Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken Recipe

This classic Indian Tandoori Chicken is easier than you think to make at home. A good marinade, a hot oven for 30 minutes is all it takes to prepare these succulent chicken legs.

I hope you all are doing well guys.  Today I’m sharing something really close to my home. Indian Tandoori Chicken.  This classic Indian style chicken is a favorite not only by Indians but non-Indians too. Right?

Traditionally Tandoori Chicken is made in a Tandoor which is a large earthen oven.  But you can make it at home in the oven too!!

What is sad though is that because of it’s popularity people have termed it as a very difficult recipe to make. Honestly it is not!  Once you have the ingredients it’s all about marinating and baking / grilling.
The best thing about making Tandoori Chicken is that it’s a make ahead dish, marinate ahead of time and then grill or bake just before your guest arrive.  It can be served with Naan, Chapati, Biryani, pilaf – the possibilities are endless.

Making it Parve – Traditionally Tandoori Chicken is made with Yogurt. All my life I ate meat marinated in Yogurt sauce until I came to Israel.  Here meat and dairy are never cooked together. So in Israel the chicken is marinated with the same spices minus the Yogurt.

So if you choose to make this recipe and want it Parve just do not add any yogurt. The rest of the ingredients and measurements will remain the same.

Recipe – Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Tools:

• Bowl
• Wooden Spoon
• Oven or Tandoori Grill

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 4 Chicken quarters or 8 chicken drumsticks

For the Marinade

• Plain Yogurt – 250 ml (1 cup)
• Garlic grated – 1 tbsp
• Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
• Chilly Powder or Cayenne Powder – 1 tsp
• Cumin powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
• Fenugreek/ Methi powder (optional) – 1 tbsp
• Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp
• Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp
• Canola Oil – 2 tbsp
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Additional Optional Ingredients

• Chat Masala, lemon wedges and Cilantro – for garnish

Method

Prepare Chicken

• Clean, skin, wash and pat dry the chicken.
• Score the meat on the legs and thighs. This will help absorb the marinade better.

Marinade

• In a large bowl, add all the marinade ingredients including yogurt, lemon juice, salt pepper and all the dry spices.
• Stir to combine.
• Add the chicken pieces and Coat the chicken well in the marinade
• Marinate the chicken for a minimum 4 hours to over night.
• Remove from the fridge about an hour before you are ready to cook so the meat comes to room temperature.

Oven Baked /Broil

• Preheat your oven at 220 C/440 F for at least 20 minutes.
• Line a baking tray with foil for easy clean up.
• Place your wire rack on the top of the baking tray
• Arrange your chicken pieces on the wire rack.
• Add 1 tbsp of canola oil to the left over marinade in the bowl.
• Using a pastry brush coat the oil and marinade to the chicken now
• Place on the top oven rack closer to the top heat.
• Bake for 20 minutes, turn the chicken over and bake another 10 minutes.
• Check the Chicken to see if it is done, If necessary bake for 5 or 10 more minutes.
• If the chicken has not browned enough- place under the broil for the last five minutes

Serve

• Sprinkle some chat masala and a light drizzle of lemon juice.
• Serve garnished with Cilantro and lemon wedges.

Save this recipe for later – find more of my recipes on Pinterest here. 

Here is the video I made to help you understand the process better.

Recipe Card – Oven Baked Indian Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Yum…!