How to make Homemade Indian Chicken Tandoori
Traditionally made in a tandoor oven, this classic Indian tandoori chicken can be easily made in an oven at home. This oven baked tandoori chicken is marinated in yogurt and aromatic Indian spices then baked until golden and delicious. So easy and so beautiful no one will believe it's homemade.
Where is tandoori chicken from?
If you have been to an Indian restaurant then you must have tried this classic dish, often referred to as tandoori chicken or chicken tandoori. It's often what most people associate Indian food with. Because of its popularity, people assume that it's a very difficult recipe to make.
Honestly, it is not!
My friends in Singapore would always associate India with tandoori chicken or chicken biryani. And they are always surprised that there is such a huge variety of food in India. I remember we were once in the north of Indian Jaipur and instead of enjoying good north Indian food some of the girls were looking for masala dosa which is a south Indian classic. I mean India is huge and it has so many different cultures, each with its own unique identity and lifestyle.
For example, If you go to the south of India the food is so completely different than the north. However, with so much of migration taking place these days, you can find anything you looking for anywhere. But back when we were kids, it was not so common to find north Indian food in south India or vice versa.
I'm so glad that times are changing because this has opened our mind and hearts to try so much more than just food that we are familiar with in our region or culture. I make this delicious tandoori chicken or chicken tikka (north Indian dishes) just as well as I make dosa (south Indian dish) or Dokhla (Gujrathi dish).
About this tandoori chicken (save/pin)
Traditionally Tandoori chicken is made in a Tandoor which is a large earthen oven. And yet, you can also make it at home in the oven. In fact, oven baked tandoori chicken is a lot easier to make then a chicken curry. Once you have the ingredients ready, it's all about marinating and baking or grilling.
And the best thing about making this oven baked tandoori chicken is that you can marinate it ahead of time and leave it in the fridge until an hour before you need to cook. The chicken takes about 30 minutes to cook allowing you to entertain your guests rather than watching the stove. It can be served with naan, chapati, biryani, pilaf - the possibilities are endless. And the leftovers can be used in sandwiches and wraps.
Let's talk ingredients and substitutes (save/pin)
- Chicken - I personally prefer to use chicken quarters and I like to use chicken that's got some flesh on it. Don't pick thin bony chickens if you know what I mean.
- Spices - Now most Indians like me, who very proudly make our own spice blends, will tell you - oh you must find all these spices because the flavor is huge. True! Personally, I think that if you don't have these spices, you can still make tandoori chicken. You can buy a ready-made spice blend called tandoori masala. I'd rather you use a spice blend then not have tandoori chicken.
Choose a reputed brand and I'm sure you will love it. If you choose to use a ready-made blend - I recommend substituting the below spices with 2 tbsp tandoori masala. - Ginger / Garlic - In Indian cooking, these are always used fresh, not dry powder. They do make a huge difference in flavor.
- Fenugreek - These are leaves - also called Indian methi. This can be optional. They add a slightly bitter taste but gives it that authentic tandoori flavor.
- Garam masala - This again is a blend of warm spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and a few other. And you can it buy readymade or make at home too. I make my own and here is my recipe for garam masala. A little goes a long way so never add more than stated in the recipe.
Useful Tips and Tools
- Always use a separate cutting board for poultry. A large chefs knife is best of cutting chicken.
- Also, use a large glass bowl or stainless steel bowl that will accommodate all the chicken pieces and leave enough room for turning around. Avoid plastic because these can stain with the spices and avoid aluminum as it can react with the acid in the lemon.
- And, use a large grill spatula or thong to move the chicken pieces around in the oven. Wear protective gloves as necessary.
- Use the oven on high and preheat for at least 20 minutes before you put the chicken in. That way the chicken will sear instantly keeping the juices inside.
How to make Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken (Save/Pin)
Quick short video - detailed below
Method
Yogurt Marinade
- In a large bowl combine yogurt and spices.
- Stir to combine - and set aside.
Prepare Chicken
- Clean, skin and pat dry the chicken.
- Score chicken on the legs and thighs as shown in the video. This will help absorb the marinade better.
- Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
- Next, coat the chicken piece with the yogurt marinade.
- Followed by the ginger and garlic paste.
- Making sure you have coated the chicken pieces well.
- Marinate the chicken for an hour on the countertop or overnight in the fridge.
Oven Bake /Broil
- Preheat your oven to 220 C/440 F for at least 20 minutes.
- Line a baking tray with foil for easy cleanup.
- Place your wire rack on the top of the baking tray.
- Spray the foil and rack with oil spray so the chicken won't stick.
- Pour cooking oil over the chicken and stir to combine.
