Recipe Index Dinner Recipes Main Course Easy Tandoori Chicken

Easy Tandoori Chicken

BY SABRINA SNYDER PUBLISHED: MARCH 26, 2018 67 COMMENTS 5 FROM 13 VOTES

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Classic Tandoori Chicken Is An Indian Recipe That’s Marinated In

Yogurt, Garam Masala And Cayenne Before Baking Made Easier, A
Perfect Weeknight Meal.

We are enjoying the new Indian recipes showing up on the blog including Butter
Chicken, Vegetable Biryani, Chicken Tikka Masala and Raita.

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 Easy Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Tandoori Chicken was the obvious next recipe I wanted to share after the other
chicken recipes have been SO popular with you guys.

This recipe was actually a mix between trying to stay true to the classic
restaurant favorite recipe while making an easy weeknight meal. I settled on
using chicken legs for one reason alone. Every time I would make tandoori
chicken for clients I would buy the fryer pack of chicken from the store.

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 This meant I’d have 8 pieces to cook that included chicken breasts, thighs, wings
and legs. Every time I would make the recipe the !rst pieces to go were the legs!
Soon I found myself making just thighs and legs, but even then the !rst things
to go were the legs.

So now, when I make this recipe for my family or clients I stick to chicken legs.
Why you ask? Well the legs are tender while cooking quickly. They have just
enough meat to stay tender while getting a slightly crispy exterior from the
marinade. This means more of the meat is super "avorful.

With thighs I would see people eat all the parts of the chicken covered in the
marinade while leaving the extra meat on the inside. Chicken breasts were an
issue only because with the high heat of cooking to get the right char I was
!nding the white meat was drying out a bit.

Chicken legs are the perfect easy option here.

Want to make this recipe with a di!erent cut of chicken? I highly suggest
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 cutting through the meat to allow the marinade to "avor more deeply into the
chicken. This can be done once you remove the skin, you would cut deep x
marks into the thighs or breasts almost to the bone.
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 How do you make Tandoori Chicken Red:

Tandoori Chicken is classically served in restaurants in a bright red hue because

of the addition of a few drops of red food coloring. You can create a similar
color with the addition of harissa paste and turmeric if you are averse to using
the red food coloring.

What is Tandoori Spice Mix?

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

The spice mix can be combined and stored for future use, this spice mix makes
enough for two pounds of tandoori chicken when combined with 2 cups greek
yogurt.

How long do you cook tandoori chicken in the oven?

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 The classic charred look of grilled tandoori chicken can be replicated in the
oven. Cook the chicken at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway
through cooking.
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 Don’t have garam masala? You can make your own garam masala spice mix at
home!

Garam Masala Spice Mix:

2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon cardamom
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg

SAVE
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 Tandoori Chicken Recipe
5 from 13 votes

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 43 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Sabrina Snyder

Classic Tandoori Chicken is an

Indian recipe that's marinated in
yogurt, garam masala and cayenne
before baking made easier, a
perfect weeknight meal.

SAVE PRINT REVIEW

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken legs , no skin (8 legs)

2 cups greek yogurt
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
1 teaspoon red food coloring
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 1 lemon , juiced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.

1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.

2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then let marinade in the refrigerator
for at least 8 hours, preferably 24 hours.

3. Remove the majority of the marinade before cooking the chicken.

4. Grill Instructions: Heat the oiled grill to medium-high heat and cook the
chicken until cooked through, 10-12 minutes.

5. Oven Instructions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cook on a

sheet pan for 25-30 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 4 Servings, Amount per serving: 359 calories, Serving Size: 2 , Calories: 359g, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 22g,
Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 728mg, Potassium: 484mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 575g, Vitamin C: 14.9g,
Calcium: 129g, Iron: 1.5g

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Keywords: Indian Tandoori Chicken, Tandoori chicken

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 About the Author

Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of

over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certi!cation
in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on
Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by
her love for bacon.

See more posts by Sabrina

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Comments

SYD
December 14, 2020 at 2:05 pm

Good recipe. It’s very mild so if you want more spice/"avor, de!nitely double
the ingredients.

