Tandoori Chicken Sliders are mini-burgers made with marinated & grilled chicken, buttery-soft slider buns and dressed with a tart & spicy cilantro-chutney spread.
I marinate chicken in yogurt, aromatics, lime juice and toasted Indian spices, and grill it to a smoky and juicy finish, or, cook it in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot.
Both methods help seal the flavors of the marinade into the chicken, and it stays moist and juicy after cooking.
How to Assemble Tandoori Chicken Sliders?
To build the sliders, I start with a generous spread of my house-dressing, cilantro-chutney on the slider buns.
I top that with Tandoori chicken, followed by lettuce and thinly sliced onions.
Place the slider cap on top and you're good to go.
There's so much flavor going on in these Tandoori Chicken Sliders, you have got to try them out!
Weeknight Gourmet
I love recipes that break the monotony of everyday food and are a breeze to put together.
Marinating and grilling meats is one of those shortcuts, that helps me pack a ton of flavor in my meal with minimal effort.
If you like this flavor profile, do try my easy TANDOORI CHICKEN recipe.
In this easy recipe, I marinate chicken in my classic Tandoori marinade.
If I have time, I marinate the chicken the night before, so by the time I am ready to cook, it has soaked up the marinade flavors like a sponge.
That being said, sometimes I forget, or, simply don't have the time to let it sit in the fridge.
In that case, I toss the chicken in the marinade and pop it in the fridge while I gather ingredients to build the burger.
You'll be amazed what 10-15 minutes in this marinade can do to chicken!
Cook this Tandoori Chicken 4 Ways
I prefer using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. They cook faster and can stand the high-heat without drying out. You can cook Tandoori Chicken 4 ways, here's how:
- Skillet: Heat a heavy bottom wide skillet on medium-high heat. Lightly drizzle oil, place the chicken in the pan. Don't overcrowd the pan, you may have to do this in 2 batches. Cook 5-6 minutes on the first side, flip it, cook another 5-6 minutes, or till chicken is cooked through.
- Broiler: Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet. Turn on the oven on broiler mode. Place the chicken tray such that the chicken is roughly 2-3 inches away from the heat source. Any closer and it might burn before it cooks through. Cook 6 minutes on first side, flip it, and cook another 5-6 minutes, or till chicken is cooked.
- Grill: Pre-heat grill. Place chicken on the medium-high heat zone of your grill, (about 3-4 inches away from direct heat). Grill for 5-6 mins on each side, flipping half way though. Cook till chicken is cooked through.
- Instant Pot: Believe it or not, you can make tandoori chicken in your pressure cooker too. I add water to the main pot, place a trivet, place the chicken on it, close the lid and cook it for 6 mins. Wait 5 mins before releasing pressure. At this point, the chicken is ready to eat, but just like my recipe for Chicken wings, I like to broil it to crisp up the exterior. Just 2-3 minutes under the broiler does the trick!
Cilantro Chutney Spread - Coolest Dressing Ever!
This spicy and tangy chutney compliments the earthy tandoori flavors in chicken and enhances the taste further.
I love using it as-is, but if you want to make it creamier, you can add a couple of tablespoons of greek yogurt or mayonnaise to ½ cup of chutney and spread it on the slider buns. Here's the detailed recipe for Cilantro Chutney.
Tandoori Chicken Sliders are Great for Game-Day or BBQ Parties
Whenever I serve these sliders at any game-day or BBQ parties, they disappear real fast 🙂 I love adding them to my party menu as they are so easy to put together. I spread out the slider bar with buns, condiments, topping etc. Then place a tray of grilled Tandoori Chicken next to it. This way everyone can customize and build their slider like the way they want.
And if you're looking for the perfect cocktail to serve with these delicious Tandoori Chicken Sliders, try this- Jal-Jeera Mojito (Indian Spiced Mojito)!
★ Did you try this recipe? We love your feedback! Please click on the stars ★ in the recipe card to rate!
📖 Recipe
Tandoori Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. chicken thighs skinless, boneless , extra fat trimmed
Ingredients for Marinade:
- ½ cup greek yogurt or ¾ cup regular plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic, crushed or grated (½ inch ginger + 3 cloves garlic)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to taste
- 2 teaspoons Paprika (or Kashmiri red chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons lime juice (about ½ a lime)
Garnish
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice drizzled on top
- ½ teaspoon Chaat Masala (lightly sprinkle all over the chicken) optional
Sliders
- 8 Slider Buns
- 8 tablespoon Cilantro Chutney Spread (spread 1 tablespoon per slider)
- 4 cups Lettuce (I use Purple & Green Butter Lettuce)
- 1 onion thinly sliced
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In a large ziplock bag, or a mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients listed under "Marinade". Add chicken, close the bag tight and toss it well to coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate the chicken anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight.
Cook Tandoori Chicken one of the 4 ways listed below:
- Skillet: Heat a heavy bottom wide skillet on medium-high heat. Lightly drizzle oil, place the chicken in the pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan, you may have to do this in 2 batches. Cook 5-6 minutes on the first side, flip it, cook another 5-6 minutes, or till chicken is cooked through.
- Broiler: Place chicken on a foil lined baking sheet. Turn on oven on broiler mode. Place the chicken tray such that the chicken is roughly 2-3 inches away from the heat source. Any closer and it might burn before it cooks though. Cook 6 minutes on first side, flip it, and cook another 5-6 minutes, or till chicken cooks through.
- Grill: Pre-heat grill. Place chicken on the medium-high zone of your grill, (not over direct heat). Grill for 5-6 mins on each side, flipping half way though. Cook till chicken is cooked through.
- Instant Pot: Believe it or not, you can make tandoori chicken in your pressure cooker too. I add water to the main pot, place a trivet, place the chicken on it, close the lid and cook it for 6 mins. Wait 5 mins before opening the lid. The chicken is ready to eat, but just like my recipe for Chicken wings, I like to broil it to crisp up the exterior. Just 2-3 minutes under the broiler does the trick!
Assemble Sliders
- Make Cilantro Chutney spread as per the recipe listed on this page. To make it creamier, add a tablespoon of greek yogurt or mayonnaise and mix in chutney. Spread about a tablespoon of the spread on each slider bun halves.
- Add tandoori chicken followed by lettuce and onion slices. This way the lettuce stays crispier. Top with the slider bun-top and enjoy your Tandoori Chicken Slider!
Notes
Nutrition
★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below! For more quick & easy recipes, FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Youtube.
Leave a Reply