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    Home » Chicken Recipes

    Instant Pot Tandoori Chicken

    Published: May 30, 2017 · Modified: Jul 17, 2021 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 61 Comments

    3598 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Too hot or too cold to grill outside? Try this Instant Pot Tandoori Chicken recipe. Tender, cooked to perfection chicken with a finger-licking marinade. You can finish off the cooking by optionally broiling the chicken for 5 mins.

    Tandoori Chicken platter with pulao

    Tandoori Chicken is traditionally cooked in a clay oven known as Tandoor. Here in the US, many of us use outdoor grills, indoor ovens in lieu of the Tandoor. And now I am thrilled to have his modern version using an Instant Pot that results in luscious and spicy Tandoori Chicken with a hands-free recipe.

    Hope you had a great Memorial day weekend! We had a FUN long weekend - we got to hang out with our cousins, played soccer tournament, and ran a 5K race. Although it rained all day in the Northeast and was a bit chilly for the memorial day BBQ, we did not give up on our plans.

    We decided to bring our cookout indoors. We had chicken marinating for 8+ hours, that I cooked in my InstaPot. The result was succulent, fall off the bone, moist and flavorful tandoori chicken, that we enjoyed with some spicy mint chutney and corn pulao!

    Tandoori Chicken - Instant Pot

    Tandoori Chicken, marinade uses plain yogurt, mild and bright red Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, fresh ginger, garlic and garam masala.

    Marinating the chicken for a longer time adds more flavor to the final dish. Although you can use chicken breasts or thighs to make Tandoori Chicken, my favorite way is to cook with the drumsticks.

    When you are ready to cook, add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot and put the trivet inside the pot. Place the chicken pieces over the trivet, layering the pieces if needed. Close the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 15 minutes followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release.

    Before serving, you can broil the tandoori chicken in a preheated oven for 5 minutes. We can hardly resist the succulent, aromatic tandoori chicken right out of the Instant Pot and always skip the broiling.

    Tips

    Tips for the perfect Tandoori Chicken Instant Pot recipe:

    • Pat dry the chicken before marinating to avoid access liquids.
    • Marinate the chicken for at least an hour.
    • Use plain full fat yogurt for the marinade.
    • Use fresh garam masala. Homemade garam masala works the best!

    Here is a quick video for an easy Tandoori Chicken recipe in Instant Pot:

    Looking for a quick and fun dinner idea for the kids? Serve Tandoori Chicken with easy pasta in creamy tomato sauce and dinner is a big hit! The spicy tandoori flavor goes well with the creaminess of the pasta.

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
    tandoori chicken - instant pot
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    4.49 from 47 votes

    Tandoori Chicken - Instant Pot

    Chicken marinated in spicy yogurt based sauce that is pressure cooked for moist and fall off the bone delicious Tandoori Chicken - Instant Pot.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 331kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Ingredients

    • 2 LB 8 Chicken drumsticks, skinned
    • ½ cup plain yogurt Make It Dairy Free by using Coconut yogurt
    • ½ tablespoon ginger grated
    • ½ tablespoon garlic minced
    • 1-2 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder or any mild red chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric
    • 1-2 teaspoon garam masala
    • 2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon oil

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, add yogurt, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt, lemon juice and oil. Mix well.
    • Dry skinned drumsticks with a paper towel. Put 2-3 slits on each drumstick and apply marinade all over the chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking.
    • Add 1 cup water to the Instant Pot insert. Lightly grease the trivet with cooking oil and place inside the pot. Arrange the marinated Chicken pieces on the trivet.
    • Close Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on Manual(Hi) for 15 mins followed by Natural Pressure Release. Open Instant Pot.
    • Enjoy Tandoori chicken with lime wedges and chutney over steamed rice or Pulao.

    Video

    Notes

    Note:
    You can broil the cooked chicken in a preheated oven for 5 minutes. We enjoyed them straight out of the Instant Pot!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1384mg | Potassium: 605mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 740IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2.5mg
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @ministry_of_curry or tag #ministryofcurry

    ♥ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for tasty and easy video recipes. Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Check out our delicious Instant Pot Recipe board on Pinterest.

