Tandoori Chicken

From EatingWell: January/February 1999, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005) — Subscribe Now!

A highly seasoned yogurt marinade tenderizes these chicken thighs. Baking them at an extremely high temperature simulates a tandoori clay oven, creating a deliciously caramelized surface.

READER'S COMMENT:

"We used skinless boneless chicken thighs for this recipe and it was spectacular. We love the spices in the marinade so I was expecting it to be good and it was. I marinated it for about 5 hours. Will make many times again. "

4 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
4 bone-in chicken thighs, (about 1 1/2 pounds), skinned and trimmed of fat

Preparation

Stir together yogurt, onion and garlic in a shallow glass dish. Add lemon juice, cilantro, paprika, cumin, turmeric, ginger, salt, pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Add chicken and coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 500°F. Coat a wire rack with cooking spray and set it over a foil-covered baking sheet. Place the chicken on the prepared rack.
Bake the chicken until browned and no trace of pink remains in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Marinate the chicken (Step 1) overnight.

Nutrition

Per serving: 227 calories; 10 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 87 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 27 g protein; 1 g fiber; 398 mg sodium; 224 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (24% daily value), Zinc (18% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 4 lean meat