Make the best tandoori chicken at home with our simple and easy recipe. The chicken is juicy inside, lightly charred on the outside, and loaded with iconic Indian flavors—perfect as an appetizer or starter for your next dinner party.
While you are here, don't forget our classic Indian butter chicken and most-loved quick chicken biryani recipe.
What is tandoori chicken?
Authentic and traditional tandoori chicken is one of the most popular Indian dishes, in which the chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices and then roasted in a tandoor (a cylindrical clay oven). You can replicate this at home in an oven, an air fryer, or a pan. The magic lies in the tandoori marinade, a mix of yogurt and spices like red chile powder, turmeric, tandoori masala, etc. The marinade not only keeps the chicken tender but also gives it its signature restaurant-style deep red color.
Chicken tandoori is one of the most popular items ordered in restaurants, along with butter chicken and dum biryani. You can also make it at home for weekend dinners, BBQ parties, or holiday dinner parties like Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
Chicken: 4 pieces of leg quarters are used in the recipe.
For the tandoori marinade
- Yogurt and Lemon juice: Keep the chicken tender and juicy.
- Spices: red chile powder, tandoori masala, black pepper powder, chaat masala, salt, and turmeric powder. A mix of all these gives the iconic flavor.
Check out the recipe card for the full ist of the ingredients.
Tandoori chicken marinade
- In a bowl, add chicken pieces, yogurt, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, oil, red chile powder, pepper powder, tandoori masala, chaat masala, salt, turmeric powder, and mix well.
- Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.
Baked tandoori chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line the chicken pieces on a single layer in a baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes, basting with melted butter and flipping halfway through.
- Broil for 5 minutes and remove from the oven.
- Brush with more butter when still hot if needed.
- Serve with onion, lemon wedges, and mint chutney and enjoy.
Tips
- Adjust all the spices to your taste. The stronger the marinade, the better it tastes.
- Freshly grated ginger and garlic can be used.
- The total time it takes to cook the chicken in the oven, skillet, or air fryer will vary.
- Also, the time it takes to cook the chicken depends on the size of the pieces. To make sure the chicken is cooked through, check that the thickest part of the meat reaches 165°F.
Serving suggestions
- Tandoori chicken or tandoori murgh can be served as a starter or appetizer with lemon wedges, onion rings, and mint chutney.
- As a side, cucumber salad and avocado dip.
- As a main course with naan or any Indian flatbread, ghee rice, or jeera rice.
- Any leftovers can also be used to make some popular dishes like butter chicken, tikka masala, etc.
To make the tandoori chicken stovetop
- Heat the pan or skillet. Add 2 tablespoon of oil. Place the chicken in the pan.
- After 5 to 7 minutes on medium flame, baste it with melted butter and turn the chicken.
- Cook them for another 5 minutes, keep the flame regulated, and continue cooking until the chicken is completely cooked through.
- The chicken is cooked when the thickest part of the meat reaches 165 to 170 degrees F.
Air fryer tandoori chicken
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes by flipping it halfway through and basting it with melted butter.
- The chicken is done when the thickest part reaches 165°F.
More Indian chicken recipes
Recipe card
Best Tandoori Chicken | Tangdi Kebab
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken leg quarters approx 1 kg
- 3 tablespoon Yogurt curd
- 3 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste optional
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 2 teaspoon Red chile powder
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper powder
- 2 teaspoon Tandoori masala powder
- 1 teaspoon Chaat masala
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Melted butter for basting
Instructions
Tandoori chicken marinade
- In a bowl, add chicken pieces, yogurt, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, oil, red chile powder, pepper powder, tandoori masala, chaat masala, salt, turmeric powder, and mix well.4 Chicken leg quarters, 3 tablespoon Yogurt, 3 teaspoon Lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste, 1 tablespoon Oil, 2 teaspoon Red chile powder, 1 teaspoon Black pepper powder, 2 teaspoon Tandoori masala powder, 1 teaspoon Chaat masala, 1 ½ teaspoon Salt, ¾ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.
Baked tandoori chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line the chicken pieces on a single layer in a baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes, basting with melted butter and flipping halfway through.Melted butter
- Broil for 5 minutes and remove from the oven.
- Brush with more butter when still hot if needed.Melted butter
- Serve with onion, lemon wedges, and mint chutney and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Adjust all the spices to your taste. The stronger the marinade, the better it tastes.
- Freshly grated ginger and garlic can be used.
- The total time it takes to cook the chicken in the oven, skillet, or air fryer will vary.
- Also, the time it takes to cook the chicken depends on the size of the pieces. To make sure the chicken is cooked through, check that the thickest part of the meat reaches 165°F.
Nutrition
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