Sous Vide Tandoori Chicken with a Charred Ghee Crust

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A yogurt-and-garam-masala marinade goes right into the bag, so the chicken breasts cook gently at 145°F until they are impossibly juicy edge to edge. A hard 60-second sear in smoking ghee gives you the blackened, tandoor-style crust without a tandoor, a grill, or any guesswork about doneness.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 7 oz each)
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (or smoked paprika)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Set your sous vide circulator in a large pot or container of water and bring it to 145°F (63°C). Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt, garam masala, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and kosher salt together in a bowl until evenly colored.
2. Put the chicken breasts in a zip-top freezer bag (or two bags, in a single layer) and add the marinade, massaging it over every surface. Lower the open bag into the water bath so the water pressure pushes the air out, then seal it just above the waterline. Clip the bag to the side of the pot so the chicken stays fully submerged.
3. Cook at 145°F (63°C) for 1 hour 30 minutes. Anywhere from 1 hour 30 minutes to 3 hours is fine — the chicken will not overcook, it just gets slightly softer with time.
4. Lift the bag out and open it. Scrape most of the clinging marinade off each breast with the back of a knife, then pat the chicken very dry on both sides with paper towels. Dry surfaces are the whole secret to the sear; give them 5 to 10 minutes on a rack while the pan heats.
5. Heat the ghee in a cast-iron or heavy stainless skillet over high heat until it shimmers and just begins to smoke. Add the chicken in a single uncrowded layer (work in two batches if needed) and sear undisturbed for 45 to 60 seconds per side, until blistered and deeply browned in patches. Do not go longer — you are only browning, the chicken is already cooked.
6. Rest the chicken on a board for 3 minutes, then slice thickly against the grain, spoon the browned ghee from the pan over the top, and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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