tandoori-spiced chicken and potatoes with peanut chutney & crispy kale

i'm begging you to make this tonight.

When thinking about what we should cook this week, I envisioned a warming, flavor-filled feast that is so, so easy for you to cook, but will still allow you to really wow your loved ones. Something communal and cozy and impressive. Many of us will be reuniting with friends and family this week, and that calls for something special, but not especially effortful.

This meal checks all those boxes and more!!

If you’ve been too intimidated to cook a whole chicken before now — like our rotisserie-ish chicken with schmaltzy frizzled cabbage or our one-pan roast chicken and squash — here’s another shot. ‘Tis the season! You’ve got this! It’s truly so simple.

Tandoori chicken is a delicious, aromatic dish native to India. It’s actually named after the urn-shaped clay vessel the chicken is cooked in (a tandoor … I’m thinking you don’t have one?). But by marinating our chicken in yogurt infused with spices like garam masala, turmeric, ginger, and fresh chili peppers, and roasting it at high heat, we’re going to get the traditional flavors, heady aroma, and bright-hued crispy skin that’s traditional to tandoori chicken using a sheet pan instead.

We’re throwing some potatoes on the baking sheet for a filling vegetable, and when the tandoori chicken’s pulled off the sheet pan to rest, we’re going to roast a head of kale coated in the chicken schmaltz for some positively addictive greens. And finally, we’ll drizzle it all with a crunchy and delicious peanut chutney. It’s inspired by the peanut chutney at Hampton Chutney, IYKYK.

DON’T SKIP THE CHUTNEY, for the love of Rudolph. It all makes for a truly perfect bite of food. I can’t wait for you to try it.

This is a great meal to prep in stages as you’re able to ahead of time. You can make the peanut chutney up to three days in advance. Just add some water before you serve it to loosen it up, as it’ll thicken in the fridge. And the chicken can hang in the yogurt marinade for up to 24 hours stored covered in the fridge. The longer it marinates, the juicier and more tender it’ll be.

Anna, who took the beautiful pics you see of this recipe, said this: “I opted for the juicier chicken with an overnight marinade and I don't think I've ever had a juicier chicky!! So moist and delicious.”

Take it from Anna … go for the overnight marinade if you can!

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tandoori-spiced chicken and potatoes with peanut chutney & crispy kale

Serves 4-6

Cook time: 1.5 hours (~45 minutes active, 45 minutes inactive)