Tandoori Chicken is an iconic restaurant style smoky grilled chicken dish, that is so easy to prepare, tastes incredibly delicious and is seriously the best! Make this Tandoori Chicken in the oven, on the grill or in pan on stovetop, air fryer and even in the instant pot, you are going to love it in every way. A perfect healthy, gluten-free and keto friendly chicken recipe great for meal prep, holiday tables or gatherings.
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About this recipe
Tandoori chicken is a crazy good and smoky chicken appetizer that you are sure to love, truly! Traditionally, prepared by roasting or grilling the marinated chicken in a clay oven called tandoor, hence the dish is named Tandoori!
Tandoori Chicken Marinade: The marinade consists of thick yogurt (curd/dahi), few handy basic spices and powders and the secret star ingredient - Mustard oil. Now, let me disclose this to you- in restaurants, chefs use mustard oil for most tikkas and tandoori recipes. Myself being from the family of chefs and great home cooks, we all have been following this tip since many years.
The Tandoori Chicken marination is actually done in two steps - the first marination and the second marination. The double marination process gives the best result with the softest meat to devour. As we proceed further, I shall show step by step process in detail to make the best tandoori chicken recipe at home.
Fiery Red Color: The Indian restaurants and the dhabas add red food coloring to the marinade. The addition of food color gives nice bright and fiery red appeal to the chicken. The tandoori chicken recipe that I am sharing with you today has no artificial color at all. All that beautiful red color you see here is due to the use of good quality Kashmiri red chili powder, (which gives intense red color but is mild on spice).
Tandoor/Clay Oven: Don't you have modern oven or traditional cylindrical clay oven at home? Do not worry! Go on ahead to make Tandoori Chicken on gas stove in grilling pan or in a regular pan. Air Fryer and Instant Pot being a popular cooking gadget in today's time, if you own one, you can simply go ahead using any of these to make this tandoori recipe.
This Tandoori Chicken Recipe is
- Easiest and the tastiest chicken appetizer/starter.
- Healthy.
- Without any artificial food coloring.
- Traditional and authentic version.
- Low in carbs.
- Keto friendly.
- Gluten free.
- Exactly like that of Indian restaurants or Dhabas.
- easily made in clay tandoor, outdoor grill, in oven, on a gas stove in pan, in air fryer, and in the Instant pot.
Not to mention, almost all the non-vegetarians would have had a piece of it. Isn't it? And still would be wanting more.
Without a doubt, I am sharing and easy and the best recipe with you all. There is absolutely no secret of any store bought tandoori masala behind it. And, the dish easily comes together without any fuss!
In this process, nothing is complicated, trust me, this is no philosophy but the truth! And so, returning back to the ocean of flavors and spices lets get into the waves.
There will be NO disappointment ever and of course there will be no looking back. Because, you will find this one to be the best tandoori chicken recipe than the other tandoori recipes on the net. And, I don't make false claims! 🙂
The Best Chicken Cut for this Tandoori Recipe
Traditionally and ideally, the best chicken cut to go for is the whole chicken legs (chicken drumsticks with thigh) or just chicken thighs. Do you know why? Because, that cut of chicken meat has higher fat content making it juicy, moist and more flavorful.
However, you can also go for chicken breasts for the healthier version. All you need to do is follow the same procedure, thats it! Cooking time may vary couple of minutes here and there when using chicken breasts.
How to make Tandoori Chicken?
For the recipe, we need to do the double marination as mentioned above in the post. The method involves the series of steps that I shall be mentioning in detail below. So, here's how to make the best chicken tandoori at home in 4 ways.
Preparation of Marinade
- To start off, First, clean, wash and make cuts on the chicken using a sharp knife.
- For the 1st marination process, we need - Ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri red chili powder, lemon juice and salt. In a large bowl, whisk all these 5 ingredients and mix well (photo 2 and 3).
- Add chicken and mix it very well in the marinade. Then, cover the bowl with a plastic cover and leave it for 45-1 hour under refrigeration.
