Tandoori Chicken Wings Recipe
These Tandoori Chicken Wings are super easy to make and you only need 15 minutes of active working time. Make them in an air fryer or an oven using my recipe.
Here are some more chicken appetizer recipes that you may like: Cajun Chicken Wings, Korean Gochujang Chicken Wings, Chicken Tikka, and Lemon Pepper Chicken Tenders.
Over the years, I have perfected my Tandoori Marinade recipe. I use it to marinate fish, chicken, paneer, mushrooms, and other meats.
For one of my Diwali parties last week, I thought to use the same marinade to make tandoori chicken wings. They turned out very well, and everyone at the party was raving about them. Sharing the recipe with you all to enjoy!
About Tandoori Chicken Wings
Tandoori Wings is an Indian style appetizer where chicken wings are marinated in a spicy yogurt-based marinade and then air-fried or roasted in an oven until they are nicely cooked.
They are similar to the classic tandoori choice, with the key difference being that only chicken wings are used instead of whole chicken pieces.
Tandoori chicken wings are very easy to make, and the recipe uses a few simple ingredients, which are mostly available in any Indian Kitchen. You only need 15 minutes of active working time for the preparation.
Once the chicken wings are marinated, you can cook them in an oven or an air fryer at your convenience. These wings also cook well over a gas grill or over a charcoal fire. In fact, cooking them on a gas grill or over charcoal gives them a nice smoky flavor.
I love trying new Indian Appetizer Recipes and serving them for my house parties. Do check them out.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s full of bold Indian flavors yet simple to make at home.
Can be made in the oven, grill, or air fryer—your choice!
Perfect for parties, game nights, or BBQs.
Marination keeps the chicken juicy and tender.
Easily customizable for spice levels.
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
You can use fresh or frozen wings. If using frozen wings, then bring them out of the freezer 3-4 hours in advance and thaw them completely. Once thawed, rinse them with water and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Then use them in this tandoori wing recipe.
You can use full wings or cut them into drum and wingettes (flats). I personally like to cut them into smaller pieces.
For The First Marination
You will need ginger garlic paste, freshly squeezed lime juice, Kashmiri red chili powder, baking soda, and salt to marinate the wings. This first marination makes them tender and juicy.
For The Second Marination
The second marination is done to give a nice tandoori flavor to the wings. To make it, you will need mustard oil, Kashmiri red chili powder, thick yogurt (curd, dahi), tandoori masala powder, and kasuri methi.
Mustard oil is highly recommended for authentic tandoori taste, but if it’s not easily available, use any other cooking oil.
Make tandoori masala powder at home, or use a store-bought one.
Plain yogurt must be hung for some time so that it becomes thick. I have written about how to make thick yogurt from plain yogurt in the post below. Do read it.
It is important that the yogurt is thick; otherwise, the marination will not stick to the chicken wings, and then the tandoori wings will not taste very good. So, make sure to use thick yogurt. If you are short on time, consider using Greek yogurt as a substitute for plain yogurt. Greek yogurt is much thicker than plain yogurt, so you don’t have to drip it for a longer time.
You will also need butter or ghee to brush over the wings to cook them nicely.
I sometimes add a little garam masala powder and black pepper powder to my marinade when I want to give it an extra spicy kick. So if you want your tandoori wings to be spicier, then add ½ teaspoon of these two spice powders.
Sometimes, the tandoori wings that are sold in restaurants are very red in color. It is because restaurants add red food coloring to the marinade, making the tandoori wings reddish. I personally refrain from using artificial colors in my cooking whenever possible, but if you prefer reddish wings, you can add a few drops of edible red color to the marinade.
How To Make Tandoori Wings
Do The First Marination
Rinse 2 lb chicken wings (halved at joints, wingtips discarded) and dry them using paper towels.
Add the following ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
- 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Add the wings to the bowl.
Mix well and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Do The Second Marination
Add the following ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
- 1 tablespoon mustard oil
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 tablespoon thick yogurt
- 2 tablespoon tandoori masala
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi
Cook The Tandoori Wings
In An Air Fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes.
Remove the wings from the marinade and place them in the basket of the air fryer in a single layer.
Note – Air fry in batches if the basket is small.
Brush them generously with ghee or butter to help them crisp up.
Now place the basket in the air fryer and air fry for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, pull out the basket and flip the wings using a pair of tongs. Brush them again with ghee or butter.
Now cook for another 5-10 minutes or until they are crispy and cooked through.
Tandoori wings are ready. Transfer them to the serving plate and serve hot with green chutney, onion laccha and lime wedges.
In An Oven
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
Arrange the marinated wings on the wire rack in a single layer. Brush them with ghee or butter, and keep the tray in the middle rack of the oven.
Note – Keeping the wings on a wire rack is important to make crispy wings as the water released while grilling will drip down and not make the wings soggy.
Bake for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, flip the wings over and brush them again with ghee or butter. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until they are crispy and cooked through.
Serve hot.
On A grill
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Place the wings on the grill and cook for 15–20 minutes, turning occasionally until evenly cooked and slightly charred.
Pro Tips By Neha
Use thick yogurt so that the marinade sticks to the wings.
Mustard oil adds an authentic smoky note; if unavailable, use regular oil.
Don’t overcrowd the cooking tray or basket—this ensures even cooking and crisp edges.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve these tandoori wings with my green chutney, onion slices, and lime wedges for house parties, potlucks, or festive dinners. Sprinkle some chaat masala over it for a tangy kick.
For a change, I served these with Yogurt Mint Dip and Feta Cream Cheese Dip at my last house party, and everyone loved that combo as well.
Sometimes, I like to eat only protein and no carbs for dinner. On such days, I make these tandoori wings along with a nice salad.
Storage Suggestions
Leftover tandoori wings can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. You can reheat them in an air fryer or an oven.
To reheat in an air fryer, keep the refrigerated wings in the basket and reheat at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
To reheat them in an oven, line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the leftover tandoori wings over it. Keep the baking sheet in the oven and reheat at 350°F for 10-12 minutes in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze the marinated wings for up to 2 months. Thaw before cooking.
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Tandoori Chicken Wings Recipe
Ingredients
For The First Marination
- 2 pounds chicken wings (1 kg, halved at joints, wingtips discarded)
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
For The Second Marination
- 1 tablespoon mustard oil (or any other cooking oil)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 2 tablespoon thick yogurt (curd, dahi) (or Greek yogurt)
- 2 tablespoons tandoori masala powder
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi
Others
- ghee or butter (for basting)
Instructions
Do The First Marination
- Rinse the wings and wipe them dry using paper towels
- Add ginger garlic paste, lime juice, Kashmiri red chili powder, salt, and baking soda to a mixing bowl and mix well.
- Add the wings to the bowl.
- Mix well and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Do The Second Marination
- Add mustard oil, Kashmiri red chili powder, thick yogurt, tandoori masala, and Kasuri methi to the bowl and mix well.
Cook The Tandoori Wings
In An Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes.
- Remove the wings from the marinade and place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Note – Air fry in batches if the basket is small.
- Brush them generously with butter or ghee to help them crisp up.
- Place the basket in the air fryer and air fry for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, flip the wings over, brush them with butter or ghee, and continue to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until they are crispy and cooked through.
- Tandoori wings are ready. Serve them hot.
In An Oven
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
- Arrange the wings on the wire rack in a single layer, brush with ghee or butter, and bake for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, flip the wings over, brush them with ghee or butter, and continue to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until they are crispy and cooked through.
- Serve hot.