REPLY

HNIN
September 23, 2020 at 7:55 am

First time making it. It was amazingly delicious and fabulous. My husband
enjoyed it a lot. Many thanks for the golden recipe. ?
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 REPLY

SABRINA
September 26, 2020 at 8:03 am

I’m so glad you decided to give it a try!

REPLY

CENTURY FOODS
September 20, 2020 at 10:20 pm

Thanks for this kind information and delicious recipe on tandoori chicken. It
was really helpful and worth reading your article.

REPLY

NILOC
September 17, 2020 at 8:34 pm

Found the recipe to be bland and not very spicy at all, so I adjusted
accordingly on my 2nd time and was much better and was spicy, I
recommend 3 teaspoons if you like it spicy and I pretty much doubled
everything except the masala I left it at one tablespoon and 3 teaspoons of
cayenne.

REPLY

CARLOS
August 3, 2020 at 10:25 am

Can you replace Greek yogurt with anything else for lactose intolerant
people?

REPLY
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 SABRINA
November 11, 2020 at 1:44 pm

There are some great brands that produce 100% lactose free greek yogurt.

REPLY

VALERIE MARSHALL
July 28, 2020 at 8:19 pm

So yummy!!!! I didn’t have any yogurt so I used whole milk with one teaspoon
of lemon. It is very spicy so if you have young kids lighten up on the cayenne.

REPLY

CHRISTOPHER
July 18, 2020 at 8:02 am

To get a red colour you can use achiote (ground: not whole seeds) this is the
colouring used in food from the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) and is used to
colour Red Leicester cheese. You need the pure spice not the one that comes
as a paste which contains vinegar, maize "our etc.

REPLY

SANDRA PEISSNER
May 18, 2020 at 6:34 pm

My family loved this recipe!! We grilled it in a gas bbq. As good as an Indian

restaurants! Will be making this again!

REPLY
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 SABRINA
May 19, 2020 at 4:01 pm

Thanks for the 5 stars, Sandra. So glad you all enjoyed it.

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DONI BLAIR
May 9, 2020 at 4:53 pm

Hi! I’m planning on making this recipe one day this week. But I have a
question about the seasonings. If I have tandoori and garam masala, do I still
need to use all the spices you listed or do I just use the Tandoori and GM?
Also I don’t have a bbq pit but I have a cast iron "at/grilling thing, that should
work in the oven right?
Oh and is this a spicy chicken? I tasted the tandoori and it was spicy and the
Garam Masala tasted like dirt lol. I’m sure when they are cooked they won’t
taste the same! Anyway, thanks for posting the recipe and I can’t wait to try
it!! ?

REPLY

SABRINA
July 6, 2020 at 9:46 am

If you have tandoori you can substitute the ingredients needed to make it
yourself that are listed in the recipe card. You should be able to use the
cast iron grill for this. This dish is spicy but you can adjust the spice level to
match more to your liking! I hope you enjoy it!

REPLY

LAURIE
May 7, 2020 at 2:16 pm
:
 Made this last night. Amazing "avor! Cooked on stovetop !rst then in the
oven. Even my picky son loved it. Used 1/2 tsp. Of both the red & yellow food
coloring. Everyone questioned the deep orange color while marinating but
came out a deeper red when cooked. Thanks for my new go to Tandoori
chicken recipe!

REPLY

SABRINA
May 11, 2020 at 11:43 am

So glad this is your new go-to!!

REPLY

KEIRAN JASMIN PERSAUD

March 21, 2020 at 11:31 am

I’m making tandoori Chicken. With my mom . We would like to know if you
put the Chicken for 400 d. How long you have put the temperature down .

REPLY

BRIAN GILBERT
March 12, 2020 at 5:30 am

This is not authentic when you use garlic powder, or chicken legs, get thighs
not drumsticks with the sinews still in.

REPLY

NATHALIE
February 22, 2020 at 10:01 pm
:
 J’ai fais cette recette pour un souper entre amis pour un petit festin indien ,
un vrai succès ?

REPLY

LAURIE
February 3, 2020 at 10:39 pm

Do you have a good recipe for chicken 65? With ingredients that are easy to
!nd?

REPLY

SABRINA
February 13, 2020 at 11:25 am

I don’t but I’ll add it to my research list. Thanks for the suggestion.

