Juicy chicken thighs are marinated in a flavorful spice blend with zesty lemon to make this delicious grilled turmeric chicken. A great main dish or enjoyed with a salad or bed of grains.
Curious to change up your usual chicken marinade? This zesty and slightly spicy turmeric chicken recipe will become a hit in your house. Read on to learn more.
Maven’s Quick Tips
Use fresh or dried spices. I use a mix of fresh and dried spices. For the ultimate flavor I recommend using fresh turmeric if you can find it!
Let it marinate. I highly recommend marinating this chicken to maximize flavor! You can let it marinate overnight if you’d like.
Add some heat. Though not essential, I love adding a little sambal oelek for a small kick. Red chili flakes also work.
Grill inside or outside. If it’s still too cold to grill outside you can use an indoor grill pan. I’m also including instructions for easy baked turmeric chicken.
Make easy swaps. Prefer chicken breasts? No problem! Can’t find fresh turmeric? No biggie – use dried! I’m including lots of easy customizations for this recipe.
Pair it well. Included are some side dishes and salads that pair perfectly with this zesty turmeric chicken.
Ingredients in Turmeric Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – you can also use chicken breasts or bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
- Ginger – I like using fresh ginger since it brings more of a zing than dried.
- Ground Turmeric – I use dried ground turmeric because it’s easier to find but if you can get your hands on fresh turmeric it’s a great swap!
- Other spices– Garlic Powder, Paprika, Cumin, Coriander and Salt + Pepper
- Lemon – we’re using both the zest and juice of one lemon.
- Honey – the sweetness helps to balance out the flavors and also brings a nice caramelization to the chicken.
How to Make Grilled Turmeric Chicken
STEP 1: MARINATE CHICKEN
In a large bowl combine chicken thighs with all other ingredients and stir to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
STEP 2: GRILL TURMERIC CHICKEN
Preheat your grill or stove-top grill pan to medium-high heat (roughly 450ºF). Remove chicken from marinade and add directly onto grill rack or pan. Grill on each side for 5-7 minutes or until internal temp has reached 165ºF.
What to Pair with Turmeric Chicken
This turmeric chicken tastes delicious paired with a salad or grain like rice or quinoa. If you’re wanting to really build out the meal here are some delicious recipes that pair well:
FAQs
Yes. Feel free to cook this on the stove top using a regular pan or grill pan. I really like this cast-iron grill pan.
Yes! Pour chicken and marinade into a shallow baking dish and bake at 400 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until internal temp has reached 165ºF.
Absolutely! Feel free to sub in fresh turmeric in place of dried ground turmeric. Just note that you’ll want to double the amount (1 tbsp instead of 1.5 tsp).
Yes. You can sub in chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. You can also use bone-in, skin-on thighs. Just note that cook times will vary. Your chicken is done when the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. I recommend using an Instant-Read Thermometer to test your chicken to know when it’s ready.
Not necessarily but just note that the flavors may not be as potent.
Yes it is!
Storage Instructions
Store your leftover cooked turmeric chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in microwave or on stove top.
If storing raw chicken in marinade you can keep your chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 24 hours.
Freezing: In the freezer you can store your raw turmeric chicken in marinade in Ziploc bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then cook as directed.
More Chicken Recipes:
More Turmeric Recipes:
Grilled Turmeric Chicken
Juicy chicken thighs are marinated in a flavorful spice blend with zesty lemon to make this delicious grilled turmeric chicken. A great main dish or enjoyed with a salad or bed of grains.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grill
- Diet: Gluten Free
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (or 1 tbsp freshly grated turmeric)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Zest, 1 lemon
- Juice, 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp honey
- In a large bowl combine chicken thighs with all other ingredients and stir to coat.
- Cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat your grill or stove-top grill pan to medium-high heat (roughly 450ºF).
- Remove chicken from marinade and add directly onto grill rack or pan.
- Grill on each side for 5-7 minutes or until internal temp has reached 165ºF.
- Store cooked chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days.
