Indian Cilantro Chicken
Indian flavors, almost no effort.
Indian Cilantro Chicken is wonderfully fragrant baked chicken dish made with fresh cilantro, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and turmeric. Everything comes together into a vibrant cilantro sauce that cooks into a flavorful broth around the chicken.
The chicken becomes tender and juicy while the cilantro mixture transforms into a deeply aromatic sauce that’s especially delicious spooned over rice. And because the whole dish bakes in one pan, there’s very little hands-on work.
Why you’ll love this recipe.
Almost all the work happens in the blender and oven.
Big Indian-inspired flavor without a long spice list.
The chicken stays juicy thanks to all that flavorful broth.
One baking dish means easy cleanup.
The broth is worth making the recipe for. Spoon it generously over rice!
Easy to customize: Add green chili for heat or leave it out for a milder family-friendly version.
What is Indian Cilantro Chicken?
This recipe is inspired by the fresh herb-based flavors found throughout Indian cooking, particularly preparations that combine cilantro (coriander leaves), ginger, garlic, onion, and warm spices.
It isn’t meant to represent one specific traditional Indian chicken dish. Instead, it’s my simplified home-cooking interpretation of those flavors. Many Indian chicken recipes build flavor in stages - sautéing onions, blooming spices in oil, making a masala, and then simmering the chicken. This version skips those steps. Everything goes into one blender, gets poured over the chicken, and the oven takes over.
It’s a great example of how you can capture the flavor profile of a cuisine without turning dinner into a complicated project.
Ingredient spotlight.
Fresh cilantro is the star here. Unlike dried herbs, it brings both herbal freshness and a beautiful green color to the sauce. Don’t be shy about using the stems as they are flavorful and can be blended right into the sauce along with the leaves.
Garam masala and turmeric are the keys to the Indian flavor profile that brings this dish into this cuisine.
Yogurt gives a bit of creaminess to the final broth, plus a beautiful tanginess that pairs well with the vibrant cilantro.
Easy ingredient swaps.
Chicken: bone in, skin on thighs and drumsticks work beautifully. You can use a combination of both.
Chicken stock: Water can be used, although stock gives the broth more flavor. Vegetable stock is a good option as well.
Garam masala: This is an important flavor component, so I wouldn’t recommend replacing it with curry powder. I necessary, mix in equal parts cumin, coriander, and cinnamon.
Beginner tips for success.
Don’t skimp on the cilantro. The large bunch is what gives this dish its distinctive flavor and color.
Blend until smooth. You want the onion, garlic, ginger and cilantro incorporated into a broth rather than leaving large pieces behind.
Don’t skip the broiler. The chicken will be coo red after baking, but those final few minutes under the broiler give you the beautiful browned finish.
Save the broth! This is one of the best parts of the recipe. Spoon the fragrant cooking liquid over your rice rather than letting it stay behind in the baking dish.
What to serve with Indian Cilantro Chicken.
This chicken practically begs to be served with rice. Try it with:
Steamed basmati rice
Jeera (cumin) rice
Jasmine rice
Warm naan
Roti
Pita bread
Cucumber raita
Roasted vegetables
Make it a complete meal.
For a simple Indian inspired vegetarian family dinner:
Main: Indian Cilantro Chicken
Side: Steamed basmati rice
Vegetables: Roasted mixed vegetables
Dessert: Coconut yogurt with mango
Indian Cilantro Chicken
This easy Indian Cilantro chicken combines fresh cilantro, garlic, ginger and garam masala for tender baked chicken with a fragrant broth perfect over rice.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, including tender stems
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 tablespoon garam masala, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 green chili, chopped (optional)
- Olive oil, for the baking dish
- 8 chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, preferably bone-in and skin-on
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Add the cilantro, yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, salt, chicken stock, and optional green chili to a bowl or deep container.
- Blend with an immersion blender until the mixture is mostly smooth and well combined.
- Drizzle a little olive oil into a deep baking dish.
- Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up in the dish.
- Pour the cilantro mixture over and around the chicken. Sprinkle a little additional garam masala over the chicken.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Turn the oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes, watching carefully, until the chicken is nicely browned.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest 10 minutes before serving generously with the fragrant cilantro broth spooned over rice.
Notes
- The broth is part of the dish! Serve plenty of it over the rice.
- Cilantro stems can be blended into the sauce along with the leaves.
- Adjust the green chili according to your preferred level of heat.
- If using particularly large chicken pieces, allow a little extra cooking time and always check the internal temperature.
- For a thicker sauce rather than a broth-like consistency, reduce the chicken stock slightly - but I actually love this recipe as written because of the fragrant liquid it creates.
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