Marinated in a vibrant blend of yogurt, aromatic spices, and herbs, this spatchcocked Whole Roasted Tandoori Chicken is a bold and flavorful main dish to impress your guests. It's roasted and broiled to crispy, charred perfection in an oven that mimics using a tandoor.
Start with spatchcocking, or butterfly, your chicken. You can ask your butcher to spatchcock it for you. Otherwise, flip the chicken over to it's back. With a sharp pair of kitchen shears, cut out the backbone of the chicken. Flip it over again. Press down on the breast plate to crack it so that it lays flat.
Remove the skin from the entirety of the chicken, except the wings. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Use a chef's knife to cut three deep gashes on each thigh and each breast.
For the Dry Brine, rub a halved lemon all over the chicken. Then, rub the salt and kashmiri chili powder all over the chicken. Refrigerate the chicken for at least an hour to let the chicken's surface dry out and absorb the dry brine.
In a large mixing bowl that can fit the chicken, mix together the wet marinade - the yogurt, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, black pepper, salt, coriander, garam masala, cumin, kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, cardamom, kasuri methi, and vegetable oil.(Optional) Add 2-3 drops of red food coloring for a vibrant red chicken.
Pull on a pair of kitchen gloves. Transfer the chicken to the mixing bowl and massage the marinade all over the chicken. Cover and place in the fridge for 8 hours, ideally for 24 hours for the best flavor. 1 hour is the absolute minimum for marinating.
After the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil, and place the rack on top. Spray or brush the rack with oil. Place the chicken on the rack, tucking the wings underneath the chicken.
Transfer the chicken to the middle rack in the oven. Roast the chicken for 25 minutes. Carefully remove it from the oven. Brush the chicken with the remaining marinade. Put the chicken back in the oven. Continue roasting for another 20 minutes, adding 15 minutes for each additional pound of chicken, i.e. 4lbs = 1 hour 15 minutes.
Turn the broiler on high and broil the chicken for 5 minutes to char it. Remove the chicken from the oven. To check for doneness, use a food thermometer to measure for 165℉ at the thickest part of the breast, the thigh, and under the wing and that the juices run clear. *See Notes
Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before carving into it.