and just hits the spot. I am not someone who ever leaves reviews but the sheer number of times I’ve made this recipe and not it brings me every time forced my hand. If you’re looking for your next go-to meal do yourself a favor and make this one!! 10/10
Aw I’m SO happy you’re loving this one so much, Erica!! It’s one of my fav weeknight dinners, too. Thank you for the kind review!
I have never left a review on a recipe ever, but OMG I just made this and it is PERFECT exactly as written. Will be making this every week for the foreseeable future
Oh thank you SO much for the review, I’m thrilled to hear you loved it!!
This was delicious! I marinated the chicken last night, so there wasn’t much actual work or clean up I had to do today. The flavors are fantastic.
Amazing!! So happy to hear you’re loving it, Samantha 🙂
I love this recipe. I make it almost once a week for the whole family. My 19 month old absolutely loves it, I just leave out the cayenne in case it would be too spicy for her.
Aw yay! So glad to hear that. Good call on omitting the cayenne for her 🙂
Is there a substitute for the garam masala? We have a family member allergic to coriander.
Hi, Lori! You can use your favorite curry powder (if it doesn’t have coriander in it) or just add a bit more of the cumin, paprika and turmeric 🙂
Loved this recipe! Quick and easy. A lot of flavor. My husband loved it too. Did the one skillet method! Served with steamed Broccoli! It’s a keeper.
Yay! So glad to hear you guys loved it!
Another one pan hit from Monique! Absolutely delicious. Tip for someone who is very sensitive to spice (like me): omit or lessen the amount of red pepper flakes/cayenne! It’s a spicy one 🌶
One of my favorite AK recipes. The chicken thighs, veggie & rice combo tasted AMAZING. It was such a hit, my boyfriend and I loved it. I subbed green beans for the peas and it turned out great, Will definitely be making this again 🙂
This recipe is SO delicious! We’ve made this three times in the past month and our picky 3.5 year old gobbled it up and asked for seconds every time. It will be a regular for us!
I make this at least once a month. It is so easy, and soooo good! I add in a handful of spinach at the end for extra veggies, and it does not disappoint.
How do you make all the best recipes! This is just tooooooo good! Love your meals.
This dish was amazing! I’ve never made anything with such great flavor! I didn’t have enough Greek yogurt so I subbed Mayo and it seemed to work great! Another great recipe by Ambitious Kitchen! Thank you!
This is our absolute favorite go to dish, we love it so much even ditched the traditional turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving and replaced it with this.
WOW that’s amazing, I’m so happy you guys are loving it so much!!
So delicious! One of our weeknight staples. I add an extra can of coconut milk bc I like it super creamy.
Nice!! So happy you love this one, Haley 🙂
I make this recipe on the regular and my husband loves it. Warm and spicy, and the rice gets a little crispy sometimes in the pan. Such an easy one-pan meal with ingredients I almost always have on hand. Highly recommend!
Oooh crispy rice 😍 Glad that you guys are enjoying it, thanks for the comment!
All of AK’s recipes are easy and so delicious, this Tandoori Chicken recipe is no exception. So flavorful! It’s a regular weekday dinner staple in our house now.
Aw thanks so much, Kara! That means a lot 🙂 Glad you guys love this one!
Delicious one pot meal. Really good flavors. Mine cooked a bit faster than 20-25 min and the rice got kind of toasted but it was still super good. I found it spicy and it got my sinuses going, but my fiancé thought it was just right. Will make this again for sure!
Good to know about the rice cook time! So happy you guys loved it 🙂
Will make this again! With chicken breast, I found you need a little longer browning time in the skillet. Next time I may mix up the veggies and throw in some spinach or kale to wilt at the end. Loved how quick and easy it was!
Made this last night, it was delicious! A bit too spicy for me but I’ll use half the cayenne next time (my husband loved it as is). Also only had bone-in chicken thighs and they take longer, so I cooked them first in the oven in my Dutch oven and poured off most of the fat/juices (but kept about a quarter cup, so good), then cooked the rice in the Dutch oven on the stove. Turned out great and still one pan.
Another winner!!!! Made this tonight and even my picky teenager cleaned his plate. The only changes I made was I added some cubed butternut squash which complemented the dish color and some spinach in the end. Served with green beans on the side. Beautiful color and flavor profile was amazing!!! Thanks Monique .
