Tandoori chicken recipe with video & step by step pictures – Learn how to make delicious restaurant style tandoori chicken at home with this simple recipe. Tandoori chicken originated from the Mughlai cuisine & is one of the most popular chicken appetizers that stole the hearts of many across the globe. This recipe will give you the soft, juicy, flavorful and delicious grilled chicken with bursting flavors of spices & a unique smoky aroma .
You can make this tandoori chicken in an oven & on stovetop. But oven or cooking directly on fire yields the best results.
This mouth-watering delicious chicken is well known as murgh tandoor or tandoori murgh. The term murgh meaning chicken and tandoor is a clay oven. So this dish is all about marinating and grilling chicken in a tandoor.
This tandoori chicken recipe yields spicy chicken that is soft and juicy with all the flavors of spices infused. These are spicy but not hot. Even kids can enjoy them. This recipe uses no food color or butter, making this a low fat chicken starter.
Most Indian homes do not own a oven and use the stove for their daily cooking. So I am sharing how to make tandoori chicken on stove and also in oven.
You can use store bought or ready made tandoori masala. However I have never used one to suggest. All the ingredients mentioned here for the masala will be present in most Indian kitchens. So try it from scratch, like I did.
You can serve this chicken tandoori as a starter or as a side with a meal.
More chicken recipes
Butter chicken
Chicken kebab
Szechuan chicken
Chicken tikka
Chicken shawarma
Marinade
1. Firstly transfer hung curd or greek yogurt to a large bowl. It is nothing but curd that has been strained of all the liquid. Please check this link for making hung curd.
2. Put in all the spice powders. Garam masala, coriander powder, pepper powder, turmeric, chili powder and salt. Also add in ginger garlic paste and kasuri methi as well.
3. Add in lemon juice.
4. Pour oil as well.
5. Mix well and taste the marinade. Add any ingredient needed to suit your taste like salt and chili powder. The marinade has to be thick otherwise it will stick up to the pan. There may be lot of moisture that will let out.
6. Make sure the chicken has no dripping water. If needed wipe dry with a kitchen tissue. Next make deep gashes to the chicken.
7. Marinate it well so that the masala reaches deep inside. The marinade will tenderize the chicken. So make sure you do it properly.
8. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to over night. Do not reduce the time as the chicken will not get cooked and turn tender.
How to make tandoori chicken
Grilling in Oven – Preheat the oven to the highest for at least 15 to 20 mins. In my oven it is 470 F (240 C). Place a wired rack over a baking tray and then place the prepared chicken over the wired rack. Grill it 15 mins.
For a spicy version, mix together red chilli powder with oil and baste the chicken on both the sides. You can also baste the left over marinade over the chicken.
Grill the chicken again for another 6 to 10 mins until fully cooked through. Adjust the timing as needed depending on the size of your chicken pieces. The last 5 mins set the oven to broil mode or move the rack to the top most level and grill until charred.
Stovetop method – Grilling in pan
9. Heat a pan. Spread 1 to 2 tbsp oil.
10. When the oil turns hot, place the chicken on the tawa. Regulate the heat to medium.
11. After 3 to 4 minutes flip the pieces. Smear the marinade.
12. Flip them again after 3 to 4 mins.
13. Meanwhile add red chili powder to a small bowl. Mix it with the oil. This is optional. Skip if you do not want spiced ones.
14. Smear that to the tandoori chicken.
15. Flip them. Cook on both the sides until soft and cooked. If it looks too dry, smear little soft butter.
Smoking tandoori chicken
16. This step is also optional, unless you want to smoke the chicken. Burn the charcoal.
17. When it turns hot, drop it in a cup. Immediately pour 1 to 2 tsps ghee.
18. It will begin to smoke immediately.
19. Finally cover it and allow to smoke for 5 to 7 mins.
20. Before smoking the tandoori chicken, do check if it is cooked well. The meat should fall off the bone easily.
Serve tandoori chicken with sliced onions, carrots and lemon wedges.
