Tandoori Chicken

Make lip-smacking restaurant-style tandoori chicken at home in an oven, air fryer, stovetop, or grill; I’ll show you all these methods. It takes just 15 minutes of actual working time and is super healthy, gluten-free, and keto-friendly too.

Chicken is one of the most versatile proteins to make starters/appetizers for house parties. Some of my favorites are – Chilli Chicken, Chicken Malai Boti, Chicken Cheese Balls, Chicken Tikka, and Chicken Cheese Samosa. 

Jump to:

• About This Recipe
• Ingredients
• How To Make Tandoori Chicken
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You Might Also Like
• Recipe Card

About This Recipe

Tandoori chicken, also known as murgh tandoori is a popular North Indian appetizer where chicken is marinated with lime juice, yogurt, and aromatic spices and then roasted or grilled until perfection. It is best served with green chutney, some sliced onions, and lime wedges.

Tandoori chicken is a low-carb (keto) and gluten-free recipe that is super easy to make and takes only 15 minutes of active preparation time

The homemade version gets its beautiful red-orange hue from the use of the best quality Kashmiri red chili powder, unlike the restaurant where they add red color to it. You can serve it for your house party appetizers or as a side dish with your North Indian meals.

Tandoori chicken was traditionally made in a clay oven or tandoor, but since modern homes do not have clay ovens anymore, I’ll show you how to make it in a regular oven, air fryer, stovetop, or grill.

The best murgh tandoori is made by marinating chicken twice. Do follow the recipe as mentioned below and I can guarantee that you will be able to make the best tandoori chicken you have ever had.

Ingredients

Chicken – I have used whole bone-in chicken legs (thighs and legs) to make it. You can choose to use only legs (drumsticks) or even boneless breast cut in small cubes.

Whole chicken legs with thighs have more fat content making the tandoori chicken really juicy and moist. But if you want to go for a healthier version, use boneless chicken breast. Keep in mind that the breast will dry out fast post-cooking.

For The First Marination –

You will need salt, lime juice, ginger-garlic paste, and Kashmiri red chili powder. The first marination makes the chicken tender and juicy when cooked.

For The Second Marination –

Thick yogurt – Thick yogurt binds all the spices and makes sure they cling well with the chicken. You can use Greek yogurt if you have it or simply add the plain yogurt to a strainer and let it sit over a bowl for an hour. All the extra water will drip down and you will get thick yogurt.

Oil – To make authentic tandoori chicken, use mustard oil in the marination. It gives a very traditional taste to it. If mustard oil is not available, you can use any other oil.

You will also need ginger garlic paste, lime juice, and dry spices like Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder.

Adding freshly squeezed lime juice adds a nice tangy taste and also makes it juicy and tender.

Along with other spice powders, I have used Kashmiri red chili powder as it adds a nice red color without making it too spicy.

Kasuri Methi and Heavy Cream – Add some Kasuri methi and heavy cream to the marinade to gives it a restaurant-like taste.

Some people add artificial food color in this recipe but since it’s not healthy to use them, I refrain from adding them in my recipes.

Serving Ingredients – To serve the ready tandoori chicken, you will need butter, chaat masala, lime slices, and sliced onions.

How To Make Tandoori Chicken

Wash 2 pounds (1 kg) of whole skinless bone-in chicken legs (thighs and legs) and pat the pieces dry using a paper towel. Make 3-4 slits on each piece using a sharp knife.

Note – You can also use drumsticks or boneless breasts in place of whole legs. Keep in mind that the breast will dry out soon after cooking.

Mix the ingredients for the first marinade in a large mixing bowl

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder

Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix them nicely with the marinade using your fingers. Cover the bowl with a lid or a cling film and refrigerate for an hour.

Add the ingredients for the second marinade that are

• 2 tablespoon thick yogurt
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 tablespoon mustard oil
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi

to the bowl and mix them well with the chicken.

Cover the bowl with a lid or a cling film and refrigerate for another 4-5 hours or better overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Set a baking tray on the lower half of the oven and keep a wire rack on the baking tray.

Shake off the excess marinade and arrange the chicken on the wire rack. Grill for 15 minutes.

Flip the chicken using a tong and grill for another 15-20 minutes or until they are tender. Baste 1-2 times with butter while grilling.

Set the oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes until the chicken is slightly charred.

Remove the tray from the oven and brush the chicken with butter. Sprinkle chaat masala on top. Serve hot with lime wedges and onion slices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

Grilled tandoori chicken makes for a fabulous appetizer. Serve it with Coriander Mint Chutney or Mint Yogurt Chutney and onion rings. Do not forget to serve lime wedges, thinly sliced onions, and some chaat masala along.

It goes really well with any type of Indian flatbreads which might include Roti, Naan, Tawa Paratha, Lachha Paratha, Roomali Roti, and others. You can serve this delicious dish with some Saffron Rice as well.

Also, a nice green salad and some Indian rice perfectly complement it.

Storage Suggestions

Let the tandoori chicken cool down fully. Once it is done, cover it with foil paper and store it in the fridge for about 2 to 3 days. Reheat it in an oven, until nice and warm while serving it again.

You cannot freeze tandoori chicken once it is grilled or cooked. But you can definitely freeze the marinated chicken for up to 2 months. Just transfer the marinated chicken along with the marinade in freezer-safe bags and freeze.

When you want to cook it, remove the bag from the freezer and let it thaw on the kitchen counter and then grill as mentioned.

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