Boldy spiced tandoori chicken wings are a game-night staple in our home. Served with cooling coriander-cumin spiced yogurt or tangy blue cheese dressing these wings are a crowd-pleaser.
This healthier version is adapted from the FoodBabe recipe that I had come across a few years ago. Once you try this recipe, you will probably never go back to any other kind of wings. As the Food Babe calls them, they truly are "The best chicken wings ever."
Tandoori
Style of cooking that is based on the use of a clay oven AKA Tandoor. As most of us do not have access to a tandoor clay oven, I prefer this oven cooking method.
I love these Tandoori flavors so much that I have also included an Instant Pot version of this recipe in my The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook.
Tips
Here are my best tips for making best Tandoori Chicken Wings:
- Use plain full-fat yogurt for the marinade
- Pat dry the chicken wings to avoid extra liquids in the marinade
- Marinate chicken for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours
- Discard any leftover marinade or brush on the chicken before cooking
- Homemade garam masala brings out the authentic flavors
- Any mild red chili powder can be substituted for Kashmiri red chili powder
- Fenugreek leaves are optional but add wonderful flavor and aroma
Most recently, I tried this recipe using Mealthy CrispLid which is a new gadget that can turn your smart pressure cooker into an air fryer. So before I show you the oven/grill recipe here is another option to cook the wings.
Air frying
I love to make the Tandoori Chicken Wings using Mealthy CrispLid Airfryer with these easy steps:
- Spray the stainless steel wire mesh basket with cooking spray. Line the marinated chicken wings, 10-12 at a time in a single layer in the basket.
- Place the raised trivet in the inner pot of the pressure cooker and then place the basket with wings on top of the trivet. Spray oil over the wings.
- Place the Crisplid on top of the inner pot and set it to 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Depending on the size of the wings you may need additional 5 minutes or so. Always check for doneness using a thermometer and make sure that the thickest part of the wings reaches 165 degrees F.
Baking
Step by step Recipe for Baked/Grilled Tandoori Chicken Wings:
- Trim as much fat/skin off the wings using kitchen shears. Add yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri red chili powder, fenugreek leaves, homemade garam masala, turmeric, lemon juice, and salt over the chicken wings. Mix it well and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line the wings on a lightly greased grill tray. Keep another tray underneath the grilling tray to collect all the drippings.
- Note: In my small convection oven the wings are usually done in 20-25 minutes. When the edges begin to char I turn the oven off. These may take up to 45 mins in a non-convection oven.
- Serve hot with coriander-cumin spiced yogurt or tangy blue cheese.
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Tandoori chicken wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds raw chicken wings **
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 to 2 teaspoons garam masala **
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves optional
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon garlic pressed
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Trim as much skin off of the wings as possible. I use kitchen sheers for this.
- Combine all ingredients (except cilantro) in a bowl and marinate wings for at least 1 hour or longer.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line up wings on a greased grilling rack. Place the rack on top of the baking tray to catch all the drippings.
- Bake the wings for about 20-25 mins (in a convection oven) or up to 40 mins otherwise. Wings can also be cooked on a preheated outdoor grill.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Notes
- I like Bell Evan's wings that are already cut in half. If you have whole wings make sure to cut them into half (wingettes and drumettes) and discard the tips.
- Add more or less garam masala and red chili powder depending on how spicy you like them.
- Use plain full-fat yogurt for the marinade
- Pat dry the chicken wings to avoid extra liquids in the marinade
- Marinate chicken for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours
- Discard any leftover marinade or brush on the chicken before cooking
- Homemade garam masala brings out the authentic flavors
- Any mild red chili powder can be substituted for Kashmiri red chili powder
- Fenugreek leaves are optional but add wonderful flavor and aroma
- Depending on the size of the wingettes and drumettes you may need to adjust the cooking time. I like to use a digital thermometer to make sure that the internal temperature of the thickest part is at least 165°F (75°C)
Nutrition
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Blogtastic Food says
Yumm! Prefect for an appetizer (:
Archana says
Thank you! Yes makes a delish appetizer.
Angus McNee says
Hi Archana:
Very good recipe. I have one similar.
Couple of tips from a friend of mine who gave me the recipe.
1. I make the recipe with a mix of wings and drumettes. Go over each one with a very sharp pointed knife to allow the mixture to permeate into the chicken.
2. After trimming the chicken like you suggest, and rinsing them, I dump them into a large
zip-lock bag. Add the Tandoori mix. Close the bag and massage the mixture over the chicken.
Then expel the air from the bag and leave the chicken in the fridge overnight.
3. To help with the cleanup I was advised to do the following. Line a flat tray with parchment paper. On top of that I put a low rack which stands about an inch above the paper. Spread out the chicken(if there's lots you may need two, or more cookings). I cook at 425 in the small convection oven for 15 minutes, then turn the pieces over with tongs and give them another 15 minutes. When all is cooked I carefully put the parchment in the garbage. No tray cleanup required. Soak and clean the rack. Bingo! Cleanup complete.
