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My Mom's Authentic Tandoori Chicken Recipe (Oven or Grill)

4.87 from 22 votes

Published: · Modified: by · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 28 Comments

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.

A plate of grilled tandoori chicken garnished with fresh herbs and sliced red onions, with a bowl of green chutney and additional onions in the background.

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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!

I first shared this recipe years ago when my boys were small, and chicken drumsticks were their favorite, easy to hold, fun to eat, and perfectly sized for little hands. As they grew up and appetites got bigger, I started making whole chicken legs too, which have that beautiful combination of drumstick and thigh that gives you even more juicy, flavorful meat per piece. Today, this recipe works beautifully with both cuts, and I have included cook times for each so you can choose whatever works best for your family.

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.

Three seasoned, grilled chicken leg quarters on a wire rack over a baking sheet, garnished with a few sprigs of parsley.

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.
A bowl with raw chicken legs and small bowls of yogurt, lemon, oil, ginger-garlic paste, salt, garam masala, red chili powder, and turmeric on a marble surface.

How to make Tandoori Chicken

A ceramic bowl on a marble surface containing various ground spices, salt, oil, and yogurt before mixing.
Add yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, lemon juice, and spices to a bowl.
A white bowl filled with thick, yogurt marinade with spices.
Mix well to make the tandoori marinade.
Four raw, skinless chicken legs with shallow cuts placed in a beige ceramic bowl on a marble countertop.
De-skin the chicken legs or drumsticks and make a few slits about an inch apart on both sides.
A bowl filled with raw chicken pieces coated in a thick, orange-red marinade sits on a marble surface.
Apply the marinade evenly on the chicken, reaching inside the slits. Cover the bowl, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 5-6 hours or up to 24 hours.
Five marinated chicken legs coated in maronade on a wire rack over a baking tray on a marble countertop.
Take the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Baste the chicken with mustard oil (or neutral cooking oil) and arrange it on a grilling pan or the outdoor grill.
Four pieces of grilled, seasoned chicken with tandoori marinade are placed on a wire rack above a metal tray.
Bake it at 400 F in a preheated oven. Drumsticks: 15 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of broiling
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.
A black plate with a serving of tandoori chicken, sliced red onion, green chutney, a lemon wedge, and cilantro garnish.

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

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Three pieces of grilled tandoori chicken served on a plate with sliced red onions, fresh herbs, and lemon wedges on the side.
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4.87 from 22 votes

My Mom's Authentic Tandoori Chicken Recipe (Oven or Grill)

An authentic Indian Tandoori Chicken recipe passed down from my mom's kitchen in India. Naturally red from Kashmiri chili powder, no artificial color, no shortcuts. Oven and grill methods with overnight marinade tips included.
Prep Time6 hours
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time6 hours 20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4
Calories: 229kcal
Author: Archana Mundhe

Recipe Video

Ingredients

For Serving (Optional)

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

  • Preheat the oven to 400 ℉. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Baste the chicken with some cooking oil and arrange it on the baking tray
  • 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

Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1336mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 908IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 2mg
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More Appetizers

Comments

    4.87 from 22 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating





  1. Aayushi Manish says

    Yummylicious ?

    Reply

    • Archana says

      Thank you Aayushi!

      Reply

    • Archana says

      Thank you Hans!

      Reply

  3. Monika says

    Looks so so so awesome!!

    Reply

    • Archana says

      Thank you Monika!

      Reply

  4. Leyla says

    One of my favorite Indian dishes! Yummmmm 🙂

    Reply

    • Archana says

      Thank you Leyla!

      Reply

  5. Love Served Daily says

    Delicious

    Reply

    • Archana says

      Thank you Ritu!

      Reply

  6. dishdessert says

    looks delicious!

    Reply

    • Archana says

      Thank you!

      Reply

  7. tastefullysimplewithjohn says

    Looks so good. 🙂

    Reply

    • Archana says

      Thank you!

      Reply

  8. 9recipes says

    Looks so delicious!

    Reply

    • Archana says

      Thank you!!

      Reply

  9. Sheela says

    Hello, what kind of yogurt and how much of it? Can't wait to make it!

    Reply

    • Archana says

      Hi Sheela, regular plain full fat yogurt works well for this recipe. Let me know how you like it

      Reply

      • 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!

        Reply

        • 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!

          Reply

  10. 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?

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

  11. 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!!!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

      • 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!5 stars

        Reply

        • Archana says

          Thank you! I am glad you are enjoying the recipes. And agree with your point about the grill temp.

          Reply

  12. Jayz says

    I used this with drumsticks and chicken breasts. The chicken breasts turned out way more tasty5 stars

    Reply

    • Archana Mundhe says

      Thanks for sharing your feedback!

      Reply