Amazing!! So happy you guys loved it. The butternut squash and spinach are fabulous additions!
This recipe is absolutely delicious and super easy! My husband turned to me several times as we were eating to say how good it is! I’ll definitely be making this again!
Amazing! So glad to hear you both loved it 🙂
This was SO good. Love being able to make something easy, in one pot, and that has TONS of flavor. And the best part is it’s so healthy and better than take out.
I’m so happy you loved it, Caroline!! Thanks for the nice review 🙂
This was one of the best meals I have cooked. Doubled the recipe for a large group and it worked perfectly. Will continue to make this recipe.
Oh I’m SO happy to hear that! Thanks, Karen!
This is great. I used two cups instead of 1 cup of rice. Just add more water as I go and with that it takes longer. Great flavor!
Great call! Happy you loved it 🙂
Sometimes when I make one-pan dishes with rice, the rice will still be crunchy. This is NOT one of those recipes. You can tell this recipe has been tested thoroughly, because the quality is awesome.
Aw thank you, I’m happy it came out perfectly! ❤️
This recipe looks good and really want to try to make this! Can we add cranberries to mine and a little more liquid, Will that be ok?
Sure!
This is an awesome recipe!! The dish so flavourful and having to use only one pan to make it is a bonus. Another winning meal from your collection that will be eaten again and again at my house. Thank you, you help make me look like a star in the kitchen. Cheers
This is a fabulous recipe. I put the chicken in the marinade in the morning and cook it when I came home from work. The whole family loved it. I might try your suggestion next time and add some copped dates. Would totally recommend this recipe – full of flavor, quick and easy clean up.
I’m so happy you loved it, Diane! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Just wow! Soo delish.. taking over as #1 from another tandoori chicken recipe.
Can’t think of any improvements- the whole family loved it!
Oh that’s amazing — thank you!! Thrilled to hear that you all love the recipe 🙂
I made this dish, with just a few additions. I added a diced onion, a diced carrot, a diced serrano and a sliced zucchini and also the peas. I did brown the chicken (i used breast meat) on both sides, maybe a total of 5 minutes…… it turned out FANTASTIC. I served it with a tomato, onion, cucumber, parsley, cilantro salad…… it was a great dinner. thanks!
I love Indian recipes and often make curries. But THIS recipe was amazing! I made it for the first time and it was the first time I’ve called something I’ve made “restaurant quality”. It is so tasty. Will definitely be making this for friends and family so they can try.
Ahh that makes me so happy! Thanks so much for the kind review, Lauren. Thrilled to hear you loved this one!
Smells great. Prepared exactly as described but rice was undercooked by a lot. Had to add more than a cup of additional water and cook an additional 15 minutes
Sorry for the trouble! That can happen if the heat’s a little too high, or if you used a large pan. But really appreciate the feedback 🙂
I haven’t made this yet but it looks amazing!!! A few folks in my household don’t like coconut milk (sad, because I love it!) so I’m wondering what you’d suggest a good substitute in the rice would be? And how much? Thanks!
Hi! That’s a bummer haha! I haven’t tested it but the same amount of unsweetened almond milk might work 🙂
This was pretty good. I liked the flavours but my dish turned out really dry. I did the 20 minute cooking time and both the rice and chicken were really dry. It’s hard to over cook chicken thighs, but these were definitely over cooked. I would try using bone in thighs and maybe a bit of chicken broth for a bit more liquid.
Sorry to hear that! I wonder if your pan was larger than mine or maybe the heat was too high? More broth is a good idea, too 🙂
So good! I had to add a bit more water for the rice. Flavours were awesome. Will make again!
The yogurt and spices created the most tender chicken I ever ate, and I only marinated the chicken for about two hours. I whimped out and only used 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper. I know my limits with spice. Very easy and delicious meal.
Yay!! SO happy to hear this recipe came out great and you loved it, Mary ☺️
Wondering if a tagine would work for this dish?
This was amazing! And so easy to make! I love that I only needed one pan!