REPLY

NATHAN
January 28, 2020 at 9:32 am

Has anyone tried using a "avored yogurt for marination?

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LISA
January 25, 2020 at 1:50 pm

I made this recipe for my family and it turned out fantastic. Really great
"avors I will de!nitely make again. I cooked longer than recipe stated and it
wasn’t dry – absolutely delish !

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 SABRINA
January 27, 2020 at 9:42 am

So glad you all enjoyed it, Lisa. I appreciate the 5 star rating.

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CHRISSIE
October 22, 2019 at 12:34 pm

Just cooked this for about the 6th time…still love it and a !rm fave with the
kids eventhough mine never seems to go red. BUT I keep the discarded sauce
and use it to make a Kashmiri type curry usually 2 days later (lots of "avour). I
chop up a pepper and an onion and cook, add meat or prawns then loads of
ground almonds to thicken it, and lots of cream and get it boiling to reduce,
then serve it topped with "aked almonds and more cream. Soooooo good.

REPLY

SABRINA
October 23, 2019 at 1:10 pm

That sounds so delicious!! Thanks for sharing!

REPLY

REBECCA
August 16, 2019 at 5:28 am

Why do you cook the chicken in the oven after it is cooked through on the
grill? Won’t that dry out the chicken?

REPLY

SABRINA
August 29, 2019 at 11:21 am
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 I prefer getting a char on it and then !nishing it in the oven. If you prefer
you can just do either grilled or oven. I hope you enjoy it!

REPLY

STEVE
June 7, 2019 at 12:19 pm

Is there any way to make this without yogurt for someone who can’t eat
dairy?

REPLY

SABRINA
June 24, 2019 at 7:28 am

I’ve never tested it using a non dairy yogurt but if you decide to try, I’d love
to know how it turns out. Thanks!

REPLY

KHADEEJAH
July 5, 2020 at 8:02 am

My son is allergic to dairy and eggs and I substituted egg free mayonnaise
in place of the yogurt. Turned out that the chicken was nice and tender and
similar in taste.

REPLY

SABRINA
July 5, 2020 at 9:17 am

Thanks for the suggestion!

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 JOHNNIEJA23
May 28, 2019 at 8:59 am

HIYA SABRINA, I AM JOHN FROM THE NORTH OF IRELAND, CO. ANTRIM.

LOVE ANY INDIAN/EASTERN FOOD. I AM NEW TO YOUR SITE, IF POSSIBLE
CAN YOU PLEASE ADD “GAS MARK” IN YOUR INSTRUCTIONS?
AT A QUICK GLANCE AT YOUR FOOD LAYOUT LOOKS FANTASTIC, CANT WAIT
TO GET
STUCK IN!!!!!
THANK YOU, JOHN HAMILL.

REPLY

JOANNE
October 16, 2019 at 5:38 pm

200 Johnnie

REPLY

LUCYSANCHEZ30
March 22, 2019 at 1:50 pm

So I don’t want to sound dumb but uncovered or covered in the oven

REPLY

SABRINA
March 26, 2019 at 4:22 pm

Uncovered

REPLY

JAYNE FAWCETT
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 March 12, 2019 at 6:27 am

Hi is there an alternative to kosher salt as that’s only thing couldn’t get.

REPLY

SABRINA
March 12, 2019 at 10:53 am

You can use a coarse sea salt or even table salt in a pinch. Enjoy!

REPLY

JOHN RAINEY
March 10, 2019 at 5:16 pm

Will be attempting to recreate this fabulous looking dish this week , an all
time favourite of mine , I will post pictures IF I succeed .

REPLY

SABRINA
March 11, 2019 at 6:47 am

I hope you enjoy it!

REPLY

SONA
February 10, 2019 at 6:41 pm

Thank you for the recipe. Is there a stove top alternate to grilling? Kindly let
me know.

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 SABRINA
February 12, 2019 at 4:45 pm

If you don’t have a grill pan, you can also use a cast iron skillet. I hope you
enjoy it!

REPLY

KADY
January 13, 2019 at 11:19 am

I made this the other day and I was unimpressed, the spices needed to be a
bigger amount and the yogurt was to thick. I know that if I can modify it, the
recipe will be much better.