Just a thought.
Angus.
I like your idea of Cilantro. I served them the other evening for supper with corn on the cob,
which is sweet and buttery, and seems to compliment the Tandoori.
Archana says
Thank you for your detailed feedback and tips. I will surely try them out.
Hans Susser says
Great !
Seems to me that these will make any game even more exciting 🙂
Cheers !
Archana says
Thank you Hans! It sure does in our family. They are lip-smacking.
NoPlateLikeHome.com says
These wings look very tasty and they don't seem complicated to make.
Archana says
Thank you! They are really simple to make, the baking time may vary depending on the oven and size of the wings but thats all. The recipe itself is simple and you can marinate it up to 2 days ahead.
Indranil says
Archana thus us serious torture...what a superb write up and the tummy tickling chicken wings...you have to let us seriously have a taste of your wonderful recipe ?
Archana says
Thank you Indranil!
annika says
I'm with you, we always remove the fat and skin... baked or grilled... I think that should be enough to be classified as healthy! I'll will have to try this one!
Archana says
Thank you Annika! These wings are my family favorite, hope you like them too!
Indu says
Your version of wings look great too Archana. Can't go wrong with tandoori flavors!
Archana says
Thank you Indu! I love tandoori spice blend especially on chicken and fish.
tingleurtastebuds says
Tandoori wings are looking amazing and am drooling here. Lovely recipe dear.
Meena
Archana says
Thank you Meena. These wings are a favorite in my family too. Easy to make and oh so delicious.
Chetan Pandya says
Dear Archana
Just the kind of recipe I was looking for. I am going to try this tomorrow and I am sure it will turn out absolutely delicious. Thank you very much.
Archana says
Thank you! Let me know how you like it
Gulmohar says
If you don’t have the crisper lid, how long do you cook them in the instant pot before putting them in an air fryer?
Archana says
You can pressure cook for 5 mins and then put in the AIRFRYER for 5 mins
Dhanya says
Hi Archana,
I want to make a smaller quantity of these wings, about 15-16 drumettes. Should I cut all your marinade ingredients by half for this quantity? I have a conventional bake mode on my oven, so do I try baking for the same time as you have suggested - about 25 mins?
Thanks for your help!
Archana says
yes that will work nicely.
Jaime Delzer says
I always use internet recipes and some of them are great and have become regular go-to's. I have never ranked one or left a comment before, but I freaking loved this recipe so much I have to. We had everything on hand and made it exactly as written and my family and I were all licking every scrap of the tangy, savory sauce off of our fingers and eating every shred of skin and fat even... they are that good. I didn't want to share with my husband. Can't wait to make them again. Thanks for sharing!!!
Archana says
Thank you! Thank you!! Comments like these make all the time I take to perfect my recipes worth it!
virginia letherbarrow says
Me and my other half absolutely adore these wings!!! So moreish
Thank you for the recipe!
Virginia and Ben
(Salisbury, England)
Archana says
Thank you!
Nan says
Hi,
Anything changes if I’m using frozen wings?
Archana says
Frozen Wings will thaw while they are marinating. It they still seem a bit hard when you are lining them up to bake or air fryer , simply increase the cook time by 5 to 10 minutes.
LV says
I made them and they are delicious. I will subscribe to your recipes
Archana says
hank you!
Jayakrishnan Harimohananpillai says
I made this yesterday.. it was super good.. little spicy cause i put 2 tbs chillo powder.. easy to make.. kept for 12 hr marination
Manuel says
2lbs is not 32 wings. Is the weight correct?
Archana says
yes sometimes they could be bigger and heavier. Def go with the weight. The next time I get wings I will measure the weight and count again. If your 16 wings are weighing 2 lbs then use 16. Sorry for any confusion
Elizabeth says
This is an absolutely brilliant recipe. The wings were delicious.
formeryouth says
I tried these and they are fantastic - just a little easy prep the day before. I keep the fat and skin on, but ANY kind of baked wings is better than deep fried with 2 inches of breading on them. There is a dive biker bar up the street from me with an Indian owner and these are on the menu - one of the most popular items.
Do you have any ideas for a sauce? The place up the street has a clear vinegar sauce with diced red onion and cilantro - but the owner won't give up the recipe.
(To be fair - tandoori anything is great. There should be a fast food chain.)
Archana says
Thank you for the lovely feedback. I agree tandoori marinade is so flavorful. I wonder if he is serving pickled onions?
Deepa says
These came out so yummy! Thank you!!
If I wanted to make these with drumsticks, what do you recommend for temp/time in air fryer?
Archana says
Fro drumsticks follow my Air Fryer Tandoori chicken recipe - https://ministryofcurry.com/air-fryer-tandoori-chicken/