Indian Grilled Chicken
Bold and fragrant Indian Grilled Chicken. A low carb favorite to spice up your week!
Why are we so taken by food?
Why do we think about certain dishes and immediately salivate? How is it that the smell of popcorn or sugar cookies instantly flood our minds with memories and our hearts with emotion?
It’s because humans are sensuous. No, I’m not calling you sexy. Although, I don’t want to offend anyone… For all I know, you might be extremely sexy. *wink*
Sensuous meaning “of the senses” or “gratified through the senses.” We drink in every experience, every sensation, through our five senses. They effect how we respond and what we remember. So it’s no wonder that certain foods are associated with our memories.
If food is involved in a moment that is memorable, it actually elevates our emotional tie to that memory.
When I smell smoked meat, my mind drifts to happy memories of my dad, who often smelled of smokey hickory chips. The taste of butter cookies instantly transports me to childhood days of baking cookies with my mom and sisters. Seared duck breast, hot fudge sundaes with peanuts, and bread pudding all bring back sweet memories of my husband.
On the flip side, the stench of canned tuna takes me back a memory that I’d rather not remember.
One aroma and flavor that always conjures up happy memories is Indian spices. One whiff of cardamom or fenugreek and a flood of color, movement, lights, and sweltering heat wave over me.
Admittedly, this Indian Grilled Chicken recipe is not a replica of a specific dish I ate during the summers I spent in India as a teen. It is more of a nod to old friends, rickshaws, and cooking over open flames.
I developed this Indian Grilled Chicken recipe for ease and bold flavor. It falls somewhere between a tandoori chicken recipe and a chicken tikka recipe, yet is dairy-free and has less ingredients to deal with. Plus, it’s low in fat and carbs and high in protein!
You don’t have to marinate the chicken in the spices before grilling, making this Indian Grilled Chicken a great mid-week meal. Pair it was fragrant Indian style rice, or skip the carbs and serve it with a salad.
Indian Grilled Chicken is an exciting alternative to plain-jane bbq chicken. This sensuous Indian chicken might cause some memory making of your own!
Indian Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 lemon, zested and juice from half
- 2 tablespoons Garam Masala
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium heat. Place the chicken in a large baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Rub the mixture over the chicken, coating completely.
- Grill the chicken for approximately 5-6 minutes per side, turning once. (Grill 35-40 minute total for bone-in chicken.) Serve warm!
Grill Season! This looks fignerlicking good!
I’m with you on certain aromas conjuring up vivid memories, for some reason I’m also remembering licking the bowl and beaters after my mom made a cake. The link between food and memories is a strong one. I love your Indian Spice Rubbed Chicken and am not opposed to creating a new food memory with this flavorful grilled chicken recipe, thanks for sharing Sommer ;-)
No head hanging here so please don’t include me in the contest…I grill all year; sort of like the mailman.Rain, sun, snow or sleet.I’m starting to do more and more Indian so love this simple recipe.
I agree with you about food’s ability to evoke memories! Your chicken looks sublime and flavorful! What a great recipe idea! Thanks !
If I could make chicken like that i would love the grill pan!
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Cast Iron? Excellent! I’ve always wanted to try cedar planked salmon, so I like the cedar planks. Also, with 4 boys in the house I thinkg the baseball bat pepper mill would be fun!
Okay – a popcorn popper for the grill? How cool is that?!!
This is indeed a sensual dish!
And I tweeted it!
I like that nonstick grill mat. That would be super useful. But of course, I’m after the grill pan! :)
Hey … what’s that salad in your finished product picture? Looks delish.
Wait a second … 40 minutes?! That’s gotta be indirect heat, yeah? Bone in, 250º, maybe 30-35 minutes. Charcoal grill, coals spread thin, indirect heat, maybe 35-40. But is there something about this spice mop that leans towards slower cooking? For chicken, I lean towards a Bittman-esque method of starting slow and low, maybe 8-10 minutes at 350º, then a minute or two at 450º-500º before flipping and repeating. It’s the reverse of the traditional way of searing red meat, but chicken stays moister when you don’t flame-a-gate it from the get-go. Cheers!
Hey Steve,
My grill burns hotter than most, so I grill bone-in chicken for 30-35 minutes, but for most grills, I’d start checking at 35 minutes on medium heat. All grills are different so it’s best to “know your grill”.
Everyone loves Indian spices. Some folks just don’t realize it yet. Cheers!
I love sensual food (and I know exactly what you mean, wink wink). Foods that are nostalgic and comforting are the most important in any cook’s repertoire :) I too find a lot of comfort and happiness in Indian flavors, and this simple grilled chicken is a delightful alternative to some more complicated variations. Well done!
Sommer – this looks wonderful. We love to grill chicken so I will be giving this a try soon!
I love any of the camping tools – the cast iron grill looks like a life saver :)
Hope you had a lovely weekend and don’t forget we would love to hear more about your Sommer Summer Adventures in India!
The CHEF’S PLANET NONSTICK GRILL AND BARBECUE MAT would be wonderful for cooking delicate items, like fish, on the grill.