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Sheet Pan Magic (Chicken Tikka)

Ingredients

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

For the chicken

  • 1 3/4- inch piece of ginger peeled and minced
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
  • 1 fresh green chili jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne or adjusted to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 pounds chicken thighs drumsticks or halved chicken breasts (skin-on, bone-in)

For the vegetables

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/4 pounds about 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
  • 1 3/4 pounds 1 small or half a very large head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

To finish, if desired

  • A few thin slices of red onion
  • Lemon wedges
  • Salt
  • Dollops of yogurt optional
  • A few tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro parsley or mint, or a mix therof

Instructions

  • Combine ginger, garlic, fresh chili, yogurt, salt, spices and sugar in a bowl. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to a day in the fridge.
  • Heat your oven to 425°F.
  • Line a half-sheet (13×18-inch) with foil and coat it with 1 T of olive oil or use parchment paper.
  • Add potatoes, cauliflower, salt, cumin and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss together until evenly coated. I like garlic so I added a minced glove of garlic as I was tossing the vegetables.
  • Remove chicken from marinade and leave excess behind.
  • Nestle the chicken pieces among the vegetables throughout the pan.
  • Roast in oven for 20 minutes, then toss the potato and cauliflower to ensure they’re cooking evenly
  • Return the pan to the oven for 10 to 20 minutes more (i.e. 30 to 40 minutes total roasting time) until chicken and vegetables are cooked through.
  • If necessary remove chicken from pan and turn broiler on to crisp the potatoes and cauliflower
  • While it roasts, if you’d like to use the lightly pickled onion rings that we did on top, which added a nice tangy fresh zip to the dish, separate the rings and toss them in a small bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside until needed.
  • When chicken and vegetables are cooked, top with garnishes of your choice.
  • I used thinly sliced red onions, cilantro, mint and diced scallions to garnish.