Tandoori chicken sous vide: tender, juicy and full of flavour
Love the deep flavours of tandoori chicken but tired of dry or overcooked results? With sous vide, you can achieve restaurant-level tenderness at home, with juicy chicken that’s packed with traditional Indian spices.
This recipe combines the best of both worlds: a slow and precise sous vide cook that locks in moisture and flavour, followed by a quick grill for that authentic tandoori-style char. Ideal for your next dinner party or just a bold midweek meal.
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken thigh fillets
- Salt and pepper
- Garam masala (for seasoning and marinade)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp red food colouring (optional, for traditional look)
Equipment
Preparation method
1. Preheat your sous vide setup
Fill your sous vide water tray with water, attach the Ziva Savant stick, and set it to 70°C.
2. Season the chicken
Place the chicken thighs in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of garam masala. Squeeze over a bit of lemon juice and rub the seasoning into the meat.
Vacuum seal the seasoned chicken using your FoodSaver vacuum sealer and place the sealed bag into the preheated water. Let it cook for 1 hour.
3. Prepare the marinade
While the chicken is cooking, make your marinade. In a bowl, mix Greek yoghurt with crushed garlic, chopped ginger, lemon juice, and the remaining spices: turmeric, ground cumin, fenugreek seeds, garam masala, chili flakes, and optional red food colouring. Stir until smooth and well combined.
4. Coat the chicken
Once the sous vide time is up, carefully remove the chicken from the bag. (You can save the broth for stock or sauces.) Coat the cooked chicken in the yoghurt-spice marinade and let it sit briefly to absorb the flavours.
5. Finish with a sear
Preheat a grill pan or barbecue until very hot. You want visible heat and light smoke. Sear the marinated chicken for 1 minute per side, until slightly charred but still juicy inside.
6. Serve
Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander. Delicious with basmati rice or naan and a side of cucumber raita.
