Warning: This Calabrian Chili Chicken Is About to Be Your Entire Personality

Calabrian Chili Chicken With Caper Raita

Yogurt marination is a tried-and-true South Asian technique for succulent and juicy chicken. The acidic quality of yogurt helps to tenderize and relax the proteins in chicken (and other meats, too, for that matter), making it the perfect vehicle to carry bold flavors. The yogurt-marinated chicken dishes I grew up on featured a myriad of spices along with garlic and ginger paste. This recipe borrows on that idea, but instead of opening up every spice jar in the cabinet, I reach for one of my favorite, easy-to-find condiments: Calabrian chili paste. To complement the chilis, sweet potatoes, cooling caper raita, and quick pickled cucumbers serve as the perfect accompaniments.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2 pounds/910 g)*

• 4 1⁄4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided

• 3⁄4 cup (180 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt

• 2 tablespoons Calabrian chili paste*

• 5 garlic cloves, finely grated

• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger (about 2 inches)

• 2 pounds (910 g) sweet potatoes*, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 3 mini-Persian cucumbers, divided

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 to 2 ounces (30 to 55 g) feta cheese

• 1 tablespoon capers* 2 teaspoons caper brine* Freshly cracked black pepper

*INSTEAD OF...

• Chicken thighs, use drumsticks

• Calabrian chili paste, use another concentrated chili paste

• Sweet potatoes, use delicata squash

• Capers, use olives

• Caper brine, use lemon juice or olive brine

1. To make the roasted chicken and sweet potatoes: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Remove any excess skin and fat. Put it in a bowl or zip-top bag and rub 2 teaspoons of the salt all over. Add 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) of the yogurt, the chili paste, garlic, and ginger and toss to coat. Cover or seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

3. Put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and the cumin and toss to coat. Arrange the chicken so that it is sitting on top of the sweet potatoes, placing larger pieces toward the edges and smaller pieces toward the center.

4. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is browned, 45 to 50 minutes.

   While the chicken is in the oven, make the quick-pickled cucumbers and caper raita. Thinly slice 2 of the cucumbers and put them in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and toss. Set aside.

5. Using a fork, mash the cheese with the capers in a small bowl. Finely chop the remaining cucumber. Add the remaining 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) yogurt, the caper brine, and the remaining cucumber and stir well to combine. Taste and season with salt as needed. Drizzle with olive oil and finish with black pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

6. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a serving platter, top with the quick-pickled cucumbers, nestle the chicken over the top, and serve the caper raita alongside.

Third Culture Cooking by Zaynab Issa

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Excerpted from the new book Third Culture Cooking: Classic Recipes for a New Generation by Zaynab Issa. Photos copyright © 2025 by Graydon Herriott. Published by Abrams.