- Arrange chicken pieces on the wire rack smooth side down.
- Using a pastry brush, coat with the remaining marinade.
- Place in the hot oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes - turn chicken over and cook for another 10 minutes.
- If the chicken has not browned enough - place under the broil for the last five minutes.
- Enjoy!
What do you serve tandoori chicken with?
There is so much you can serve with this oven baked tandoori chicken.
- Chapati or roti - Which is an Indian flatbread. Chapati is more processed than roti but both are whole wheat. See how I make my chapati or sweet potato chapati.
- Naan - This is also Indian flatbread, but based on yeast and yogurt. You can make the dough ahead of time and prepare these just when your tandoori chicken is baking. You must try my stovetop homemade naan as well as garlic butter naan.
- Rice - Of course, we love Indian food with rice. Try my vegetable rice with turmeric, or my kids favorite fruit and nut pulao.
- Raita - This is basically yogurt with chopped mint leaves, a pinch of sugar, and a dash of salt and pepper. Often accompanied by chicken biryani but goes perfectly with tandoori chicken as well.
- Side dish - Often I make a side of Indian style vegetables to go with my tandoori. Our family favorite are mushroom masala or Indian spiced potatoes, and aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes).
Frequently asked questions
Chicken legs and thighs work best for such marinated dishes cooked in the oven.
And yet, you can use chicken breast. Make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Breast usually take much less time than legs and thighs.
The yogurt marinade for this oven baked chicken tandoori is very aromatic and flavorful you do not want to waste it over the skin. Rather make sure it's well marinated into the meat, so you have a wonderful tender and flavored chicken tandoori.
Low-fat yogurt will have excess moisture that will prevent the marinade from sticking to the chicken. You want to use thick yogurt, that when mixed with spices, will coat the chicken and stay on while cooking. Greek yogurt works best for this oven baked tandoori
You can easily omit it and it will still be delicious. Also, Fenugreek has a slight bitterness to it so never use too much.
Curry powder is often a blend of these spices. So for the best result, you want to use these spices in the proportions mentioned below. Having said that, you can substitute 2 tbsp curry powder instead. Try my homemade curry powder recipe.
Garam masala is a blend of warm spices that you probably already have in your pantry. Check my recipe for homemade garam masala and if you still don't have them, feel free to omit it. The tandoori chicken will be less hot but still delicious.
Traditionally Tandoori chicken is made with yogurt. All my life I ate meat marinated in yogurt sauce until I came to Israel. Here, religious Jews don't cook meat and dairy 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, you have two choices, either you take out the yogurt or you use a nondairy yogurt, such as coconut yogurt. The rest of the ingredients and measurements will remain the same.
No, as you can see I have kept my tandoori chicken natural in color. This is what I get from the spices used. The red color used in an Indian restaurant is just food color and does not contribute to taste. Feel free to omit it.
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Oven Baked Indian Tandoori Chicken Recipe
Print Pin RateDescription
Ingredients
- 800 grams (1.76 lb) Chicken quarters 4 quarters or 8 chicken drumsticks
- 250 ml (1.06 cups) Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Garlic grated
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Ginger paste
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Lemon juice
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Salt
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Canola oil
- 1/2 tsp (1/2 tsp ) Pepper
Spice mix
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Chilly powder or Cayenne
- 1/4 tsp (1/4 tsp) Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Cumin powder
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Coriander powder
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Fenugreek powder optional
- 1 1/2 tsp (1 1/2 tsp) Garam masala powder
Instructions
Yogurt Marinade
- In a large bowl combine yogurt and spices.
- Stir to combine - and set aside.
Prepare Chicken
- Clean, skin, wash and pat dry the chicken.
- Score chicken on the legs and thighs. This will help absorb the marinade better.
- Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
- Next, coat the chicken piece with the yogurt marinade.
- Followed by the ginger and garlic paste.
- Making sure you have coated the chicken pieces well.
- Marinate the chicken for an hour on the countertop or overnight in the fridge.
Oven Baked /Broil
- Preheat your oven to 220 C/440 F for at least 20 minutes.
- Line a baking tray with foil for easy cleanup.
- Place your wire rack on the top of the baking tray.
- Spray the foil and rack with oil spray so the chicken won't stick.
- Pour cooking oil over the chicken and stir to combine.
- Arrange chicken pieces on the wire rack smooth side down.
- Using a pastry brush coat with remaining oil and marinade.
- Place in the hot oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes - turn chicken over and cook for another 10 minutes.
