Chicken Vindaloo

By Naz Deravian

Updated Dec. 13, 2023

Chicken Vindaloo
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
2 hours 10 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 30 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes’ marinating
Rating
4(381)
Notes
Read community notes

Tangy and tongue tingling from Kashmiri red chiles, vinegar and garlic, chicken vindaloo is spicy enough to make you take notice, but not so much that it overpowers the sweet and sour flavors or the subtle warmth of the cloves, cumin and cinnamon. Vindaloo is a Goan recipe adapted from carne de vinha d’alhos, a Portuguese dish in which meat is marinated in garlic and wine or vinegar. In Goa, vindaloo is prepared with pork, while the Western version is typically made with chicken, as it is here. Toasting and grinding whole spices will yield the most traditional and vibrant vindaloo, but if you don’t have a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, don’t fret — we’ve also provided the amounts of ground spices to use. The optional tomato paste, while not conventional, helps temper the chiles’ heat, but leave it out if you like your food fiery. Serve with basmati rice or yellow rice and naan.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 15whole black peppercorns (or ¼ teaspoon black pepper)
  • 8whole cloves (or ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves)
  • 5 to 6Kashmiri red chiles, stemmed, to taste (or about 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chile powder)
  • 1(3-inch) cinnamon stick (or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
  • 1teaspoon cumin seeds (or ¾ teaspoon ground cumin)
  • 10garlic cloves
  • 1(2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and quartered
  • 4tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more as needed
  • 8chicken drumsticks (about 2¼ pounds), skins removed (see Tip)
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 1teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ¼cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
  • 2medium yellow onions, finely chopped
  • 2tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
  • 1teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more as needed
  • Cilantro leaves, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

229 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 625 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan with a lid over medium heat. Once hot, add the peppercorns, cloves, Kashmiri chiles, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds. (If using preground spices, do not toast.) Swirl the pan around, or toss the spices with a wooden spoon, and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute, taking care not to burn the spices. Transfer to a small plate to cool.

  2. Step 2

    Once spices are cool, place in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, breaking up the cinnamon and chiles, if needed; grind to a fine powder. Add the garlic, ginger, vinegar and 3 tablespoons water, and continue grinding until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. (If using preground spices, finely grate the garlic and ginger into a small bowl, then mix in the pepper, cloves, chile powder, cinnamon, cumin, vinegar and water to form the paste.)

  3. Step 3

    Place the drumsticks in a large bowl and make a shallow slit in the thickest part of the flesh; this helps all the flavors seep into the chicken and helps it cook evenly. Season with salt (about 2 teaspoons) and the turmeric. Add the curry paste to the chicken and mix until coated. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

  4. Step 4

    In the same pan used to toast the spices, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and season the onions with a little salt. If using the tomato paste, make a little well in the middle and add it to the pan. Cook until its color has deepened, drizzling in a little more oil, if needed, about 1 minute.

  5. Step 5

    Add the chicken and all the marinade, sprinkle on the sugar, stir and cook just until the chicken takes on a little color, about 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water, bring to a simmer, and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring and occasionally turning the drumsticks, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 45 minutes. The chicken will release its own liquid; check the gravy occasionally and add more water as needed, depending on whether you’d like a drier or juicier curry. As the chicken cooks, taste and adjust salt, sugar and vinegar — the vindaloo should have enough spice to make you take notice but not overpower all the other flavors. Top with cilantro and serve.

Tip
  • A butcher can remove the skin from the drumsticks. Or, do it yourself by using one hand to hold the fleshy end of the drumstick with a paper towel, and the opposite hand to pull off the skin with another paper towel.

Ratings

4 out of 5
381 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Kid's Chef

All the vindaloos I've ever had are spicy hot. Kashmiri peppers are not spicy. They are mainly used as the bright red colouring agent in Tandoori. As I believe Vindaloo is supposed to be somewhat hot, in part, due to the vinegar -- just check the ingredients on your favorite hot sauce -- I use any type of hot chili here from flakes, to habaneros, chipotles or bird chili depending on the audience. The zing comes from the black pepper, but it needs to be fresh and of good quality.

Dan

Korean chili powder (gochugaru) is a fine substitute for Kashmiri chili, in my experience. Both are on the mild side with a bright red color.

Andre

I am a Goan and that is where the dish originated. We add potatoes to make the dish more cost effective and cook until they get the flavor of the hot liquid. Yes a vindaloo is supposed to be on the hot side and hotter than most curries. yes Kashmiri pepper are not very spicy but they have good flavor and so we also add spicier chilis to jack up the heat.

