This easy Chicken Vindaloo, inspired by one of my favorite local Indian restaurants, takes advantage of pre-made garam masala and spices from the pantry. Making it an easy weeknight treat.
Generally speaking, Chicken Vindaloo is not for the faint of heart. It is often described on menus in Indian restaurants as packed with flavor, spicy, and fiery. But don’t let any of that scare you off from this recipe. Although it is packed with flavor, you can control the spiciness and fieriness of the recipe by reducing or increasing the amount of red pepper flakes to fit your spicy tolerance.
About Chicken Vindaloo
Like so many of my favorite Indian dishes, this one has an interesting history. The dish was introduced to India by Portuguese sailors who would pack pork and garlic in wooden barrels and then pour red wine over the combination to preserve it during their voyages. Indian cooks replaced the wine with palm vinegar and added dried red peppers along with spices that were typical in their kitchens.
I’ve modified the more authentic recipes by using my garam masala spice blend and replacing the palm vinegar with rice vinegar and lemon juice to create a simple-to-put-together weeknight treat.
How Long Do I Need To Marinate The Chicken?
The recipe does call for the chicken to marinate for at least 4 hours, but if you’re really in a pinch for time, you could get away with one hour. I like to make the marinade the night before and store it in the refrigerator. I pour it over the chicken the next morning and allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for the day.
Making Chicken Vindaloo
After marinating, it’s just a matter of cooking the vindaloo while the rice cooks. By the time the rice is done cooking the vindaloo has simmered long enough for the chicken to cook through. If you like a less spicy version, reduce the red pepper flakes to 1 teaspoon or less depending upon your tolerance for heat. If you have friends or family that like more spice, pass the red pepper flakes and let them adjust to their taste.
The recipe also calls for one tablespoon of tomato paste. I don’t know about you, but I hate to open a can of tomato paste for one tablespoon. So, I don’t buy the cans anymore. I buy the tubes that let you measure out as much as you need for the recipe, put the cap back on, and store in the refrigerator. I love this invention!
Enjoy! – Christine
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Chicken Vindaloo
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinate: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
DESCRIPTION
This easy Chicken Vindaloo, inspired by one of my favorite local Indian restaurants, takes advantage of pre-made garam masala and spices from the pantry.
Serve with white rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Ingredients
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. red pepper flakes, reduce to accommodate your spicy tolerance
- 1 Tbsp. paprika
- 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
- 2 tsp. garam masala
- 1 tsp. ground mustard
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- ½ cup water or low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- In a large metal or glass mixing bowl, combine the garlic, red pepper flakes, paprika, ginger, garam masala, ground mustard, turmeric, brown sugar, vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken and stir making sure that all pieces are coated with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. Add onions and cook until softened, 5 – 8 minutes.
- Add the chicken and any marinade in the bowl and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and water or chicken broth, stir to combine. Reduce the heat and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook an additional 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.
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