Jeera chicken is a quick and easy chicken breast recipe that can be made in about 30 minutes in a pan. This healthy cumin-spiced chicken is made with simple everyday ingredients and is ideal for a weeknight dinner.
Clean and chop 850 grams/30 ounces of chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon each yogurt and lime juice.
Let the chicken marinate for about 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Roast and grind the spices
Dry roast 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon each of peppercorns and coriander seeds in a pan.
Let the spices cool. Grind them in a spice blender until almost smooth.
Prepare garnish
Heat ½ teaspoon oil in the pan. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped cashews and a handful of halved curry leaves.
Roast until the cashews are browned. Remove and keep aside.
Make jeera chicken
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add a finely chopped onion and sauté until translucent.
Stir in 1 or 2 minced green chilies and 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste. Sauté until the raw smell is gone and you get a nice aroma.
Add in the marinated chicken. Sauté until the chicken changes color, for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once after 5 minutes.
Open the lid and add the ground jeera spice mix. Stir for about 5 to 10 minutes until the chicken is browned well and most of the water evaporates.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and roasted cashews and curry leaves.
Notes
Chicken: You can use boneless chicken breasts or thighs. You can also use bone-in pieces (increase the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes).
Whole spices: You can substitute the whole spices (cumin, coriander and pepper) with the ground ones. Ground spices tend to burn easily. So ensure that you roast them on very low flame (for not more than 2 to 3 minutes) before adding to the chicken.
Ginger-garlic paste: If you don’t make fresh paste at home, grate 3 cloves of garlic and 1-inch piece of ginger. DO NOT use the store-bought paste. The freshness of ginger and garlic is important for this recipe.
Oil: I’ve used olive oil here. You can use any cooking oil of your preference.
Marinating: If you have the time, marinate the chicken longer. (8 hours or even overnight is fine.)
Tenderizing: The yogurt and lime juice in the marinade tenderize the chicken. Want your jeera chicken to be even softer and juicier? Try this hack for tenderizing chicken breasts that I use for sesame chicken stir fry. (You don't have to tenderize if using chicken thighs.)
Scaling: This recipe can be adapted according to the number of people you are serving.
Storing leftovers: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2 days. If you want to store it longer, freeze it.
Make ahead: This jeera chicken recipe can be made ahead and frozen or refrigerated. It can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.
How to reheat: Thaw it completely (overnight) in the fridge and reheat using a pan, sprinkling a little water. Reheating in the microwave is not advisable since it might change the texture of the chicken.