Description
This Tandoori Chicken Garlic Bread recipe combines the smoky, spicy flavors of marinated and smoked tandoori chicken with rich, garlicky butter-soaked bread topped with gooey melted mozzarella cheese. It’s a fusion appetizer that blends Indian spices and traditional garlic bread techniques to create a delicious, crowd-pleasing snack perfect for parties or a flavorful treat at home.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Tandoori Chicken Marinade
- 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
For Cooking
- 2 tbsp oil, butter or ghee for cooking
- Handful of wooden smoking chips for smoking
For the Garlic Butter Custard Sauce
- 6–8 garlic cloves mixed with 2 tbsp olive oil, roasted
- 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
For the Bread and Topping
- 12 King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sheet Rolls, kept in the full sheet form (or substitute with a French baguette of similar size)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: In a large bowl, combine chicken tenders with yogurt, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, red chili powder, chili flakes, turmeric, coriander, cumin, onion powder, garam masala, and optionally Shan tandoori masala. Mix thoroughly to coat all chicken pieces evenly. Allow this mixture to marinate for at least 30 minutes to infuse flavors.
- Cook and Smoke the Chicken: Heat oil, butter, or ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook until tender and fully cooked through. Once cooked, add a handful of wooden smoking chips to the pan, cover briefly to trap the smoke, and impart a rich smoky flavor to the chicken.
- Prepare Garlic Butter Custard Sauce: Roast garlic cloves in olive oil until fragrant and soft. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the roasted garlic mixture, melted unsalted butter, egg, milk, salt, paprika, and chopped fresh parsley until well blended, forming a rich garlic butter custard sauce.
- Soak the Bread: Dip the entire sheet of Hawaiian rolls into the garlic butter custard sauce to soak evenly. Place the soaked bread on a baking tray. Preheat the oven and bake until the bread is lightly toasted and has absorbed the custard flavors.
- Assemble with Chicken and Cheese: Remove the bread from the oven, top generously with the smoked tandoori chicken pieces, then sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Broil to Finish: Return the assembled bread to the oven under the broiler. Broil until the mozzarella melts, bubbles, and turns golden brown, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven, garnish with freshly chopped parsley, slice, and serve warm as a flavorful fusion appetizer or snack.
Notes
- Marinating the chicken for longer (up to 2 hours) intensifies the flavor.
- If Hawaiian rolls are not available, a similar sized French baguette can be used.
- Adjust chili flakes according to your preferred spice level.
- Wooden smoking chips add authentic smoky flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Keep a close watch during broiling to avoid burning the cheese.
- Leftover chicken makes great filling for other dishes or sandwiches.
