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.
Step-by-step photos
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
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.
More chicken recipes
Butter chicken
Chicken kebab
Szechuan chicken
Chicken tikka
Chicken shawarma
Recipe
Tandoori chicken recipe | How to make Tandoori chicken
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- ½ kg chicken (or 500 to 700 grams)
- ½ cup greek yogurt (or hung curd)
- ¾ tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ¼ tsp pepper powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder (or daniya powder)
- ¼ tsp salt (taste marinade & add more)
- ¼ tsp Turmeric (or 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
- For the stove method, please follow the step by step instructions after the recipe card. Preheat the oven at 240 C for at least 15 mins.
- Place a foil on a oven tray to collect the drippings.
- Then keep a greased wire 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.
- Flip 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, you can move the entire tray with wire rack to the top most rack. This gives the charred effect. You can also burn a char coal piece and place it in a small cup. Keep that in the chicken tray. Cover with a large utensil. Allow it to smoke for 5 to 7 mins.
- Brush the dripping all over the chicken. This keeps the chicken moist.
- Restaurant style tandoori chicken is ready. Serve with onion and lemon wedges.
Video
Video of tandoori chicken
NUTRITION (estimation only)
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.
© Swasthi’s Recipes
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.
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!
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🤗
Flavia says
Hi Swasthi,
For frying the chicken, mustard oil needs to be used or any other would be ok
Please advise
swasthi says
Hi Flavia,
Yes you can use mustard oil if you like the flavor. If you don’t like strong mustard oil flavors then use regular oil.
Flavia says
Great👍..
Thank you so much Swasthi🤗
Mark says
I love cuisine from India here in Tulsa OK. Looking forward to using these recipes
swasthi says
Hi Mark,
Thank you! Hope you enjoy the recipes.
Ishwar Kukreja says
Way showing how to cook in micro or tawa is nice.
swasthi says
Thank you
Divya says
Hi, I tried the tandoor recipe in cooking range oven .. chicken legs will not be dry, uncooked , could smell !! The top part will be dry bottom will be wet with marination!! 400f for 45 minutes!! Kindly suggest any .. thank you
swasthi says
Hi Divya, Turn the pieces around and grill it at 465f till it gets cooked.
Shabnam Ahmed says
Hi Swasthi thanks for the lovely recipe. I made it today it came out very nice and tasty. Stay blessed.
swasthi says
Hi Shabnam,
You are welcome! Glad you liked it. Thank you so much!
Sheela. says
Hai swasthi.ur recepies are simply superb. Regarding tandoori xhicken for how long it has to be cooked in tawa.any time duration.
swasthi says
Hi Sheela
Thank you. You have to cook until the chicken almost falls off the bone when you prick it with a fork (meaning it is cooked). The longer you marinate more quickly and easily it gets done.
Sayed Zakeer says
I love the content shared by you. Very specific and precise. I used to follow your suggested steps while making or cooking different recipes accordingly. And to my findings, it goes all well and the desired recipes become delicious and tasty.
Keep sharing and helping. I appreciate your aid on this ..😊👍
swasthi says
Hi Sayed
Thank you so much. Glad to know the recipes turned out good. Ramadan mubarak!
Sachin Rangari says
Hi,
The tandoori was very nice and tasty. Thank you for the recipe.
But one big doubt I have. After marinating the chicken, it is very wet and the masala stays very wet. How to make the masala dry. This masala sticks to rack and it remains uncooked and tastes not so good. Please suggest some trick to avoid this.
swasthi says
Hi Sachin,
You are welcome! If the marinade is runny then it doesn’t cook well. Hope you are using hung curd or greek yogurt here. Try to make the marinade thick. May be reduce the yogurt or add some roasted besan. It should help.
Ranjit Das says
Wow mouth watering recipe. I also try my home.
swasthi says
Thank you
Imogen says
Hi Swasthi just tried another of your recipe the chicken tandoori let me tell you.it turned YUMMY.thanks. I am your great fan
swasthi says
Hi Imogen,
Thank you so much for the comment. Very happy to know tandoori chicken turned out good.
🙂