Related Recipes
Tandoori chicken recipe | How to make Tandoori chicken
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- ½ kg chicken (500 to 700 grams)
- ½ cup greek yogurt (hung curd)
- ¾ tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp red chilli powder (kashmiri or any low heat chilli)
- ¼ tsp black pepper crushed (powder)
- 1 tsp coriander powder (daniya powder)
- ¼ tsp salt (taste marinade & add more)
- ¼ tsp Turmeric (haldi)
- 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1½ tbsp oil (preferably mustard oil)
For grilling
- 1 tbsp oil
For color
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 to 2 tbsp oil (preferably mustard oil)
Instructions
Marinade for tandoori chicken
- To a mixing bowl, add greek yogurt or hung curd (thick curd). If you do not have it make your own following the notes below.
- Next add in ginger garlic paste, garam masala, red chili powder, salt, turmeric, kasuri methi, pepper powder and coriander powder.
- Pour oil and lemon juice as well.
- Mix everything well. The marinade has to be thick and not of dripping consistency. Taste it and add more salt and chili powder if needed.
- Make deep gashes over the chicken and add it to the bowl.
- Marinate the chicken well into the gashes.
- Cover and set aside for at least 6 hours. If you reduce the marination time, chicken will not turn soft and juicy. It may not get cooked well if making on tawa.
How to make tandoori chicken
- Preheat the oven to the highest for atleast 15 to 20 mins. In my oven it is 470 F or 240 C. For the stove method, please follow the step by step instructions above the recipe card.
- Place a foil on a oven tray to collect the drippings.
- Then keep a greased wired rack on the tray.
- Place the chicken pieces over the wire rack.
- Grill the chicken for about 15 mins.
- For spicy version mix together 1 tsp red chili powder with 1 tbsp oil.
- After 15 mins of grillling, baste the red chili oil over the chicken. You can also baste the left over marinade over the chicken.
- Turn the chicken to the other side and baste the red chili oil or marinade.
- Grill for another 6 to 10 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. You will need to adjust the timing as it depends on size of the chicken pieces.
- The last 5 mins, set to broil mode. Alternately you can move the entire tray with wire rack to the top most rack for the last 5 mins. This gives the charred effect.
- Brush the drippings all over the chicken. This keeps the chicken moist. You can also burn a char coal piece and place it in a small cup. Bring out the chicken tray from the oven and place the cup of char coal in the tray. Cover with a large bowl or foil. Allow it to smoke for 5 to 7 mins.
- Restaurant style tandoori chicken is ready. Serve with onion and lemon wedges.
Notes
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
Video of tandoori chicken
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Martin says
Hi Swasthi, greetings from Germany, I recently tried this recipe and it tasted really amazing. But: The Tandoori turned out much more yellow in color than depicted. Is there any lifehack to get that beautiful red color? So far, I tried Chili powder, Paprika powder and eventually Cayenne papper, but none of these really had an effect. Apparently, some use food coloring, but that does not seem appropriate.
swasthi says
Hello Martin,
The recipe has just 1/4 tsp turmeric. It shouldn’t turn yellow. Try with a different brand of red chilli powder. We use Kashmiri red chilli which gives that bright color.
Sandy says
Swasthi, another terrific recipe. I doubled the recipe, and paired it with a layered vegetable biriyani and that made a very lovely lunch for eight. Next time I will use the chilli oil for basting and do stove top method.
Thank you so much again for your dedication to producing the recipes, and the great and very helpful notes.
All the very best of peace, health and happiness to you and your family for 2021. Regards, Sandy
swasthi says
Hi Sandy,
You are welcome! So glad to know. Yes try basting chilli oil. It also enhances the flavors. Thank you so much for the wishes!
Wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year.
Nisha says
Can we keep the marinade chicken for more than 6 hours ie. More than a day
swasthi says
Hi Nisha,
Yes you can keep up to 36 hours in the fridge. But grill and finish consuming within 48 hours.
Mansij Kumar says
Hi,
Its ready, Wao, mouth watering…. Thanks for sharing. Really it is looking so good.?? Ummmh ….??? Aroma……… Can’t wait more. Ok, ok let me finish it first ….. Thanks Swathi. ?
swasthi says
Hi,
You are welcome! Glad it turned out good. Thank you so much for leaving a comment.
Dan says
I took a crack at this and it turned out great! I barely got to eat any as my very picky daughter ate it up almost as fast as I could make it. I let it marinate for a little over 24 hours and it was so tender and flavorful. I’ll try it on a grill and not in a pan in the spring. It was my first attempt, and I credit success to your well written recipe. I’m definitely going to try more of your recipes in the future. Thanks much for sharing.
swasthi says
Hi Dan,
You are welcome! So glad to know. Yes try it on a grill or oven. Thank you
Jeff Platts says
Had a crack at this today.