REPLY

NILOC
September 17, 2020 at 8:44 pm

I agree I pretty much doubled up on the spices except for the masala which
I kept at 1 tablespoon and the cayenne I used 3 teaspoons and it was spicy.
As for the marinade being thick it supposed to be you’re using yogurt as the
base for the marinade I suppose you could add some more lemon juice
and some water to thin it out a bit, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

REPLY

HERMSOVEN85
January 7, 2019 at 7:25 pm

Didn’t see why skin-on chicken wings wouldn’t work, and they did! Easy prep
and very tasty. Marinated for 2 hours and baked at 400°F for about 22
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 minutes per side. No added color necessary. Bet you can’t eat just one.

Thanks, Sabrina

REPLY

SABRINA
January 8, 2019 at 10:03 am

Thanks for the feedback! So glad you decided to try and loved it!

REPLY

DANIJEL
July 25, 2018 at 2:31 am

Sorry, I didn’t understand:

do I use
the grill AND the oven,
or is it
the grill OR the oven?

REPLY

SABRINA
July 25, 2018 at 5:59 am

Sorry for the confusion…you can use either method….grilling or oven. I was
just trying to give options.

REPLY

NICOLE
October 6, 2018 at 3:17 pm
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 Was just curious, if using Harrisa and Tuneric instead of food coloring.
How much of each do you suggest? Actually preparing marinade today!
Sounds so good!

REPLY

SABRINA
November 6, 2018 at 12:48 pm

I’m not really sure how much to use….you might just need to start with
a little and eyeball it. Hope you enjoy!

REPLY

JENNIFER QUIROZ
May 4, 2018 at 1:12 pm

This looks amazing!!! Do you have any suggestions on sides? I cannot wait to
make this!

REPLY

SABRINA
June 6, 2018 at 11:18 am

Thank you! I would suggest roasted vegetables or even my Vegetable

Biryan.

REPLY

MONIQUE
January 23, 2020 at 9:47 pm

I cut up potatoes, cauli"ower and bell peppers and coated them with more
of the spice mix and roasted them in the oven at 375 (convection) for about
30 minutes on a sheet pan. They were a great side. I mixed some of the
roasted veggies with spinach and left some without just to satisfy di#erent
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 family members.

REPLY

MELANEY
April 1, 2018 at 12:27 pm

The ingredient list has “1-tsp Cayenne pepper” listed twice. Is that correct?
Melaney Mattson, San Clemente, CA

REPLY

SABRINA
April 11, 2018 at 1:17 pm

Thanks for catching that! It should’ve only been in there once. It’s been
!xed.

REPLY

FRANZ
August 2, 2018 at 9:13 pm

no, it’s not

REPLY

JESSICA | NOVICE CHEF

March 28, 2018 at 6:44 pm

This sounds amazing! I love tandoori!

REPLY

SABRINA
March 29, 2018 at 6:05 am

Thanks Jessica!
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 REPLY

ANN
March 28, 2018 at 7:19 am

Sabrina, we are currently camping at Zion National park in Utah but I have to
take a peek at your blog. I can’t wait to get home to try the tandoori chicken
recipe! I don’t know how you manage to !nd the time to blog due to your
busy schedule but we appreciate your e#ort very much

REPLY

SABRINA
March 28, 2018 at 10:34 am

Thank you so much Ann! It’s a crazy life but I love it!

REPLY

CATALINA
March 27, 2018 at 10:25 am

I love how crispy is this chicken! Yummy!

REPLY

SABRINA
March 27, 2018 at 10:48 am

Thank you Catalina!

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KIMBERLY @ THE DARING GOURMET

March 26, 2018 at 10:05 pm
:
 I love tandoori and that looks absolutely perfect!

REPLY

SABRINA
March 27, 2018 at 8:42 am

Thanks Kimberly!

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DES
March 26, 2018 at 9:03 pm

These chicken legs look amazing!

REPLY

SABRINA
March 27, 2018 at 8:42 am

Thanks Des!

REPLY

DEE
March 26, 2018 at 8:59 pm

I’m always looking for more chicken recipes, and this one sounds perfect for
my family!

REPLY

SABRINA
March 27, 2018 at 8:42 am

Such a great way to switch up your chicken routine!

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