Coming to the second marination of chicken, we need - Roasted cumin powder, ginger paste and garlic paste, Kashmiri red chili powder, Coriander Powder, Garam masala powder, thick or hung yogurt (curd), black salt and pepper powder, Mustard oil.
- In another bowl, add all the ingredients of a second marination and mix it very well.
- Once the first marination process is over, transfer the chicken in this second marinade.
- Cover the second bowl also with a plastic cover and refrigerate for 7-8 hours or overnight.
Note: Remove the marinated meat from the refrigerator 45 minutes before you plan to cook.
Smoking the marinated Chicken
Note: Let me tell you the secret that I follow consistently to make the tandoori chicken smoky. I prefer to give charcoal dhungar(smoke) just before grilling/cooking them or right after the cooking is over. So, the either way works best and you get nice smoky chicken tandoori at home.
If you wish to give smoky flavor to the meat, then, simply give the charcoal smoke to the marinated chicken just before cooking.
- Place a small steel bowl oven the chicken and put 1 teaspoon of ghee over the live charcoal.
- Immediately cover the bowl with lid and allow it to rest for 8-10 minutes.
You can choose to do this charcoal smoking step after the meat is cooked. However, I prefer doing this process before cooking it in the oven or pan or instant pot or air fryer.
Bake or roast in oven
If you do not have Tandoor oven or Angethi (Coal Barbecue), it is totally okay. But, if you have an oven, you have the right alternative to make this tandoori chicken recipe.
- Pre-heat the oven at 220 degrees centigrade. Remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange it on a baking tray or a wire rack.
- Grill the chicken for 25 minutes and then broil it for 5 minutes or until thermometer reads the internal chicken temperature to 165°F. Remember to turn the chicken halfway through of grilling (after 15 minutes).
Note : If you are placing it on a wire rack, then place the dripping tray under the rack to collect the dripping over it. You can even line a baking sheet and use it.
Cook in pan on stovetop
If you can’t resist roast chicken and you don’t have an oven either, do not worry at all, gas stove will do fantastic job.
You may use a roasting grill. This roast grill is easily available in the supermarkets. So, fetch one and place it over your burner.
However, if you do not have a roast grill, simply cook it in a pan and give charcoal smoke in the end. Furthermore, make a note to place a foil beneath the stove to avoid the platform getting oily and greasy.
- Firstly, heat the pan, and place the chicken on it.
- Then cover and cook until done, do flip it once in between.
- Grease the grill with oil so that the chicken does not stick over the grill. Place the cooked chicken pieces over the grill and turn the flame to medium high. Then grill from both the sides until it is slight charred and release smoky aroma.
Make chicken tandoori in air fryer
You can also place the marinated chicken pieces in an air fryer if you possess one.
- First, pre-heat the airfryer at 200 degrees. Then, brush the airfryer basket with little oil or butter.
- Arrange the marinated chicken in the basket and air fry it 20 minutes or until charred. (you can flip it once in between).
Tandoori chicken in instant pot
First, follow the marination step as mentioned above.
If you see the photo 1 and 2 below, I have placed the trivet first, then I have placed a basket over the trivet. So, basically, you can either cook the chicken by placing it on trivet directly or in the basket. Either of the two works well.
- Now, add 1 cup of water in the inner pot of the IP. Then, place the trivet in the pot. Place the marinated chicken on the trivet, I have used fryer basket. It is absolutely fine if stack on each other, if you are making it in a little larger batch.
- Close the IP with lid, put the valve to sealing position and then pressure cook on high for 12 minutes.
- Once the IP beeps, turn the valve to vent, quickly release the pressure and open the pot.
Note: Now, if you wish to serve it as it is, then carefully dish out the chicken using tongs, sprinkle some chaat masala and serve.
For crispier chicken, you can follow the either way.
a) arrange them on the tray and pop it in pre-heated oven and broil for fo 7-8 minutes, until charred.
b) Use Mealthy crisp lid to make them more crisp and delicious.
Unplug the IP and plug the mealthy crisp lid, place it on the inner pot of IP. You need to lower the handle of the crisp lid. Now, set the temperature to 200 degrees.