Marinated for a couple of days.
Planned on doing in Webber BBQ but alas, the weather gods were against me, so into the oven it went.
Spicing was great and I can see merit in adding that smokey flavour.
Matched it with some mint yoghurt.
Thanks for sharing your recipes.
swasthi says
Hi Jeff
You are welcome! Glad to know! Thank you
Janet says
That sounds delicious. I’m excited to try making Indian food at home?
swasthi says
Thank you!
ann says
I like your recipes and this one came out great tooooo!!!!!
swasthi says
Glad to know Ann
Priya says
Hi swasthi,
I tried this tandoori chicken and chicken 65 recipe of yours today for the first time. Both turned out too yummy. ??Kids and hubby loved it much. I always follow your chicken biryani as well. All your recipes are fabulous. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
swasthi says
Hi Priya
You are welcome! Glad to know! Thanks for following the blog
🙂
Lavanya says
Hi Swathi,
This recipe is out of this world awesome. I was finally able to make such a delicious Chicken Tandoori. Thank you for such a delicious recipe!!!
swasthi says
Hi Lavanya
You are welcome! Glad you liked it.
Thanks for leaving a comment
manoj singh says
nice one ricepi
Eduardo Reyes says
Thank you very much for all those recipes, so tasty and that I wanted to be able to prepare myself, now thanks to your help, it has been very easy and pleasant to be able to enjoy their preparation.
Me and my family are lovers of Indian cuisine.
swasthi says
Hi,
Welcome! Glad to know. Thank you
Nidhi says
Hi Swathi,
I wanted to use this recipe on chicken legs and on a bbq grill. Are there any adjustments to be made re timing or ingredients?
Thanks,
Nidhi
swasthi says
Hi Nidhi
The marination ingredients and timing remains same. But the grilling time has to be adjusted.
NANDINI M says
Tried out the recipe of Tandoori for the first time. It was delicious. ?
swasthi says
Glad to know!
Thank you
Ahmed says
Hello Madam,
I am confused. You have mentioned preheating the oven, which means this chicken is baked.
At the same time you have mentioned grill the chicken. Please clarify if this is grilled or baked in oven since for grilling heat has to be above the chicken and for baking the heat has to be from below. Please let know. thanks. All your recipes are excellent.
swasthi says
Hello Ahmed
Different brands use different symbols for their oven settings. Here I mean both the top and the bottom elements are hot. Mine comes with 2 parallel lines (symbol). I haven’t tried this with only the top heating element – (zigzag symbol) as this chars the meat. If you prefer the charred meat. Towards the end choose the broil setting on the oven. However you can also get the charred effect just by moving the tray to top rack without having to change the settings to broil. Hope this helps.
MG says
Hi Chef,
I followed ypur recipe of Tandoori Chicken on tawa & it turned out to be perfect! And It was melt in mouth.
swasthi says
Hi,
Glad yo know! Thank you!
Umash says
Very nice
swasthi says
Thank you.
k s katoch says
i appreciate the efforts put in in presentation of recipes which are excellent and delicious when prepared as per guidelines which are simple and exhaustive.Congratulations.
swasthi says
Thank you so much!
Sasi says
Hi..i love your recipes. For smoking , should i keep the charcoal container inside the chicken pan and close the pan with lid?
swasthi says
Hi Sasi
Thank you! Yes cover with a lid. It is mentioned in the recipe
Flavia says
Thank you so much Swasthi ?
Flavia says
Hi Swasthi,
Please advise, the maximum time limit to refrigerate the marinated chicken. I was planning to marinate & keep it beforehand.
swasthi says
Hi Flavia,
A few times I kept it for 48 hours. It was very soft after grilling.
Flavia says
Hi Swasthi,
After refrigeration, should the marinated chicken be thawed or fried directly.
If not using charcoal, should the frying be done in an open flat pan or deep closed pan.
Please advise
swasthi says
Hi Flavia,
You can directly fry it in a flat open pan. If you do it in a deep closed pan it releases a lot of moisture which you will have to evaporate towards the end. Hope this helps
Flavia says
Great ?..
Thank you so much Swasthi?