Dry Chicken Ghee Roast

Dry Chicken Ghee Roast is a South Indian style chicken roast where chicken is cooked with spices and later roasted to perfection until aromatic and really delicious. This dry chicken ghee roast goes well as a side with plain rice, Rasam alongside any Vegetable Curry. You may also serve this with roti, paratha or chapati.

Chicken Roast

Chicken roast is one of the popular dishes made in various cultures, across the world and you are likely to find a zillion versions of the dish. There is whole chicken roast, chicken leg roast, Thigh roast etc.

This recipe of chicken roast is made with whole cut-up chicken that is bone-in. However you may use chicken legs, thighs or even bone-less cut chicken.

As the name suggests this is a dry dish meaning there is no sauce or gravy but it has a lot of aromatic and delicious semi-dry masala that coats the chicken. This recipe yields chicken roast that is tender, juicy, flavorful and super delicious.

About the Recipe

Ghee is the key ingredient used in this chicken roast but it can be replaced with butter. At home we call this the chicken ghee roast and a point to note is that this is not the same as Mangalorean chicken ghee roast.

This recipe is my Mom’s specialty and growing up this was our favorite Sunday dinner with steamed rice and rasam. Whoever has tasted this in our home has always complimented us and gotten back for the recipe.

To begin with chicken is cooked till tender with all the spices/masala and then ghee roasted with curry leaves and crushed black pepper. Curry leaves and pepper lend a great flavour to the chicken.

This is an easy make ahead recipe where you can cook the chicken, cool and refrigerate for the next few days. When you are ready to serve just roast the chicken under 5 mins & enjoy.

To make dry chicken ghee roast, left over good chicken curry can also be used. That’s how I end up making this most times. Just follow the step by step photos from step 2. Any curry that has been prepared with yogurt or tomatoes or lemon juice goes well to make this yummy chicken ghee roast.

I also have a low fat chicken roast in the same post. Please scroll down to find the same.

More Chicken Recipes
Chicken Varuval
Garlic Chicken
Pepper Chicken
Lemon Chicken

Photo Guide

How to make Dry Chicken Ghee Roast (Stepwise Photos)

You can skip this step if you are using any leftover curry to make the ghee roast. or Marinate chicken with crushed onions, ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric, red chili powder, lemon juice, garam masala, pudina or coriander leaves and ghee. Cook on a low flame till the meat is tender and soft. If there is surplus moisture left after cooking chicken, evaporate it by cooking on a medium high flame.

Add ghee to a pan, Fry curry leaves and garlic. set aside few curry leaves for garnish.

Add cooked chicken and fry till the masala dries up.

Sprinkle pepper powder and salt if needed to adjust. Fry for about one to two minutes till you get a nice aroma of pepper, ghee and curry leaves.

Garnish chicken ghee roast with curry leaves that were set aside.

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Recipe Card

Photo Guide

Low Fat Indian Chicken Roast (Recipe 2)

This chicken dry has been prepared with just 2 tsp of oil to make a little over 2 servings. Each serving size (4 oz or 113 grams chicken) consist of less than a 1 tsp of oil with no added fats of any kind. This is one of the best south Indian chicken recipes suitable to folks on a low fat diet, diabetics or gestational diabetics as well. Using less oil does not alter the taste, but you can add more oil like the way used for other dishes.

1. Add just a tsp of oil to a heavy bottom or non stick pan. Use the right sized utensil, do not use a very large pan to make little chicken. Add the whole spices and let them sizzle. Spread the oil in the pan.

2. Add chicken, spread the ginger garlic over it.

3. Cook covered on the lowest flame for about 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Turn the pieces and cover back. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Add onions, turmeric and curry leaves. Fry till the onions turn transparent. Do not increase the flame.

6. Sprinkle garam masala and red chili powder. Stir and cook covered again till it is soft cooked. Stir in between to prevent burning if needed.

7. Add another tsp. oil and fry for about a minute. Cover it again. Switch off the stove and leave it for 15 minutes on the burner.Keep covered until you serve.

Serve chicken dry as a starter or with jeera rice or with plain rice and tomato rasam.

Recipe Card 2