- Cook the chicken for 12 minutes using crisp lid. (As I love the crispier chicken, I cooked it for couple of more minutes extra)
- You can flip it once in between - first cook for 5-6 minutes on one side. Then, flip and cook for another 5-6 minutes on the other side. Crisp outer, so juicy within makes it outrageously delicious!
Dish out, sprinkle some chaat masala over it and serve along with chutney, onion rings and rice or naan.
Expert Tips - a must follow!
Ensure to pat dry the chicken meat to avoid any excess liquid in to it.
Use sharp knife to make deep cuts on meat pieces. The cuts ensures the deep penetration of marinade making it perfect and juicy.
The secret behind the best tandoori chicken is it's marination process and the use of mustard oil. So follow the two step marination exactly the way mentioned in the process.
Use thick curd, either the hung curd or the Greek yogurt to make the marinade.
If you do not have the access to Kashmiri red chili powder, use any medium hot chili powder to the marinade. You can also choose to use smoked paprika powder or cayenne pepper instead of Kashmiri variety.
For the best taste and flavors, make sure to use mustard oil only. However, if it not available in your part of the world, then you can go ahead to use any vegetable oil of choice. You can also use melted butter in this recipe.
The longer you marinate the chicken, the better will be the flavor every time. So, follow the marination time accordingly.
FAQ
As we carry out the two marinations process for this recipe, let the first marination be for 45 minutes - 1 hour under refrigeration. However, nothing less than at least 30 minutes only in the case of strict crunch of time.
For the second marination time, please let the chicken peacefully rest in the yogurt and spices for good 8 hours or overnight under refrigeration. Only and only in strict case of short of time, still I would insist you to let it marinate for minimum 4 hours.
Honestly, I do not really want to compromise on flavors. So, I go for at least 45 mins for the first marination time and 8 hours for the second marination time.
Side Dish to serve
Sprinkle some chaat masala on the top and serve tandoori chicken with saffron rice, peas pulao, Jeera Rice or Zafrani Pulao along with some onion rings, lemon wedges and mint yogurt chutney or Green Chutney on the side. Enjoy it on its own as an appetizer with chutney.
You can also serve it with, Mint Lachha Paratha, Garlic Naan or any Indian flat bread.
A delicious weeknight dinner of Instant Pot Vegetable Biryani, Vegetable Pulao or Instant Pot Matar Pulao with Chicken Tandoori and some salsa (Mango Salsa, Pineapple Salsa and Peach Salsa) or salads like Mango Salad, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Arugula Salad or Green Salad makes a hearty meal and simply tastes so GOOD!
Storage & Freezing
Storing leftovers: The leftover tandoori chicken keeps in the fridges up to 4 days. To store, place the cooked chicken in clean airtight container and refrigerate. Reheat in the oven or in pan on stovetop until warm through, serve!
To freeze: Now, honestly, if we talk about freezing the cooked or grilled chicken here, then I would strictly say NO.
Rather, I would highly recommend you to freeze the marinated chicken along with the marinade in the freezer in a clean air tight container or ziplock, freezer bags in portions.
Whenever, you plan to have a meal with it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or for few hours on the counter. Go on ahead with cooking as per the method you prefer and then enjoy. Marinated chicken stay very well in the freezer for good 3 months.
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This post has been updated from the archives, was first published in March 2013.
📖 Recipe
Tandoori Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.2 pounds Whole Chicken Legs (or chicken thighs, de-skinned and trimmed fat, cut into serving pieces)
For first marinade
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2-3 teaspoons Kashmiri Chili Powder (( I have added 1 tablespoon))
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- Salt To Taste
For second marinade
- 1¼ cup Greek Yogurt (or hung curd)
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2-3 teaspoons Kashmiri Red Chili Powder ((or any chilli powder that gives good colour))
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Black Salt (or regular salt)
- ½ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ½ cup Mustard Oil (or vegetable oil of choice)
- Red Food Colour (optional) (I have not used any food colour in this recipe)
For Instant Pot Version Only
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
Preparation of Marinade
- Clean, wash and make cuts on the whole chicken legs using a sharp knife. This will help the marinade to penetrate well into the chicken.