Equilibrist

Don’t throw out the chicken skins! Crisp them up as a treat, amd save whatever fat they render for cooking!

Bruce Belcher

There seems to be some confusion about Kashmiri chili. Good quality kashmiri chili, such as that sold by Indian Diaspora Spices, is hot. It's not as hot as habaneros, but it's much hotter than peppers such as jalapenos, serranos, etc. Chicken vindaloo is meant to be spicy. Here's a link to Indian Diaspora Spices although there are probably other companies that sell genuine Kashmiri Chilis. https://www.diasporaco.com/collections/chillies/products/kashmiri-chillies?variant=42725198954667

Kate

Maybe because I used all pre-ground spices as per the options the marinade was very thin. The end result was bare chicken legs not coated like the picture. It tasted okay but was not visually appealing at all.

ladiesbane

I use a combination of japones and fresh serranos (both seeded), in twice the quantity mentioned, and letting the long-simmered dish sit over night to get hotter to serve the next day. (We also like it with lamb.) Kashmiri chiles give such a distinctive color, but I can't find them locally, and the ones I've found were not very hot at all.

helga gomes

I am from Goa and Vindalho is the one dish that has been mauled to death starting with the name Vindalho (British Vindaloo). It isn’t as hot as it’s stereotype and in Goa it’s always pork. We deliberately use Kashmiri chilies which impart a red color but aren’t that spicy. Pre-refrigeration it was a meat dish that preserved well on the back burner thanks to the flavorful coconut vinegar, slowly losing its bite. A rich festive dish that Goans will eat in every corner of the world at Christmas.

Natasha

Kashmiri chiles are delicious, and because they are on the mild side you can use a good quantity so their unique flavour can come through. If you want more heat add some other chiles or a chile paste, whatever you have.

Liza

I was expecting it to be hotter .... as others have said... so next time I'll up the spices a bit. But all in all we enjoyed it.

Grant

I had dried Cayenne and Thai chilies, so that’s what I used. If you have a mortar and pestle, then strongly suggest switching to ground cinnamon. Flavor was good, and I’m sure fresh Kashmiri chilies would have made for a better presentation. Will use boneless, skinless chicken thighs next time.

ogionnj

Made as written using gochugaru in place of the chilis. Ground the spices but had too much trouble trying to grind the cinnamon stick with a mortar and pestle, so used pre-ground instead. Served with basmati *coconut* rice. Maybe not traditional but the combination was sooooo good!

sarbear

Not very spicy but wonderful flavor. I made it with cubed chicken breast and added 2 peeled cubed potatoes. I would increase spice level next time and add more liquid.

Jordan

First off, I cannot believe how great this tasted. It’s been decades since I cooked a curry. Second I doubled the number of Chilies (Chillys according to my bag) and it was still very mild. I also upped the black pepper. Grinding was a major chore. It took an hour plus. Next time I either use powdered spices or invest in an electric grinder. 6 portions out of 8 legs? Not in my house. Maybe 4, but how do you divide the legs up between people? A leg and a quarter?

Jessie Kelly

Delicious, loved it. Made it without marinating the meat and with a whole onion missing and it was still great! Recommend.

Deb S

Made this with whole "red" chili (no further description) purchased from the Indian grocery - they were super hot! I used chicken breasts, no skin, cut in half cross-wise, and after adding the water simmered them for 15 minutes on medium low - perfect.

Roman

Loved the option to exclude the paste. I never realized how much of a taming agent tomato paste can be.

bill

don't cook with or consume seed oils

Mackenzie

delicious but more of a “chicken curry” than chicken vindaloo. had a pleasant amount of heat from the kashmiri chilies. i threw in steamed cauliflower for the last few minutes of cooking (which further added to the generic chicken curry vibe). will be making again soon

RicksterBerlin

This was a success. Really easy to put together for a cold and drab evening. This tangy and subtly spicy dish will perk you up. You can also use thighs and breasts as well as legs. Beautiful.

Jon

This was excellent, a real family crowd-pleaser! As others have noted, it's quite mild as written; I added a bit of cayenne towards the end and would probably include a couple of chiles de arbol in the spice mix next time. I subbed boneless thighs for the drums.

L.

Followed exactly, and it was a perfect recipe. If you're looking for take-out vindaloo, this is it. Will add potatoes next time.

Brushjl

Delicious! Great seasoning and just the right amount of kick.

pablo1158

Made this! Fantastic recipe!!! Will definitely make it Again!

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