Tandoori Chicken Recipe

An off white plate with cooked tandoori chicken garnished with red onions and quartered lemons is resting on a black surface.

5 from 1 vote

Try this delicious and easy Tandoori Chicken Recipe. Marinated in yogurt and spices, it's a healthy option for your weekly menu.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Marinate30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Diet: Halal, Hindu

Keyword: authentic chicken tandoori recipe, best tandoori chicken recipe, oven tandoori chicken

Servings: people

Calories: 357kcal

Author: Nosheen Babar

Ingredients

2.5 lb boneless chicken (see notes)
¼ cup avocado oil
1 ¼ cup plain full fat yogurt (see notes)
1 lemon
1 tbsp ginger paste (see notes)
1 tbsp garlic paste (see notes)
2 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
2.5 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp beetroot powder (optional)

Instructions

Mix all of the above ingredients and then apply the mixture to the chicken pieces.
Marinate this for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Heat the grill pan and drizzle a little bit of the avocado oil on it.
Place the chicken pieces evenly on the pan and cook on each side for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is 165 degrees fahrenheit when checked with a meat thermometer.
Do this in batches, using the cooking oil as necessary, till all of the chicken is cooked.

Notes

Chicken - I use chicken tenderloins for all of my boneless chicken recipes. I find the thighs too fatty, and the tenderloin is the juiciest part of the breast. The result is juicy and succulent tandoori chicken.

Yogurt - Full-fat yogurt is necessary in this recipe as the fat helps keep the chicken moist. If you use low-fat yogurt, I suggest adding a tablespoon of cooking oil or ghee per pound of chicken to keep the moisture intact.

Ginger & Garlic Paste - I make a homemade paste and freeze it, preferring the taste to the store-bought version. I recommend doing this for better flavor, but it's not essential.

Beetroot powder - This is an optional ingredient I prefer to red food color. You can ignore it, use it like I've suggested, or use a larger quantity for a restaurant-type presentation.

Alternate cooking methods - The grill pan method is my preferred way to cook my tandoori chicken, but you're welcome to use one of the following options if you prefer:

Outdoor Grill - Preheat the grill to 450 degrees, brush the chicken with oil, and cook for 7-10 minutes on each side. Use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken is done. An ideal reading for poultry is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Oven - Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and place the chicken in a roasting pan with a rack. Bake for 15 minutes and then broil for 5 minutes on high for a charred look. Check the internal temperature of the meat and ensure it's cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Air fryer - Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees and cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to be sure the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nutrition