Photo: pelican · CC BY-SA 2.0
Tandoori Chicken
Chicken marinated in spiced yogurt, then roasted hot so the edges char while the inside stays juicy — India's iconic grill. No tandoor oven needed; an ordinary oven or air fryer delivers that red, fragrant result at home.
Ingredients
- Chicken drumsticks · or thighs, skin removed8
- Lemon · juiced1
- Salt1 tsp
- Yogurt marinade
- Plain yogurt · thick1 cup
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Minced ginger1 tbsp
- Chili powder · or cayenne1 tbsp
- Garam masala1 tsp
- Turmeric0.5 tsp
- Cumin1 tsp
- Paprika · for color1 tbsp
- Salt1 tsp
- Oil1 tbsp
- To serve
- Onion · rings, optional0.5
- Lemon · wedges, optional1
- Cilantro · optional
Steps
- ⏲ 15 min
Skin the chicken and cut deep slashes into the flesh. Rub with the lemon juice and salt and rest 15 minutes.
- ⏲ 2 min
Mix all the marinade ingredients into a smooth paste.
- ⏲ 120 min
Coat the chicken with the marinade, working it into the slashes, and chill at least 2 hours (overnight is best).
- ⏲ 10 min
Heat the oven to 220C. Set a rack over a tray and lay the chicken on it.
- ⏲ 20 min
Roast 20 minutes, then flip, brush with the remaining marinade, and roast 15-20 minutes more until charred at the edges.
- ⏲ 3 min
Finish under the oven's highest heat (or broil) to lightly char the edges.
Serve hot with onion rings, lemon wedges, and cilantro.
Tips & Variations
Variations
- Air fryer: 200C for 20-25 minutes, turning once.
- Pan or grill: No oven? Sear it on a grill or in a pan until charred.
- Chicken tikka: Cube boneless chicken and thread onto skewers.
- Paneer tikka: Swap the chicken for paneer and vegetables.
Tips
- Cut deep slashes so the marinade penetrates and the meat cooks through.
- Marinate overnight for the most tender, deeply flavored result — the yogurt tenderizes the meat.
- The red color comes from paprika — no artificial dye needed.
- A final high-heat broil mimics the smoky char of a real tandoor.
The basics behind this dish
- Browning and the Maillard ReactionMeat fails to brown for one of three reasons: it is wet, the pan is cool, or you put too much in at once. Plus how the brown film stuck to the pan becomes your sauce.
- Cooking Meat: Temperature, Resting, and Cutting Against the GrainDoneness is a core temperature, not a number of minutes. What resting actually does, how to handle a thick cut, and why the direction you slice changes the texture.
- Knife Skills: Grip, Cuts, and Why Size MattersHow you hold the knife matters more than how fast you cut. The pinch grip, the claw hand, and why uniform size is a cooking decision rather than a cosmetic one.
More of the same kind
More from this country
Sign in to edit.
AI-drafted, editor-reviewed · edits: 0 ·Edit history
https://cookiki.com/en/r/tandoori-chicken · cookiki · User contributions are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.