Some recipes come with a story, and this Tandoori Chicken is one of them. Every summer trip back home to India meant one thing my boys looked forward to above everything else, my mom's Tandoori Chicken made on her terrace mini tandoor. Deeply charred, impossibly juicy, and that stunning natural red color with absolutely no artificial coloring. When I finally asked for the secret, she smiled and said Kashmiri chili! That single ingredient changed everything for me.
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This is my most requested dish for summer gatherings, weeknight dinners, and entertaining, right alongside my Paneer Tikka. There is something about a platter of beautifully charred Tandoori Chicken with sliced red onions, lemon wedges, and green chutney that makes people genuinely excited at the table. It looks impressive, tastes incredible, and is so much simpler to pull together than anyone expects.
I am sharing both oven and grill methods in full detail below. If you are looking for the air fryer version, I have a dedicated Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken recipe with step-by-step instructions, testing notes, and tips specifically developed for the air fryer. It is a great option for a quick weeknight dinner and is ready in under 25 minutes!
The Most Versatile Marinade You Will Ever Make
One of the things I love most about this tandoori marinade is how incredibly versatile it is. Once you have it down you will find yourself reaching for it again and again across so many different proteins and vegetables. It works beautifully on Tandoori Wings for a crowd pleasing party appetizer, on Tandoori Salmon for a quick weeknight dinner and on a Whole Tandoori Chicken made effortlessly in the Air Fryer or the Instant Pot for a stunning centerpiece meal. And for a completely vegetarian showstopper, my Whole Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower. One marinade, endless possibilities.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken - I love making tandoori chicken with bone-in chicken drumsticks and whole chicken legs. Always remove the skin completely before marinating and make several diagonal slits so that the marinade gets deep into the meat.
- Kashmiri chili powder - the spice that gives Tandoori Chicken its gorgeous, deep red color naturally without any artificial coloring and without excess heat. If you only have regular red chili powder, reduce the amount significantly; although the final dish will not be as vibrant orange.
- Yogurt - Full-fat plain yogurt is the best for a thick, creamy marinade and tangy flavor.
- Ginger and Garlic Paste - Freshly made homemade ginger paste and garlic paste give the most authentic, bold flavor.
- Oil - Traditionally, mustard oil is used in tandoori cooking as it adds a sharp, pungent depth that is very characteristic of authentic tandoori flavor. I keep both on hand and reach for mustard oil whenever I have it. That said, my family has grown up with avocado oil in our everyday cooking, so I often use that instead with equally delicious results. Any neutral oil works beautifully here, so use whatever you have.
How to make Tandoori Chicken
Chicken Legs: 15 minutes on one side, then turn over and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Followed by 5 minutes of broil.
Grill it on an outdoor grill for 20 mins.
Serving
Serve Tandoori Chicken with fresh lemon wedges and my Cilantro Mint Chutney for the classic pairing that never fails.
★ Tried this recipe? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and let me know, or snap a quick pic and upload it-I love seeing your creations. If you're on Instagram, tag @ministry_of_curry so I can check it out. Your feedback means so much to me and makes all the time I spend perfecting each recipe totally worth it. Thank you!
Recipe
My Mom's Authentic Tandoori Chicken Recipe (Oven or Grill)
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken drumsticks or chicken legs skim removed
- ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons kashmiri or other mild red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
For Serving (Optional)
- 1 lemon cut in wedges
- 1 small red onion sliced
- ½ cup cilantro mint chutney
Instructions
- Make 3-4 slits across each drumstick (If using chicken legs, make 5 to 6 slits on each side). Whisk together yogurt, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, and salt to make the marinade. Apply evenly to the chicken pieces and let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least 5-6 hours or up to 24 hours.
Oven
- Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking to bring it to room temperature. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400°F. Place a wire rack over a baking tray, arrange the chicken on top, and spray cooking oil before putting it in the oven.
- Chicken Drumsticks: Bake for 15 minutes. Broil (Hi) for 5 minutes to get some char marks.Chicken Legs: Bake for 15 minutes. Then turn over the pieces, brush over some extra marinade (if there is any leftover), and spray with oil. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Turn the legs over, spray with oil, and broil (Hi) for 5 minutes to get some char marks.
Grill
- Preheat the grill to 400 to 450 F. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling. Baste the chicken with cooking oil and arrange it the outdoor grill.
