Easy Tandoori Chicken Sheet Pan (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the Chicken and Marinade

01 - About 3¼ pounds of chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs, or bone-in breasts work best)
02 - A good squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon)
03 - 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus a pinch more for the potatoes
04 - A splash of low sodium soy sauce (about 1 tablespoon, or use GF tamari if needed)
05 - 1 tablespoon red pepper paste or sambal for that lovely heat
06 - 2 tablespoons of your favorite cooking oil
07 - 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (or hot paprika in a pinch)
08 - 1 teaspoon ground coriander (freshly roasted and ground is amazing!)
09 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin (again, homemade if you're feeling fancy)
10 - A good pinch of ground turmeric (½ teaspoon)
11 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - ½ teaspoon aromatic garam masala
13 - 1 teaspoon fenugreek leaves for that authentic touch
14 - A tiny pinch of baking soda (¼ teaspoon) for tenderness
15 - 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or ½ tablespoon each of minced ginger and garlic)
16 - 2 tablespoons thick Greek yogurt

→ For Serving

17 - 1¼ to 1½ pounds potatoes, cut into nice thick wedges
18 - A handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
19 - Lemon or lime wedges, for squeezing over at the table

# Instructions:

01 - Grab a big mixing bowl and throw in everything except the chicken and potatoes - that's your lemon juice, salt, soy sauce, red pepper paste, oil, all those gorgeous spices, the baking soda, ginger-garlic paste, and yogurt. Give it all a good stir until you have a vibrant, aromatic paste that'll make your kitchen smell like an Indian restaurant.
02 - Take your chicken pieces and using a sharp knife, make deep gashes into the meat. Don't be shy here - cut all the way down to the bone. These cuts are the secret to allowing all those wonderful flavors to penetrate deep into the chicken, creating tandoori magic in every bite.
03 - Toss the chicken into your bowl of marinade and use your hands (gloves recommended for avoiding stained fingers!) to massage that glorious spice mix into every nook and cranny, making sure it gets into all those cuts you made. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it hang out in the fridge for at least 1 hour, though overnight is even better if you've planned ahead.
04 - When you're ready to cook, position a rack in the middle of your oven and crank that baby up to 425°F. Grab a baking sheet and give it a quick spray with cooking oil to prevent sticking.
05 - Take the marinated chicken pieces out of the bowl, leaving behind as much of that flavorful marinade as possible, and arrange them on your baking sheet. Now for the clever part - toss your potato wedges into that leftover marinade with an extra pinch of salt, giving them a good coating. This way, nothing goes to waste and your potatoes become flavor bombs!
06 - Arrange those coated potato wedges around the chicken pieces, giving everything some breathing room. Slide the sheet pan into your hot oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes (depending on your chicken pieces' size). You want the chicken to register 160°F on a meat thermometer and the potatoes to be fork-tender. For that authentic tandoori char, switch to the broiler for the final 1-2 minutes, watching carefully so nothing burns.
07 - Pull your masterpiece from the oven and scatter the fresh chopped cilantro all over. Arrange some lemon or lime wedges around the edges for squeezing over at the table - that final hit of acid really brightens up all those deep, complex flavors.

# Notes:

01 - For the most authentic flavor, try toasting whole cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan until fragrant, then grinding them yourself.
02 - This dish pairs beautifully with a simple cucumber raita or a quick mint chutney on the side.
03 - Leftovers make fantastic wraps the next day - just shred the chicken, chop the potatoes, and wrap in warm naan with some fresh veggies.

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