The best! So glad you are loving this recipe 🙂
I was so excited for this recipe! The marinade smelled amazing! I used chicken breast tenders instead of chicken thighs because that’s what I had, but I followed everything else as closely as I could because I’m not exactly a wizard in the kitchen. After 20 min I removed the chicken because it was cooked, but there was still a ton of liquid. I cranked up the heat to reduce the liquid because we were getting hungry. I’m Hispanic so I love my spicy dishes but this dish tasted wayy over seasoned and the rice was still hard. Even if I had cooked the rice low and slow for longer, I think it still would have been way over spiced. I served it with naan and yogurt which helped calm it down, but it was almost inedible. Was I supposed to rinse the chicken before adding to the rice? Giving 3 stars cuz the flavor was amazing but way too overpowering and thinking maybe I did something wrong?
After reading through some of the comments and thinking about it further, I realize that I did use a larger pan, and I used a carton of coconut milk rather than from a can. Could those things have contributed to the dish coming out too spicy/seasoned?
So easy and SO good! I can’t have dairy so I used a combo of forager cashew yogurt and kite hill greek-style yogurt, and I used jasmine rice instead of basmati because it’s what I had. I also added red peppers for some more veggies. Everything worked beautifully and I’ll definitely be making this one again!
So easy and SO good! I can’t have dairy so I used a combo of forager cashew yogurt and kite hill greek-style yogurt, and I used jasmine rice instead of basmati because it’s what I had. I also added red peppers for some more veggies. Everything worked beautifully and I’ll definitely be making this one again!
This is an easy-to-make recipe with ingredients I normally have on hand. Delicious yet didn’t make me think of Tandoori chicken. I will definitely make this again.
Excellent! SO glad you are loving this recipe and that it turned out great for you! 🙂
So good and so easy! I keep coming back to this recipe – personally I like to double the rice (and all the rice add-ins) which prolongs how many meals we get out of this. It’s delicious and a perfect recipe for a night where you want to eat well without a lot of work. I also love adding kale or spinach in at the very end for some extra greens!
I made this with quinoa. Wow! It was delicious. So flavorful and the chicken so tender. Question: if I use riced cauliflower should I cook it the full 25 minutes like the white rice or add it later?
Hi Betsy – So glad you are loving this recipe. Yes, I would definitely add in the cauli rice later or else it will get really soggy and mushy. I might even just make the cauli rice separate and serve the chicken over it.
This one pan tandoori chicken recipe is FANTASTIC! A huge fan of Indian food, I have not considered myself skilled enough to make something as delicious this. The spices in the yogurt marinade and rice are so aromatic and infuse the chicken and rice perfectly because of it’s texture, I think. It’s not overly complicated to make, with extraordinary results in my opinion. I’ve made it a few times now with quinoa and then rice, loved them both – AND was surprised that I like the quinoa slightly more. I am not a fan of quinoa’s unadorned taste, but know it’s very healthy source of protein. This recipe is a huge win for me.
Absolutely delicious! My husband loved it equally as well.
Very flavorful with just following recipe. Only problem I had was the rice took closer to 45 minutes to cook
very good…..but a bit much cayenne pepper and chilli flakes for my liking. I like spicy food but I think this recipe is overly spiced heatwise…..I added more yogurt after cooking to tone it down.
Feel free to reduce or omit either of the ingredients next time – that will keep it mild!
Just made this tonight and it was absolutely wonderful! Def going in the weekly rotation! Even my picky toddler put it away 😋
NICE, love getting a toddler seal of approval haha! Thanks for all your sweet comments 🙂
I came across this recipe recently and made it last night. I have to say it was really outstanding. Incredibly flavorful and super easy to make. I prepped all ingredients in the AM when putting marinade together then cooked it off at dinner time. It took 20 minutes to cook once rice was added. Rice was cooked perfectly, just the right amount of overall heat. Will be making this again for sure. I used 4 thighs and one breast as my hubs prefers white meat. All cooked beautifully and remained juicy!
Yay! I am so glad you found this recipe and gave it a try. Happy to hear it turned out great for you and you’re loving it!
Made it with the fam and it was just *chef’s kiss*!!! 10/10, I highly recommend!! It packs just the right punch and it’s relatively healthy for feeling and tasting so indulgent!!
Ahh yay! This makes me so happy to hear, glad you’re enjoying this recipe and it turned out great for you 🙂
Do you do anything with the marinade? Perhaps add it into the coconut milk and stir then bring to a boil before adding the chicken?