- If the chicken has not browned enough- place under the broil for the last five minutes.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
About Videos - most recipes has two videos - a quick version & longer detailed version. Sometimes a similar recipe video may be used
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Shashi
I'm always amazed at the variety of cuisine in India! And, speaking of which, your tandoori chicken looks so good - I just found fenugreek at Walmart so cannot wait to try this out!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Shashi. Yes, we have some wonderful food in India. Yes, fenugreek is now making its way to the supermarkets so you don't have to go hunting for an Indian store
Dannii
That chicken looks perfectly cooked. So much flavour too!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Dannii. It was perfectly cooked.
Milica Vladova
I have heard that yogurt marinades make the chicken meat much more tender and juicy. I need to to try this!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Milica. Yes, yogrut works as a great meat tenderizer too
Natalie
Looks so delicious and comforting! I love chicken tandoori - this recipe looks perfect!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Natalie. I think you will love this one.
Patty
I love tandoori chicken! I always order it when I go to eat at an Indian restaurant, but never have tried making it myself. This recipe looks so great. Thank you for sharing! I will try it!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Patty. This is so easy you must try.
Arshdeep
Hi Veena,
I am a silent follower of your recipes and they are really amazing. I would like to request you to kindly upload Falooda cake( eggless ) recipe.
Regards
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much Arshdeep. So happy to hear you like my recipe. Do join my Facebook group to connect.
Thansk
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1894425737541123/
Alexis
My family loves Indian chicken dishes. This one looks amazing! I'll be adding it to our next meal plan for sure!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Alexis. I hope you try this one. It's really easy.
Denay DeGuzman
Ahhh....how I love tandoori chicken! It's so beautifully flavorful. Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous recipe! I'm adding this scrumptiousness to my meal plan next week.
Veena Azmanov
Thank youm Denay. I hope you try this one.
Tammy
Your chicken looks so flavorful and juicy, Veena! I love the sound of your spice rub...there are so many other dishes that would be good on 😀 I'd love to give this a try.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Tammy. yes, this spices are what make this chicken really wonderful and juicy.
Marisa Franca
I've always been fascinated by this dish. The ovens were so neat looking but I couldn't justify buying an oven just for one dish. I'm glad you explained that we can make it in a conventional oven. We eat lots of chicken and I'm always looking for unusual recipes. Looking forward to trying tandoori chicken.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Marisa. Yes, in the old days the tandoori did almost all the cooking so it was worth it. Nowadays the convection oven is good enough.
Claudia Lamascolo
what a beautiful color on this chicken, I have never had Indian food and this is quite intriguing and I would love to try it. Those spices sound delicious indeed.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Claudia. If you love spices you will enjoy Indian food.
Jyothi (Jo)
There’s something about tandoori chicken that I find it hard to resist. It’s so delicious yet comforting and I’m don’t feel a guilt of eating up a whole batch ?
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Jyothi. Yes, I think tandoori chicken is comfort food too.
Karyn
this is most definitely on my to make list.. I just showed my son your delicious recipe and nearly licked the screen. We are great curry lovers in this house but tandoori chicken is something I have never tried.. Your recipe looks so easy and I love that you included some substitutions. You always go into such great detail
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Karyn. Aww, I think your son will love this chicken. It's my kids favorite too. Glad you like my details.
Cathleen
I am always looking for new fun ways to cook chicken. This looks so perfect!!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Cathleen. I hope you try it.
Michelle
This is my go-to recipe for tandoori chicken, in fact, your blog is my go-to for all Indian recipes, and cake recipe, and cupcake recipes.
Ah well, I love all your recipes. I have never had a failed recipe from your blog ever! and I have been on your blog for over 5 years now. So I have lost count of all the recipes I have tried so far. This one though is the best tandoori chicken recipe and I had to comment and let you know. Thanks for always sharing detailed recipes.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Michelle. You just made my day. I love getting such feedback about my recipes. I know what you mean. This is a very popular recipe on my blog and for good reason. Thank yous so much for taking the time to come back to write this feedback. So happy you are enjoying my recipes and my blog.
Clarie
That just looked amazing. And seriously its the best way to cook it, Thanks for sharing.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Clarie. Yes, I love to cook it like this.
Lewis Watling
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it and my family loved it. Truly is delicious. Was so easy to make too.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much Lewis so happy to hear you have great success.
MEAl5
Good article, your sharing is so nice, love your work!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you !
Neetha Royan Pereira
Hi Veena,
very nice recipe and must say beautiful pictures with all detail.I am an ardent fan of your cake blog... and i just found your cooking blog and i must say its awesome too..
Your blogs remind me of a proverb...
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.
Thanks once again for taking time from your busy schedule and making a difference to so many aspiring women to learn baking ,decorating and cooking.
Take care
Neetha Pereira