    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Eartha says

      May 30, 2017 at 11:23 am

      You've inspired my lunch decision Archana. Looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 30, 2017 at 1:04 pm

        That is great Eartha! Let me know how you like it!

        Reply
    2. Hans Susser says

      May 30, 2017 at 2:47 pm

      Superb 🙂
      Cheers !

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 30, 2017 at 6:16 pm

        Thank you Hans!

        Reply
    3. Karina Pinella says

      June 01, 2017 at 12:15 am

      You made it sound easy. This is great!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 01, 2017 at 10:52 pm

        Thank you Karina!

        Reply
    4. Surabhi Gawande says

      July 31, 2017 at 9:41 am

      Were you able to fit all 8 pieces in one go? I need to prepare this for a party and I am wondering how to cook more pieces at a time? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 31, 2017 at 9:42 am

        Hi Surabhi! Yes mine fit in one go. Feel free to also stack them up. Spread a little bit of oil between the layers and it will cook well!

        Reply
    5. Roopinder says

      October 15, 2017 at 7:28 pm

      If you don’t use chicken on the bone and use eg boneless thighs instead will the cook time reduce?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 15, 2017 at 8:15 pm

        Hi! Yes, I would cook boneless thighs for 10 mins on the trivet followed by NPR

        Reply
        • Meghan says

          December 05, 2017 at 10:38 pm

          I made this tonight but it turned out soggy. Any idea why?

          Reply
          • Archana says

            December 05, 2017 at 10:43 pm

            Hi Meghan, was the marinade too watery? Also I assume you had the chicken on the trivet? You can also just put it in broiler for 5 mins.

            Reply
    6. Bharathi says

      December 06, 2017 at 1:52 am

      Thanks Archana for the receipe.I will try it some time this week..I have a question on trivet.where can we buy it?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 07, 2017 at 3:25 pm

        Hi Bharati! I bought it from amazon. Here is the link - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XQMWGQY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B06XQMWGQY&linkCode=as2&tag=ministryofcur-20&linkId=49a92357f2d9fa99f9e257f33410618b

        Reply
    7. Sabrina says

      January 21, 2018 at 12:25 am

      Hi, Thanks for sharing . I have 12 pieces (leg and thigh) similar to size of the ones in the vid. After I stack them up and add oil in between layers, would I add more time to the cooking?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 21, 2018 at 12:26 am

        Same time will work!

        Reply
    8. Elena says

      April 13, 2018 at 3:50 pm

      Hi Archana! I’ve tried this recipe twice and liked the flavors, but thought it was just a bit too spicy for my family. I am using red Kashmiri chili powder. What is the minimum amount that I can use but still retain the tandoori flavor?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 13, 2018 at 10:13 pm

        Hi Elena, I am glad you enjoy the flavors of this dish. You can reduce the kashmiri red chili powder to 1 teaspoon. Also reduce ginger to 1 teaspoon. That should make the dish less spicy without compromising on the tandoori flavors.

        Reply
    9. Supriya Chandra says

      August 01, 2018 at 1:00 am

      Hi Archana, Thanks a lot for your wonderful recipes. Can you please suggest what would be the oven temperature to broil, since mine turned a bit soggy.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 01, 2018 at 1:06 am

        Broil at high or 400 degrees for 5 mins

        Reply
    10. Daisy says

      September 04, 2018 at 10:46 pm

      Hi Archana. I made this for dinner tonight and couldnt believe how well it turned out. I had only 2 thighs and 3 drumsticks, and it cooked very well. Thanks for the recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 05, 2018 at 10:54 am

        Thank you for the feedback Daisy!

