Description
Tandoori Chicken Garlic Bread is a flavorful fusion recipe combining spicy tandoori-marinated chicken with rich garlic butter custard and melted mozzarella on soft Hawaiian rolls or a French baguette. This dish involves marinating and pan-cooking the chicken with authentic Indian spices, smoking it for added aroma, then baking and broiling the bread with garlic butter and cheese to create a deliciously satisfying appetizer or snack.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Tandoori Chicken:
- 400g chicken tenders (about 4-5), cubed
- 1/2 cup plain, full fat yogurt
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp chili flakes (reduce as needed)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- Optional: 1-2 tbsp Shan tandoori masala
- 2 tbsp oil, butter or ghee for cooking
- Handful of wooden smoking chips for smoking
Garlic Butter Custard:
- 6-8 garlic cloves mixed with 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (113g)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk (60g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Assembly:
- 12 King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sheet Rolls, kept in the full sheet form (or replace with a French baguette of similar size)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: In a large bowl, mix plain yogurt, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, red chili powder, chili flakes, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, onion powder, garam masala, and optional Shan tandoori masala. Add the cubed chicken tenders and coat well. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to absorb all the spices.
- Cook and Smoke the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil, butter, or ghee in a pan over medium heat. Cook the marinated chicken cubes until they are tender and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. For enhanced flavor, use a handful of wooden smoking chips to smoke the cooked chicken by placing the chips in the pan, covering it, and letting the smoke infuse the chicken for a few minutes.
- Prepare the Garlic Butter Custard: Roast garlic cloves mixed with olive oil until fragrant and soft. In a bowl, combine the roasted garlic with melted unsalted butter, egg, milk, salt, paprika, and chopped fresh parsley. Mix well to form a rich and flavorful garlic butter custard.
- Assemble the Bread: Keep the King’s Hawaiian sheet rolls intact or use a French baguette of similar size. Dip the bread sheets into the garlic butter custard ensuring they are well-coated. Place them on a baking tray.
- Bake the Bread: Preheat the oven and bake the custard-soaked bread sheets until they are golden and slightly crispy on the edges, about 15-20 minutes.
- Top With Chicken and Cheese: Remove the bread from the oven, evenly spread the smoked tandoori chicken pieces on top, then sprinkle 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese over the chicken-covered bread.
- Broil to Melt Cheese: Place the assembled bread under the broiler until the mozzarella cheese is completely melted and bubbly, about 3-5 minutes. Watch closely to avoid burning.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish the Tandoori Chicken Garlic Bread with chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot and enjoy as a flavorful appetizer or snack.
Notes
- You can adjust the chili flakes based on your heat preference.
- Using smoking chips adds an authentic smoky aroma but can be skipped if unavailable.
- Full-fat yogurt helps tenderize the chicken and adds creaminess.
- If you prefer a less rich option, substitute some butter with olive oil in the custard.
- King’s Hawaiian rolls add a subtle sweetness that balances the spices; substitute with similar soft rolls or baguette.
- Ensure the chicken is marinated long enough to absorb flavors fully.
