Spicy chicken marinated in yogurt, Kashmiri red chili powder, fresh ginger-garlic, garam masala, and then grilled to perfection! Tandoori Chicken is a classic Indian dish that is healthy, easy to cook, and a definite crowd-pleaser. Whenever I have to take a dish to a summer party, this tender, juicy, moist dish comes to mind.
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Why We Love This Recipe
My boys LOVE tandoori chicken. For years, we ate it in restaurants, our fingers got red from the food coloring they used. Every time we went to India we would enjoy my mom's Tandoori chicken on her terrace mini-tandoor and it was so much more flavorful and bright red without any artificial coloring. The secret when I asked her was the mild Kashmiri chili powder that gave her tandoori chicken the bright hue. In addition to yogurt, fresh ginger, and garlic the other key ingredient in this recipe is the homemade garam masala.
I finally got her recipe and realized how easy it was to make tandoori chicken at home. Before we knew it was on our repeat list. It is also my go-to dish along with the Paneer Tikka Recipe and Chicken Shawarma for easy weeknight dinners as well as hosting.
What is Tandoori Chicken?
Tandoori is a style of cooking from the Indian subcontinent that refers to cooking food in a clay oven, which is also called a Tandoor. Most traditional Tandoori chicken is marinated in yogurt and vibrant spices before it is roasted in the clay oven.
Since most of us don't have clay ovens, there are other ways we can replicate the cooking methods with our own kitchen appliances such as an oven or outdoor grill, or Air Fryer.
Ingredients to Make Tandoori Chicken
- Chicken - Bone-in chicken drumsticks work best for this recipe for a tender, juicy and moist dish
- Yogurt - Plain full-fat yogurt, you may also use plain greek yogurt
- Spices - Mild Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric, and garam masala
- Ginger & Garlic - Fresh homemade ginger and garlic paste add authentic flavors
- Lemon Juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice to tenderize the meat
How to make Tandoori Chicken
- Bone-in Chicken drumsticks are a must for this recipe. De-skin the drumsticks and make 3-4 slits across each drumstick. Whisk together yogurt, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, and spices to make the marinade.
- Apply the yogurt mixture evenly to the chicken legs, cover the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 5-6 hours or up to 24 hours. The longer you marinate the more flavorful the chicken will be.
- Take the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling. Baste the chicken with mustard oil (or any cooking oil) and arrange it on a grilling pan or on the outdoor grill.
- Grill it on an outdoor grill for 20 mins.
Can You Make Tandoori Chicken in the Oven?
Yes! bake it at 450 F in a preheated oven for 15 mins, followed by 5 minutes of broiling to get some perfectly grilled charred marks.
What to Serve with this Recipe
Serve Tandoori Chicken with Mango Salad or Fiesta Quinoa Salad. I often serve Vegetable Biryani with Tandoori chicken as it makes a hearty meal. Don't forget some easy drinks! Try the soothing mango lassi, watermelon juice, or refreshing ginger lemonade!
Recipe
Tandoori Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken drumsticks skim removed
- ½ cup plain regular or low fat yogurt
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons kashmiri or any other mild red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 to 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
To serve
- 1 lime cut in wedges
- 1 small red onion sliced
Instructions
- Make 3-4 slits across each drumstick. 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 it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 5-6 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the grill or oven at 450 F. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling. Baste the chicken with some cooking oil and arrange it on a grilling pan or on the outdoor grill.
- You can grill it on an outdoor grill for 20 mins or until the juices run clear. Alternatively, bake it in an oven for 15 mins, followed by 5 minutes of broiling to get some perfectly grilled charred marks.
- Serve with fresh lime wedges and sliced red onion.
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.