        Reply
    11. Rachel S. says

      October 06, 2018 at 7:37 pm

      This was absolutely delicious! I already made some red lentil dal and only had bone-in chicken thighs and breasts so I couldn't make my normal tandoori recipe. I figured I'd save some time if I could find an IP recipe for tandoori chicken. This will now be my go to recipe. The flavor combination was excellent! I didn't have time to marinate it in the fridge so I just marinated for 10 minutes before I put it in the pot. I didn't have Kashimiri chili powder so I just used deggi mirch and I put in about half so my toddler would eat it too. We stuck it under the broiler for 5-10 minutes and it was so much better than expected. My husband loved it! Thanks so much for sharing!!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 08, 2018 at 12:33 pm

        Thank you for your feedback Rachel. I am glad you enjoyed it. And it was a good idea to reduce the chili. Please rate the recipe when you get a chance.

        Reply
    12. mehak says

      November 04, 2018 at 1:58 pm

      hey archana, thanks this looks great! if i want to cook a whole chicken this way, do i need to adjust the time? thanks!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 04, 2018 at 2:46 pm

        I am working on a whole tandoori chicken recipe and will have it published within next week. But basically you pressure cook 6 minutes per pound of chicken. So if its 4 pounds chickne you cook for 24 mins.

        Reply
    13. Vaishali says

      May 07, 2019 at 11:42 pm

      Always enjoy making g your recipes Archana. Tried your tandoori in insta pot... but not sure what went wrong. Maybe u can help. My Masala mostly dripped down ( only top side was coated a bit after done). It did not look like tandoori..could it have happened because I had 4 legs and put 1 cup water? Or does the marination has to be really dry .. but with yoghurt it is tough. Thanks!!!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 09, 2019 at 7:59 pm

        Next time pat dry the chicken with paper towels. Make sure the marinade is not too watery. But it’s also normal for some marinade from the bottom to drip

        Reply
    14. shankar das says

      May 13, 2019 at 6:01 am

      looking good easy to make this make this recipe yesterday i tried at home . thank you for sharing recipe its yummy . keep sharing this type recipe .

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 15, 2019 at 8:04 am

        Thank you for your feedback.

        Reply
    15. Dolly says

      June 05, 2019 at 8:29 pm

      You mention in your opening paragraph that you marinated the chicken for 8 hours but the directions say “up to 24 hours”. Do you get better flavor with a longer marinade time? Will the chicken become mushy? I’m looking forward to trying this recipe this weekend.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        June 05, 2019 at 8:41 pm

        8 hours works great. 24 hours is if you decide to cook some of it later.

        Reply
    16. Poorna says

      September 15, 2019 at 1:54 pm

      I love all of your recipes and can't wait to try this one. I'd like to shred the chicken after to put on a pizza (kid friendly!) I plan to use boneless breast to help. Any other suggestions on adjusting the cooking time? TY in advance!

      Reply
    17. Kali says

      November 10, 2019 at 5:50 am

      How much time would I use for chicken breasts? Probably boneless/skinless as that’s what I have in the house most of the time.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 10, 2019 at 12:42 pm

        For chicken breasts 5 minutes with natural pressure release. Here is a recipe I have using chicken breasts that you may like - https://ministryofcurry.com/tandoori-chicken-lettuce-wraps-instant-pot/

        Reply
    18. Jia says

      December 15, 2019 at 6:22 pm

      Hi there! I made the chicken according to the directions above except i forgot to pat the drumsticks dry before marinating.. it came out very tender but the flavor seemed to lack a bit. After taking chicken out, there is more water in the IP than what i had initially put in. Is it due to the extra moisture during marination? Mine also was not as red as your picture, and I had used two tbsp of Kashmiri red chili powder. Thoughts and suggestions to improve are appreciated!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 15, 2019 at 8:14 pm

        Def make sure to dry the chicken as it will water down the marinade and hence less flavorful. I wonder if lots of marinade fell in the water and hence not as bright red?

        Reply
    19. Siran says

      December 24, 2019 at 4:00 pm

      Want to use this recipe for Christmas. Could I do this with 25 pieces as long as it does not pass the max line?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 24, 2019 at 9:05 pm

        yes! That will work

        Reply
    20. Shashi says

      December 31, 2019 at 8:50 pm

      Came out good, thanks for the recipe, after removing from instant pot I sauté it with amul butter on a hot pan for about 3 min for that bbq burnt flavor

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 04, 2020 at 9:55 am

        Yum! Thank you for the feedback

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

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