Description
A straightforward recipe for making flavorful, juicy Tandoori Chicken in a standard home oven, achieving a color and taste close to traditional tandoor cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs chicken pieces (bone-in thighs or breasts with skin removed)
- 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder (or paprika for less heat)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon food-grade red coloring (optional, for authentic color)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for brushing)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken pieces completely dry with paper towels. Make deep slits into the thickest parts of the chicken to allow the marinade to penetrate.
- Make the marinade: In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, salt, garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, and optional red coloring. Mix well until smooth.
- Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, ensuring every piece is fully coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours, or preferably overnight for the best flavor.
- Preheat the oven: Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with foil and place an oven-safe wire rack on top of the foil-lined sheet.
- Arrange the chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off (do not wipe clean). Place the chicken pieces skin-side up on the wire rack, ensuring they do not touch. Brush lightly with vegetable oil.
- Bake the chicken: Bake for 20 minutes.
- Broil for char: Switch the oven setting to broil (high). Broil the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes, watching constantly, until the edges of the chicken develop dark, slightly charred spots similar to a tandoor oven.
- Check doneness: The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
- Rest and serve: Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving with naan bread or cucumber raita.
Notes
- For extra smoky flavor without a tandoor, place a small piece of burning charcoal in a small metal bowl inside the oven during the last 10 minutes of baking, after adding a drop of ghee or oil to the charcoal. Immediately close the oven door.
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken for the juiciest results, but remove the skin before marinating if you prefer a leaner dish.
- If the chicken browns too quickly before cooking through, move the rack to a lower position for the initial baking phase.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking and Broiling
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 11
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 5
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 110