Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (2024)

Sweet, tangy and spicy…the perfect oven roasted chicken for a quick weeknight dinner!

Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (1)

There nothing like a quick roast chicken weeknight dinner. But, just because it’s chicken it doesn’t have to be boring. This sweet and tangy Tamarind sauce is just the thing to spruce up your weeknight chicken dinner.

If you haven’t heard of tamarind and are wondering what the hell is it? it’s a pod like fruit that grows in tropical climates of Africa, India, South-East Asia and Mexico. Inside the pods are seeds surrounded by a sticky tart pulp. The pulp is usually taken out and the seeds removed from the pod shell. It is then used fresh in small quantities, or is often dried to increase its shelf life. It tastes a lot stronger and becomes a lot tarter when dried. In it’s dried form, you tend to have to soak a small lump of tamarind pulp in hot/ war water to loosen it and extract the flavor. The water is then used in curries,dishes, chutneys, soups etc. to lend a sour tangy note. The pulp is also sometimes made into a paste and diluted for ease of use as is. It tastes quite potent sour and tart, but often is mixed with sugar or date paste to balance out the tartness.

Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (2)You can buy tamarind in dried or wet paste form or as a concentrate with or without sugar added in a lot of Asian store and some bigger grocery stores. But if not, you can always source it on Amazon here- https://amzn.to/2E2Ko6Y (affiliate link). And I would highly recommend getting some as it is a stellar ingredient to add some zing to a dish and is a must have if you love Indian, Thai or Middle Eastern dishes and like to recreate them at home.

For this recipe I simply made a sweet and tangy tamarind paste sauce…with a hint of Asian flavors like soy, ginger and garlic and simple scored 2 bone in skin on chicken leg quarters and brushed them with the sauce before oven roasting them along with some sweet potatoes as a vegetable side. You can use any cuts of chicken you like for this recipe and alter the quantities of honey, cayenne and tamarind paste to adjust the sweet, spicy or tartness of the sauce according to your taste. Here’s the recipe-

Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (3)

Sticky Tamarind Roasted Chicken

2018-03-29 16:09:38

Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (4)

Serves 2

Sweet, tangy and spicy...the perfect oven roasted chicken for a quick weeknight dinner!

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

40 min

Total Time

50 min

Ingredients

  1. 2 Bone-in, Skin-on Chicken leg quarters
  2. 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  3. 1/2 Cup Onion, finely diced
  4. 1/2 Tsp Ginger, grated
  5. 1/2 Tbsp Garlic, grated
  6. 1/4 Cup Tamarind Paste
  7. 1/4 Cup Honey
  8. 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
  9. 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  10. Zest & juice of 1 Lime
  11. 1/4 tsp Cayenne Powder
  12. Salt & Pepper, to taste
  13. Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  1. - Heat oil in a small sauce pan
  2. - Add the diced onion and cook until they soften and start to brown
  3. - Stir in the grate ginger and garlic and cook for another minute, until frgrant.
  4. - Add the tamarind paste, honey, orange juice, soy sauce, lemon zest and juice along with the cayenne powder and bring the sauce to a gentle boil while stirring.
  5. - Let the sauce reduce and thicken to a syrupy consistency then turn off the heat.
  6. - In the meantime score your chicken leg quarters to the bone and season well with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. - Preheat oven to 425F. - Brush the chicken well with the tamarind sauce on both sides, reserving some sauce for basting later.
  8. - Place in an oven proof dish/sheet pan and roast for 30-40 mins until cooked all the way through. Baste the chicken with extra tamarind sauce & garnish with cilantro before serving.

By Noreen Hiskey (PictureTheRecipe.com)

Picture the Recipe https://picturetherecipe.com/

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (10)Karly says

    This looks absolutely amazing!

    Reply

    • Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (11)Noreen says

      Thank you! 🙂

      Reply

  2. Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (12)Abby says

    I am a food blogger myself and your blog is stunning! I love your photo’s and recipes.
    This recipe looks amazing – I have to give it a try!

    Reply

  3. Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (13)Nancy says

    I tried this recipe as it is written, almost. The ingredients says a lime but the instructions said lemon zest. I used the recipes amount of lime and it was way too much. It overshadowed the other flavors. If you use lime, and a whole one, increase the ginger, garlic and cayenne or cut the lime ingredient in half. It was still fairly good but I want to try it again with lemon instead of lime. I will probably increase the spices anyway because I like spicy food. this recipe has potential. It would be nice to know if lime or lemon was intended.

    Reply

  4. Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (14)Lisa Morton says

    Hi Noreen,

    What would you serve with the sticky tamarind roasted chicken? Thank you!
    Lisa Morton

    Reply

  5. Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (15)Alison Lapping says

    This was amazing! Used zest and juice of a lemon instead of lime, and doubled the amount of ginger and garlic. Will definitely be making again. Fabulous recipe and so easy!