My boyfriend and I make this every couple weeks for an easy weeknight dinner! We love it.
YUM! Glad you are both loving this recipe and it turned out great for you!
How many cups of cauli rice do do you suggest using for the recipe?
You’ll use the same amount as you would white rice. 1 cup.
How many cups of cauliflower rice do you suggest using in the recipe?
Do you think doubling the recipe would work okay? I like to cook bigger quantities at a time.
Absolutely!! Enjoy!
Love this recipe, it’s one of my go-tos! Tastes great as written, but I also like to add a little extra veg and it’s super flexible with whatever I’ve got in the fridge. Tonight I added onion, green beans, and broccoli! It’s also a little spicy for me as written, so i just dial back the cayenne and red pepper and its still super flavorful. Chicken is fantastic, the yogurt marinade makes all the difference 🙂
Aw amazing! I am so glad you are loving this recipe and you are able to adjust it to your preferences 🙂
An absolutely wonderful and fragrant recipe! I can’t wait to fill my home with the intoxicating aromas again… soon! I’m glad to have found this one and can’t wait to try more of your recipes, any suggestions for the next one?
Yay! I am glad you gave this recipe a try and are loving it. Hmm there are SO many good ones, my current seasonal favorite it THIS one! Let me know if you give it a try!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This dish is AMAZING EVERY TIME! It’s now a go-to recipe in our house. I make it at least twice a month (sometimes more) because it’s a family favorite and even my toddler loves it!
I also love this recipe SO much, that I have now shared it with several friends and family members. Super easy, very flavorful, and very low-mess—great weeknight meal the whole family will love.
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Fantastic! I did cut back the cayenne pepper to 1/4 tsp and the pepper flakes to 1/4 tsp. I used light coconut milk. It came out perfect! My husband and I both loved it.
This is delicious! Mine turned out a little spicy. It’s fine with me but just fyi if you’re sensitive to that.
Definitely feel free to reduce the cayenne next time! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
This was delicious but mine was super soupy/creamy, not drier rice like yours looks… is it meant to absorb all of the liquid, or stay creamy?
Hi! The liquid should be absorbed but the rice will be nice and soft (not dry). Feel free to reduce the liquid a tiny bit!
The yogurt marinade on the chicken burnt black onto the pan during browning. Took the rice 45 minutes to cook through, not 20 to 25 minutes. Overall the taste of the chicken was good with the spice combination though.
Sorry to hear that! I’m not sure why those issues came up – make sure your pan is on medium heat (not too high) and that you use oil for browning the chicken. Did you by chance use brown rice? That takes much longer to cook than white rice, which is the only thing I can think of that could’ve happened if the rice was not cooking.
A family favorite! I decreased the cayenne to increase toddler friendliness but otherwise made as recommended. Resulted in flavorful + tender chicken and rice. Highly recommend trying it <3
Amazing! So happy to hear it’s a favorite 🙂
This was fantastic. I haven’t made a lot of Indian food and was nervous but it came out almost perfectly. The rice absorbed all the liquid by 10 minutes so I added a little veggie stock. I also waited to put the chicken back in until the last 10 minutes so it wouldn’t over cook (and better for leftovers) and it worked well. That rice is bomb. I paired it with cauliflower I roasted in the same spices and it was a great side dish.
Perfect! So glad you gave this one a try 🙂
I made this last night and it was delicious! Will be added to our menu planning rotation:) Wondering if it would freeze and reheat well? Thanks so much.
So happy to hear that! And yes, I think it should!
GIRL! OHMYGOD.
I feel like you created this one specifically for me 😂 I can’t put into words (here) all the intense MMM and swear words I let out because I was so pleased, but please understand this recipe is a 10. I’m not one to follow recipes but I followed this one fairly well except I used chicken breasts. Holy crap it’s good. The flavours are punching me in the mouth at every bite and I’m so happy! Merci for this recipe! 😁
Haha I’m so happy to hear that! Perfect dinner all around 🙂
I made this tonight after work and it’s delicious! I also love that it packs up nicely for tomorrow’s lunch at work.
Such a great meal prep lunch!
Delicious and flavorful, I doubled the recipe and added yellow lentils with the rice for extra protein. Thank you