Indian spiced Roast Chicken
Indian-spiced roast chicken is juicy, delicious and perfect for family dinner served with fresh and cooling cucumber salad and flatbread.
This incredibly flavorsome chicken is maybe the best roast chicken recipe I have tried. Definitely in the top 3. It’s so aromatic and juicy and the skin is something to fight over. I love making this roast chicken when I have guests coming over because it takes very little effort and delivers big on flavor. Served with my easy flatbread, a quick yogurt raita and a refreshing cucumber and red onion salad, it becomes a casual feast.
How to roast a whole chicken
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Combine vegetable oil, garam masala (or any curry spice blend), paprika, cardamom, crushed garlic and ginger, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl or jug and mix well. Place a whole, cleaned chicken on a chopping board. It is not necessary to rinse chicken, in fact, it has been proven that rinsing a chicken spreads bacteria more. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels then loosen the skin over the breast (this can be done with a tablespoon). Brush the marinade over the chicken, lifting the skin over the breast and pushing some of the marinade over the breast meat. Make sure to cover the chicken entirely and spoon the remaining marinade into the cavity.
Place the chicken into a roasting dish and add quartered onions and garlic cloves. Place in the oven then turn the heat down to 180°C/350°F. Allow to roast for 45-60 minutes. Test if the chicken is done by cutting between the drumstick and the breast. If the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked. If the chicken is not done yet, roast for another 15-30 minutes until fully cooked. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving and serving.
How long to roast a chicken
A 1.5kg/3.3lb chicken will take approximately 45-60 minutes to roast at 180°C/350°F. To test if a chicken is cooked, cut between the drumstick and breast. If the juices run clear the chicken is cooked. You can also use a meat thermometer which should read 75°C/165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
How to reheat roast chicken
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and heat for 10-15 minutes until heated through. Alternatively, reheat the roasted chicken in a pan set over medium heat until heated through.
What to serve with Indian-spiced roast chicken
- Easy flatbread
- Easy marinated cucumber salad
- Crispy salt and pepper smashed potatoes
- Cucumber, tomato and red onion salad
Roast chicken recipes
- Lemon herb roast chicken
- Easy Tuscan roast chicken
- Peri-peri baked chicken and potatoes
- Spinach and feta stuffed roast chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil (alternatively use ½ cup plain yogurt)
- 3 tbsp Garam Masala
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tsp crushed ginger
- 2 kg (4lb) whole chicken
- 1 onion quartered
- 4 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Combine all the spices, oil and lemon juice and mix well.
- Loosen the skin over the chicken breast then brush the marinade over the chicken, under the skin and into the cavity.
- Place the chicken into a roasting dish then add the onions and garlic.
- Place into the oven and allow to roast for 20 minutes at 200°C/400°F then turn the heat down to 180°C/350°F and allow to roast for another 30-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the roast chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Nutrition
This came out so good! I used ghee instead of oil or yogurt and it was super yummy! Will definitely make again
Should I use black cardamom powder or green?
I used green but you could use either.
Hi! How long to cook 2 lb chicken? 😊 just making it for hubby and I!
At 350F/180C it should take no more than 30-45 minutes.
I made this last night using yogurt, and it was DELICIOUS. I will definitely be keeping this recipe.
Love this recipe.
Can I make it with two chickens at once? Does the oven temp or cooking time need to be adjusted?
Absolutely. Give them enough space in between for the heat to flow around them evenly and the cooking time shouldn’t need to be adjusted at all.
Hi, I like how there’s burnt bits in your chicken according the picture. How do I achieve that? I also wanted to know do you prefer doing the recipe with oil or yoghurt as you’ve mentioned both. I would also like to know whats the difference between using the oil and yoghurt.
The yoghurt will make a thicker crust and bake into a slightly drier skin but will keep the chicken super moist. I prefer the oil because it is easier to work with. The caramelized bits happen when the oven is hot enough.
I was in a rush so hardly had time to marinate but it was still intensely good!
Thanks for the great recipe. It’s a winner.
Hi can this work for a roast duck too ?
I’m sure it would.
The flavors were amazing and the meat was tender! The skin didn’t get crispy though. I marinated it in a sealed gallon bag for 5 hours in the refrigerator. Could that method of marinating prevented it from crisping up? If so, what should I do next time? Cover it with marinade and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator? Thank you!
The skin won’t crisp up as the marinade will prevent that. Dry skin crisps up best. You would need to wipe off all the marinade in order for it to get crispy which would mean a loss of flavor.
Yes. That’s how you should cook it. Bbq rotisserie, gas or charcoal. Get the heat up to 400, cook for approximately 1 1/2 hrs, internal temperature should be between 165 and 170; 180 and it’s too dry. Rest for ten to fifteen. Try it with saffron rice pilaf. Enjoy.
Trying this dish tonight. Report TBA ??
Do you think I could make this in a rotisserie? Thank you in advance!
Definitely!
It turned out great!
I have made this recipe many times now and love it.
I was wondering if this would work with boneless breast of chicken without skin?
Can you please let me know? My husband cannot eat the skin even though it’s delicious …
Yes, I think it will work very well.