Tandoori Chicken Pizza

East meets West…!!! Tandoori chicken in Pizza… a perfect way to satisfy your western food cravings with an eastern flavour. One of my July 4^th variety recipes …!

My memorable experiences with pizza started at Hyderabad, India, where even though I got to try out the authentic recipes, I loved the different Indian flavours like the kadai pizza, chicken tikka pizza, n tandoori pizza. They are so delicious that you sometimes forget that you are having a pizza! After moving to the US, I have enjoyed the ample choices available here; varieties of crusts, meats, veggies, cheese, local favorites and so on… but I do miss the indian flavours.

So, here is my first pizza recipe… Tandoori Chicken Pizza.

Indian Tandoori recipes are pretty famous around the world. The tandoor oven which is basically a clay or metal oven is heated by burning charcoal or wood fire. The delightful flavours of the tandoori recipes are a result of the marinade which is rich in yogurt and spices, combined with the smoky flavour from the oven. The bright red color comes from the chili powder, usually Kashmiri chili / cayenne. Having a tandoor oven at home especially in the US is not that easy, and so the alternatives are either using a barbeque grill or a conventional oven.

The tandoori marinade is a flavour pack of different spices with yogurt and lemon juice. It is ideal to marinade the chicken for 24 hours, allowing the meat to break down and the flavour to combine. The longer you marinate, the better it tastes.

So, plan your next get-together and show off your cooking skills with some variety pizzas… Enjoy!!!

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Tandoori Chicken Pizza

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Tandoori chicken pizza topped with onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, cilantro and mozzarella cheese.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: chicken pizza, indian pizza, pizza, tandoori pizza

Servings: 3

Author: Akhila

Ingredients

For tandoori chicken marinade

• 4 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp corainder powder
• 1 tsp pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• salt (as required)

For pizza

• 1 large chicken breast
• tandoori chicken marinade (above)
• ½ of a red bell pepper (sliced lengthwise)
• 1 tomato (sliced)
• 2 jalapenos (sliced)
• 1 red onion (cubed)
• cilantro leaves (chopped)
• mozzarella cheese
• 2-3 tbsp tomato paste
• pizza crust
• salt (as required)

Instructions

Preparation of tandoori chicken

1. To prepare the marinade, in a bowl whisk all the ingredients of the tandoori chicken marinade.
2. Marinate the chicken and refrigerate for 24 hours preferably (6 hours minimum).
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
4. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil, spray cooking oil and place the chicken on it.
5. Cook the chicken in the oven for 25 minutes. Flip it half way through.
6. Allow it to cool and then slice into thin strips.

Preparation of pizza

1. 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

2. 2. To prepare the pizza, first spread the tomato paste on the pizza crust.

3. 3. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese generously on top of it.

4. 4. Arrange the sliced chicken pieces, followed by the vegetables and again top with mozzarella cheese. 

5. 5. Bake for about 15-16 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to brown at the edges. 

Notes

1. Do not cook the chicken for more than 25 minutes as it will end up being too dry. 20 – 25 minutes of cooking is ideal for a juicy chicken.
2. You can vary the vegetables used as per your choice.
3. The garam masala I have used in my recipe has been bought from an Indian store (Sakthi garam masala). You can also use a homemade masala which is preferable.