- Combine all the ingredients of first marinade (ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri red chili powder, lemon juice and salt), in a large bowl.
- Add chicken and mix it very well in the marinade.
- Cover the bowl with a cling wrap and leave it for 45 minutes - 1 hour under refrigeration.
- In another large bowl, add all the ingredients of second marinade and mix to combine well.
- After a first marination process is over, transfer the chicken in the prepared second marinade. Cover the bowl with a cling film cover and refrigerate for 7-8 hours or overnight.
- Take the chicken out 30-45 minutes prior to cooking.
- Grill it either on a charcoal grill (tandoor), outdoor grill, in the oven or on stovetop. Here I have chosen to do it by roasting in the oven.
To bake it in the Oven
- Pre-heat the oven at 220 degrees celsius. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place it on a baking tray or a rack.
- Grill the chicken for 25 minutes and then broil it for 5 minutes or until thermometer reads the internal chicken temperature to 165°F.
On Gas Stove
- First, heat the pan, and place the chicken on it.
- Then cover and cook until done, do flip it once in between.
- Grease the grill with oil so that the chicken does not stick over the grill. Place the chicken pieces over the grill and turn the flame to medium high.
- Grill from both the sides until aromatic. Serve hot!
In the Airfryer
- First, pre-heat the airfryer at 200 degrees. Then, brush the airfryer basket with little oil or butter.
- Arrange the marinated chicken in the basket and airfry it 25 minutes or until charred. (you can flip the chicken once in between).
In the Instant Pot or Mealthy Multipot
- Add 1 cup of water in the inner pot of the IP. Then, place the trivet in the pot. Place the marinated chicken on the trivet.
- Close the IP with lid, put the valve to sealing position and then pressure cook on high for 12 minutes.
- Once the IP beeps, turn the valve to vent and quickly release the pressure and open the pot.
- Carefully dish out the chicken using tongs, sprinkle some chaat masala and serve.
- For crispier chicken, you can follow the either way.a) arrange them on the tray and pop it in pre-heated oven and broil for 7-8 minutes, until charred.b) Use Mealthy crisp lid to make them more crisp and delicious.
Crisping the Chicken using Mealthy Crisp Lid
- Unplug the IP and plug the mealthy crisp lid, place it on the inner pot of IP. You need to lower the handle of the crisp lid. Now, set the temperature to 200 degrees.
- Cook the chicken for 12 minutes. (As I love the crispier chicken, I cooked it for couple of more minutes extra)
- You can flip the chicken once in between - first cook for 5-6 minutes on one side. Then, flip and cook for another 5-6 minutes on the other side.
Serving Suggestion
- Sprinkle some chaat masala over it, and serve along with mint chutney, lemon wedges and onion rings. Enjoy it as is or pair it with some naan bread or saffron rice.
Notes
- Add salt according to the taste you like, as we are also adding rock salt. Avoid using salt in large spoons.
- Other refined oil can also be used instead of mustard oil during marination, but trust me the mustard would sensitize an altogether different set of taste buds than the usual ones. You should, at least, try this once.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 45 minutes before you plan to cook it.
- Basting is not needed as the required oil is already soaked in the chicken during marination. This helps the chicken to be cooked well from within. It will also make the chicken soft and juicy. If you feel you can still do it. No harm!
- Refer to the post above for more expert tips, storage and freezing, serving suggestions.
Sami
Would be able to apply this recipe to Turkey legs and thighs? If so, how long would I need to bake them vs the chicken legs? Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
Farrukh Aziz
Hello Sami,
Yes you can go ahead with Tandoori Turkey legs instead of chicken drumsticks, baking time would be 1-1.5 hours for medium sized turkey legs (until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F). Let it rest for few minutes before serving.
Yummyli
It looks delicious! The recipe is simple and looks similar to restaurant style tandoori chicken. The recipe requires fresh and juicy chicken leg piece and I know a website that delivers fresh and juicy leg pieces at doorstep.