    Reply

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Sticky Tamarind Chicken | Picture the Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook tamarind? ›

Pour the boiling water over the tamarind, submerge completely, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 30 to 45 minutes. Stir the tamarind occasionally with a fork at first, then, as the water cools, rub the fruit between your fingers to separate it from the seeds. The mixture will turn thick and pulpy.

What is tamarind paste made of? ›

Tamarind paste uses the edible fruit of the tamarind tree. The fruit has a sweet flavor balanced by a sour flavor, and the paste's flavor profile is much the same as fresh tamarind, albeit more concentrated. Tamarind paste has a slight acidity, like lemon juice, but not as much as apple cider vinegar does.

What can you use tamarind paste for? ›

Often used in the form of frozen pulp, concentrate, or paste, it's an easy way to add interest to co*cktails (Tamarind Whiskey Sour, anyone?), poultry (Balinese Grilled Chicken!), decadent desserts (hello, Tamarind Millionaire's Shortbread), and more.

How much tamarind concentrate to use? ›

If your recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of tamarind paste, mix 1 tablespoon of tamarind concentrate and 2 tablespoons of water.

What does tamarind do to your body? ›

Tamarind fruit may serve as a natural laxative, and its components have the potential to promote muscle relaxation, which can be beneficial for managing diarrhea. Furthermore, tamarind seeds contain antioxidants that may help combat free radicals, potentially aiding in conditions such as stomach ulcers.

How long does it take to cook tamarind? ›

Take tamarind fruit in a large sauce pan and break open it. Add water to it and bring everything to a boil. Boil it for 20 mins. Now the tamarind must have gotten soft.

What does tamarind do to meat? ›

The acidity of tamarind is a perfect meat tenderizer. It is often added to marinades to soften thick cuts of beef before they are cooked. It's also why tamarind is a primary ingredient of Worcestershire sauce.

What does tamarind taste like? ›

Tamarind has a unique, sweet-sour flavour that makes it popular in sweet and savoury dishes alike. Its flavour has been compared to tangy lemon or lime balanced by sweet caramel notes, or a cross between lemon, apricot and dates. Some varieties of tamarind are sweeter than others, and all become sweeter as they ripen.

Why is tamarind a laxative? ›

According to these modern's perspectives, tamarind acts as an irritant laxative that may be helpful to detach the hard stool from the intestinal mucosa due to its irritant properties, irritates the colon's lining resulting in an increased urgency to pass bowel materials.

Should tamarind paste be refrigerated? ›

As previously answered a block of tamarind can be stored wrapped at room temperature. but anything processed like a paste or juice should be refrigerated after opening.

Can you eat tamarind paste raw? ›

Tamarind, also known as the Indian date, is a tart fruit which is popular in cuisines from Southeast Asia and India. The edible pulp is contained in a long, narrow pod filled with seeds, similar to a bean. You can eat the pulp raw, or you can use it to add a sweet and sour component to a number of dishes and drinks.

Does tamarind paste go bad? ›

Unopened tamarind paste can typically last for up to a year past its printed date when stored in a cool, dry place. Once you've opened the jar, the tamarind paste should be consumed within a month if stored at room temperature. But, if you refrigerate it after opening, it can last for about 6 months.

How long does tamarind last in fridge? ›

Tamarind paste has a long shelf life. In the fridge, it will last 4-5 weeks and in the freezer for many months. Freeze in ice cube trays for convenience, one tablespoon portions to use in sauces, stews, marinades, etc.

What's the difference between tamarind paste and tamarind concentrate? ›

Normally tamarind paste and tamarind concentrate are the same product. They come in jars and are thick and smooth but spoonable. There is a type of tamarind that comes in a block, usually called tamarind pulp, which is different and is made from the skinned whole fruits.

What is the difference between tamarind sauce and tamarind paste? ›

Tamarind paste concentrate is a dark, shiny, viscous syrup that is quite intense in flavor. Tamarind paste puree is thicker than concentrate and more similarly resembles a homemade paste in texture. The puree is usually slightly less tart than the concentrate but still packs a punch.

Does tamarind have to be cooked? ›

Under-ripe tamarind is mouth-puckeringly sour and needs to be cooked or pickled to eat. It's typically cut from the seeds and used as an ingredient in Indian pickles, the salty-oily condiment served with every meal in India.

Should tamarind be boiled? ›

Boiling kills the germs, extending the lifetime of your tamarind juice. Be sure to make a large batch of this, and you don't have to do this every time you want some tamarind juice. Take 160 grams (5.6 oz) of tamarind and add 2 cups of water. (Makes about 3 cups of tamarind 'juice'.

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