You don't need to pull an armload of tins from the spice rack to make this tandoori-style roast chicken, all you need is our house Tandoori Masala along with some plain yogurt, salt, and a chicken. Even an hour marinating at room temperature—though an overnight marinade is ideal!—will result in the most mouthwateringly spiced and succulent bird. To round things out, potatoes get thrown on halfway through the bake to cook in all those flavorful schmaltzy juices. And, some quick lemony red onions macerate while everything roasts, providing bites of sharp, zingy goodness. Our production manager, Kartik, swears by basting his tandoori chicken with chaat masala and butter or ghee, and lemme tell ya, this tip is absolutely transformative. It adds even more umami, plus a citrusy twang from the amchur in the chaat masala. There will be no leftovers, we promise.

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Ingredients

One 3½- to 4-pound whole chicken
1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt (not Greek)
4 tablespoons Tandoori Masala
4½ teaspoons Surya Salt, divided
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 lemons
1½ pounds small-to-medium Yukon gold potatoes
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1½ teaspoons Chaat Masala
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Methods

To spatchcock the chicken, place the bird breast side-down with the neck facing you on a large cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut down one side of the spine, separating it from the ribs. Then, cut down the other side of the spine, removing it, and saving it for stock or another use. Flip the chicken breast side up and gently press down with your palm on the top of the breast until you hear a snap and the chicken flattens slightly. Using your boning knife, slice ½-inch deep slits diagonally across each breast, as well as the thighs and drumsticks.
To make the marinade, combine the yogurt, tandoori masala, and 2 teaspoons salt. Place the chicken skin side down on a rimmed sheet pan, slather half of the marinade on the underside of the chicken, spreading it into an even layer and coating the backs of the drumsticks. Flip the chicken over and slather the remaining half of the marinade over the chicken, spreading it evenly and making sure to get some of the marinade down into each slit. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. (If refrigerating, take the chicken out 30 minutes to 1 hour before roasting to let it come up to room temperature.)
When you’re ready to roast the chicken, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place the chicken skin side up on a new rimmed sheet pan, leaving any juices and leftover marinade that has accumulated in the pan or bowl the chicken marinated in. Roast for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, half the Yukon gold potatoes and toss them in a bowl with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt, and set aside. Then, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, remove from heat when melted, and cover to keep warm.
20 minutes into roasting the chicken, add the seasoned potatoes spreading them on the pan around the chicken cut side-down, and baste the top of the chicken with the melted butter, reserving the pan for later use. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F and continue to roast, basting the chicken with the fat and juices from the pan every 10 minutes, until the chicken breasts’ internal temperature reaches 155°F and the legs reach about 175°F and the potatoes are cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes more. Let the chicken rest for at least 15 to 30 minutes before carving. Keep the oven on while the chicken rests.
Meanwhile, wipe out the bowl the potatoes were in, add the red onions, juice of 1 lemon and ¾ teaspoon salt, toss to combine, and let sit, gently tossing every once in a while, for at least 30 minutes.
To finish the chicken, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the reserved saucepan over medium heat. Turn off the heat and add the chaat masala, cilantro, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and brush over the rested chicken. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and return the potatoes to the oven while you carve the chicken to reheat.
Transfer the carved chicken to a serving platter. Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss them in the residual chicken fat and juices and arrange them around the chicken along with the remaining 1 lemon, cut into wedges. Transfer the marinated onions to a small bowl and serve alongside the chicken.

Tandoori Masala Roast Chicken

Team Diaspora

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

One 3½- to 4-pound whole chicken
1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt (not Greek)
4 tablespoons Tandoori Masala
4½ teaspoons Surya Salt, divided
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 lemons
1½ pounds small-to-medium Yukon gold potatoes
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1½ teaspoons Chaat Masala
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Methods

To spatchcock the chicken, place the bird breast side-down with the neck facing you on a large cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut down one side of the spine, separating it from the ribs. Then, cut down the other side of the spine, removing it, and saving it for stock or another use. Flip the chicken breast side up and gently press down with your palm on the top of the breast until you hear a snap and the chicken flattens slightly. Using your boning knife, slice ½-inch deep slits diagonally across each breast, as well as the thighs and drumsticks.
To make the marinade, combine the yogurt, tandoori masala, and 2 teaspoons salt. Place the chicken skin side down on a rimmed sheet pan, slather half of the marinade on the underside of the chicken, spreading it into an even layer and coating the backs of the drumsticks. Flip the chicken over and slather the remaining half of the marinade over the chicken, spreading it evenly and making sure to get some of the marinade down into each slit. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. (If refrigerating, take the chicken out 30 minutes to 1 hour before roasting to let it come up to room temperature.)
When you’re ready to roast the chicken, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Place the chicken skin side up on a new rimmed sheet pan, leaving any juices and leftover marinade that has accumulated in the pan or bowl the chicken marinated in. Roast for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, half the Yukon gold potatoes and toss them in a bowl with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt, and set aside. Then, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, remove from heat when melted, and cover to keep warm.
20 minutes into roasting the chicken, add the seasoned potatoes spreading them on the pan around the chicken cut side-down, and baste the top of the chicken with the melted butter, reserving the pan for later use. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F and continue to roast, basting the chicken with the fat and juices from the pan every 10 minutes, until the chicken breasts’ internal temperature reaches 155°F and the legs reach about 175°F and the potatoes are cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes more. Let the chicken rest for at least 15 to 30 minutes before carving. Keep the oven on while the chicken rests.
Meanwhile, wipe out the bowl the potatoes were in, add the red onions, juice of 1 lemon and ¾ teaspoon salt, toss to combine, and let sit, gently tossing every once in a while, for at least 30 minutes.
To finish the chicken, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the reserved saucepan over medium heat. Turn off the heat and add the chaat masala, cilantro, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and brush over the rested chicken. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and return the potatoes to the oven while you carve the chicken to reheat.
Transfer the carved chicken to a serving platter. Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss them in the residual chicken fat and juices and arrange them around the chicken along with the remaining 1 lemon, cut into wedges. Transfer the marinated onions to a small bowl and serve alongside the chicken.