Presenting the easiest chicken recipe to date on Tea for Turmeric blog! I almost can’t take the simplicity. Are you ready for this? Here’s how it goes: Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week!
Cooking Chicken on the Stovetop
A bit of background – we grew up calling this “Chicken Roast”. Ovens weren’t the norm in South Asia. So to recreate tender chicken and a roast-like finish on the stovetop, you would: With access to ovens, I don’t see much need or benefit of this method. I usually partly steam chicken in the oven anyway (ex. Baked Tandoori Chicken Curry and Peri Peri Chicken). But in this case, the pan serves to contain and reduce the vinegar. Plus, it allows us to add the ketchup toward the end, creating a layer of flavor.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here are the ingredients, all of which you probably have in your pantry right now:
Chicken: As I mentioned earlier, you can use any cut of skinless, bone-in chicken such as thighs, drumsticks or cut up whole chicken pieces (the breast pieces will still remain tender!). I’ve used thighs in the pictures and split leg quarters (drumsticks and thighs) in the video. If you can, try to use small chicken thighs (typically 2-3 oz each). Smaller cuts of chicken cook faster and soak up more flavor. Vinegar: I use distilled white vinegar but I think other types of vinegar could also work here. Oil: Any oil, including olive oil, works in this recipe. Cumin seeds: Plain, untoasted cumin seeds (not powder). Black pepper and crushed red pepper (chili) flakes are the only other spices you’ll need. Feel free to adjust according to your desired heat level. Ketchup: Though ketchup elevates the flavor, you really won’t be able to taste it in the final product.
Flavor profile: The flavors of this chicken are simple yet bold. Vinegar and ketchup give it tangy-sweet, lip-smacking edge and cumin adds an earthy flavor and texture. It’s surprisingly addictive!
Skin-on vs Skinless Chicken
Let me admit that before I started food blogging, I had no idea how differently chicken is sold in supermarkets vs. halal meat markets (where I get my meat from).
At a typical American grocery store, you usually find either boneless, skinless chicken thighs or bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. You can, of course, find whole chicken, bone-in chicken breast, leg quarters, drumsticks, wings, etc. But skinless, cut up, bone-in chicken is not the norm. On the other hand, at Pakistani/Indian halal meat markets, the most readily available cut of chicken is a cut up, skinless, whole chicken. That’s what we use to make most homestyle chicken dishes such as Authentic Chicken Curry and Instant Pot Chicken Curry with Potatoes. The second most popular cut is boneless chicken for curries like Butter Chicken or Chicken Jalfrezi. Of course, you’ll find many other cuts. But whatever the cut, it will likely be skinless.
All this is to say, this recipe requires bone-in, skinless chicken (skin-on would probably get soggy). If that’s not readily available to you, you can remove the skin at home as shown in this helpful YouTube video.
How to make Bone-In Chicken Thighs on the Stovetop
Here are some more details behind the method: Tip: Move the chicken over to the side of the pan to allow for maximum water evaporation in the shortest time.
How to Serve these Bone-in Chicken Thighs
We always ate this chicken with our hands as soon as the platter hit the table. These days, I often serve as a side dish (i.e. a low-effort way to bulk up my dinner party spread 😇).
What to Serve on the Side
As a main dish, this chicken pairs well with just about everything. Some ideas:
Plain rice, Matar (Peas) Pulao, or Chana (chickpea) pulao. Paratha or naan. Potato wedges, fries, or Aloo ki Tikki. Roasted vegetables or a salad. Mint raita or any creamy sauce.
Leftover ideas: The leftover possibilities are endless. Shred the chicken and use it in sandwiches, salads, pasta, Chicken Puff Pastry or anywhere else you’d use rotisserie chicken! Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! You can also take a quick picture and upload it directly into the comments. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!