- Chicken Drumsticks: Grill for 20 mins or until the juices run clear. Chicken Legs: Grill for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.
Serving
- Serve with fresh lemon wedges, sliced red onion, and green chutney.
Nutrition
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Aayushi Manish says
Yummylicious ?
Archana says
Thank you Aayushi!
Hans Susser says
Ahhh,
another winner 🙂
Cheers !
Hans
http://www.ChefsOpinion.org
Archana says
Thank you Hans!
Monika says
Looks so so so awesome!!
Archana says
Thank you Monika!
Leyla says
One of my favorite Indian dishes! Yummmmm 🙂
Archana says
Thank you Leyla!
Love Served Daily says
Delicious
Archana says
Thank you Ritu!
dishdessert says
looks delicious!
Archana says
Thank you!
tastefullysimplewithjohn says
Looks so good. 🙂
Archana says
Thank you!
9recipes says
Looks so delicious!
Archana says
Thank you!!
Sheela says
Hello, what kind of yogurt and how much of it? Can't wait to make it!
Archana says
Hi Sheela, regular plain full fat yogurt works well for this recipe. Let me know how you like it
Sheela says
Thank you Archana! Is there a particular amount of yogurt I should use? I want to make sure the spices are not overwhelming (or underwhelming!) Thank you!
Archana says
Hi Sheela! I just updated the recipe with the yogurt amount. Sorry it was missed before. Please let me know how you like it!
Din says
Would it be okay to leave the skin on the chicken when marinating? Or would it not permeate as well? I was thinking I could get a crisper chicken if I did that. Also, would that change the cooking times?
Archana says
You. An absolutely leave skin on. Just make some small slits so the marinade can go in. With instant pot the marinade also stays on the food so you have all the flavors intact
Rolf S. says
So, I am a complete beginner and tried to make the tandoori chicken. Everything went well until the actual cooking part. My question is: when cooking the chicken, how do you get the deep red color? When I took the chicken out of the marinade and put it on the grill, it seemed kind of yellow-ish. Almost exactly like the color of the marinade. Not the deep red color in the photos of the finished product. Can you please tell me what I am doing wrong? Thank you!!!
Archana says
Hi Rolf, the only ingredient that adds the deep red color in this recipe is the mild Kashmiri red chili powder. You can also brush some of the excess marinade after turning the chicken half way through cooking.
Rolf S says
THANK YOU!!!! Btw, this is the third recipe I have made (I also made the Palak Paneer and the Butter Chicken after buying your cookbook) and they have turned out even better than the local restaurants!!! This too, was amazing - the flavor was spot on, and just crazy good. Going forward, I think I will reduce the outdoor grill temp to 350-375, because if the grill is at 450, then any oil you put on the grates just burns right off - and the chicken sticks to the grates like crazy. I think putting the grill at lower temp, so the oil doesn't burn/scorch, and then letting the chicken cook will work - and still get nice sear marks. Anyway, thanks so much! Stay awesome!
Archana says
Thank you! I am glad you are enjoying the recipes. And agree with your point about the grill temp.
Jayz says
I used this with drumsticks and chicken breasts. The chicken breasts turned out way more tasty
Archana Mundhe says
Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Judy Ward says
Hi Archana. Your recipe states use chicken LEGS and it also states chicken DRUMSTICKS. I thought they are both the same. Do you mean LEGS And THIGHS? I’m rather confused.
Appreciate clarification please.
Judy
Archana Mundhe says
Hi judy, sorry for the confusion. In this recipe you can use chicken legs (drumstick + thigh as one piece), Or you can use just drumsticks. Hope this helps.
Marissa says
This chicken recipe was devoured by my family. I marinated it for 6 hours. The next day, 1 piece was left, it was even better. The flavor reaches into the chicken meat, so each bite has flavor. I will double it next time.
Archana Mundhe says
Six hours of marinating is the sweet spot and yes tandoori chicken always tastes even better the next day as the spices deepen into the meat. Smart move doubling it next time; it disappears fast!
H. Ali says
Do you cook the chicken covered or uncovered in the oven?
Archana Mundhe says
Always uncovered.
H. Ali says
Archana,
Thank you for clarification. One last question, any particular kind of baking pan - cookie sheet or deeper baking dish?
Archana Mundhe says
Metal baking pan with a rack works best for this recipe.