Tandoori Style Grilled Chicken is a delicious appetizer or starter or a meal in itself for those on a low-carb diet. It is packed with flavors and spices, and you should not miss trying this if you love chicken dishes.
About Tandoori Grilled Chicken Recipe
The best part of Memorial Day or the Fourth of July weekends is the fun we have grilling delicious food in our backyard 🙂 Last year, we prepared grilled tandoori-style chicken, potatoes, and sweet potatoes on our favorite outdoor grill. We also grilled some ripe plantains for dessert.
On a side note, if you have not tried grilling plantains, you should try it at your next barbecue. The grilled plantains were chewy, sweet, and tasty; even my little one loved them.
Returning to grilled chicken, it is one of the delicious ways to eat chicken. The only trick here to get it right and flavorsome is to marinate it for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. The longer you marinate, the better.
Tandoori chicken tastes great on its own. You can also serve it on a bed of basmati rice or with some mint chutney. And if you are a vegetarian, you can still try out this recipe by substituting meat with tofu, babycorn, mushroom, sweet potato, etc. Check out my recipe for the best tandoori cauliflower, tandoori-style potatoes, and tastiest paneer tikkas! Also, check out other Summer Recipe Ideas on our blog.
Ingredients for Tandoori-style Grilled Chicken
- Chicken Drumsticks were chosen as they are easy to grab and enjoy. Use any cut of meat of your choice. Adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Lemon juice adds tanginess and helps tenderize the meat. Low-moisture yogurt can be used as a replacement here.
- Kashmiri Red chilli powder is added for color and spiciness. It can be substituted with regular chilli powder, paprika, cayenne, etc.
- Garlic powder adds flavor and aroma to the grilled meat. Freshly grated or minced garlic is a great replacement. Store-bought ginger-garlic paste can also be used. Ginger adds a nice warm earthy flavor to the grilled meat.
- Tandoori masala powder is a blend of different spices readily available in grocery stores. If this is not available, you can use Indian curry powder or garam masala powder.
- Salt to taste.
- Vegetable oil is used for basting the chicken. Basting helps in even roasting. Using melted butter instead of oil adds a rich nutty flavor to the grilled chicken.
Check the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Step-by-Step Recipe
Step 1: In a bowl, add lemon juice, chile powder, garlic powder, tandoori masala, and salt, and mix. Add chicken pieces and ensure each piece is well coated with the marinade. Cover this and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Step 2: Place marinade-coated chicken on the prepared outdoor gas/charcoal grill . Grill chicken until it is golden brown and cooked through, about 12 to 13 minutes on each side or a total of 24-26 minutes. Apply oil over the chicken around the 12-minute mark.
If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should read 165 degrees F. Tandoori-style Grilled Chicken is now ready. Serve with lime wedges, and enjoy.
Expert Chef Tips
- Lemon juice, and garlic powder, can be substituted with yogurt and freshly grated garlic cloves.
- Add some ginger for extra flavor.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator for flavors to penetrate the chicken. You can marinate it for a maximum of 48 hours. If you are in a rush, let it marinate for 15 mins before grilling.
- If it is difficult to find tandoori masala powder, substitute it with garam masala powder or Indian curry powder.
- Vary the amount of spices as per your taste.
- Store leftover tandoori chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
FAQs
Tandoor is a clay-lined oven where meat is cooked on skewers by placing them vertically in the pit.
A grill is made of metal, and meat is cooked horizontally by placing them over metal grates.
Place the chicken breast in the high heat zone for a few minutes to get beautiful grill marks on both sides, then move to the medium heat zone to finish cooking. Let it rest for 5 minutes once they are off the grill. These steps ensure juicy and tender grilled chicken every single time.
Yes. Any portion of the chicken (breasts, thighs, drumsticks, or wings), whether with or without bone, can be used to make tandoori grilled chicken. For boneless chicken, use skewers to cook the marinated meat. Adjust the cooking time accordingly. Internal temperature must be 165 F.
More Grilled Recipes to Love
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Recipe card
Tandoori BBQ Chicken | Easy and Delicious Grilled Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Outdoor grill Best and Affordable
Ingredients
- 8 drumsticks Chicken
- ¼ cup Lemon juice
- 1.5 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder for color and spice
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder see notes
- 1 teaspoon Tandoori Masala Powder
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt to taste
- ⅛ cup Vegetable oil or melted butter for basting.
Instructions
Step 1 - Marinate the chicken
- Make some slashes (or cuts or gashes) using a sharp knife to the chicken pieces. This allows the marinade to get in faster and even speeds up cooking time.8 drumsticks Chicken
- For marinade: In a bowl, add lemon juice, chile powder, garlic powder, tandoori masala, salt, and mix. Add chicken pieces and make sure that each piece is well coated with the marinade.¼ cup Lemon juice, 1.5 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon Garlic powder, 1.5 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Tandoori Masala Powder
- Cover this and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
Step 2 - Grill the chicken
- Prepare an outdoor charcoal grill (barbecue or BBQ).
- Place marinade-coated chicken on the grill.
- Grill chicken until it is golden brown and cooked through, about 12 to 13 minutes on each side or a total of 24-26 minutes. Apply oil or the chicken around the 12-minute mark. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should read 165 ℉.⅛ cup Vegetable oil
- Tandoori-style Grilled Chicken is now ready. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy.
Notes
Expert Chef Tips
- Lemon juice, and garlic powder, can be substituted with yogurt and freshly grated garlic cloves.
- Add some ginger for extra flavor.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator for flavors to penetrate the chicken. You can marinate it for a maximum of 48 hours. If you are in a rush, let it marinate for 15 mins before grilling.
- If it is difficult to find tandoori masala powder, substitute it with garam masala powder or Indian curry powder.
- Vary the amount of spices as per your taste.
- Store leftover tandoori chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Nutrition
Note: This recipe was originally published in May 2018. The recipe was slightly modified in May 2023.
Patricia - Grab a Plate
Oh my goodness does this look fabulous! I'm saving this and can't wait to heat up the grill!