Indian recipe

Tandoori Chicken

Name: Tandoori Chicken
Prep time: 6 h 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 7 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian cuisine
Ingredients: 1.2 kg skinless bone-in chicken legs and thighs; 250 g thick strained yogurt; 30 g ginger-garlic paste; 12 g Kashmiri chile powder; 6 g ground coriander; 4 g ground cumin; 4 g garam masala; 3 g dried fenugreek leaves, crushed; 45 ml lemon juice; 30 ml mustard or neutral oil; 10 g fine salt; 30 g melted butter or ghee for basting

Skinless bone-in chicken is slit, marinated in strained yogurt, ginger, garlic, Kashmiri chile, warm spices, fenugreek, and lemon, then roasted and broiled to smoky char.

India

Prep: 6 hr 30 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 7 hr
Servings: 4

Charred red-orange tandoori chicken legs with mint chutney, sliced onion, and lemon — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Miansari66Source page · Original file · CC0 1.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

1.2 kg
skinless bone-in chicken legs and thighs
250 g
thick strained yogurt
30 g
ginger-garlic paste
12 g
Kashmiri chile powder
6 g
ground coriander
4 g
ground cumin
4 g
garam masala
3 g
dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
45 ml
lemon juice
30 ml
mustard or neutral oil
10 g
fine salt
30 g
melted butter or ghee for basting

Method

01
Dry and slash the chicken
Pat chicken completely dry. Cut 2–3 deep slashes through the thick flesh of each piece without striking bone so marinade reaches the centre and cooking stays even.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Mix a thick marinade
Whisk yogurt, ginger-garlic, chile, coriander, cumin, garam masala, fenugreek, lemon, oil, and salt. The marinade must hold ridges; strain 30 minutes first if it flows.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Pack marinade into the slashes
Work marinade deeply into every slash and around joints, then coat the surface in a 3–4 mm layer. Arrange in one layer, cover, and refrigerate below 4°C for 6–12 hours.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Preheat the rack and oven
Heat oven to 240°C for at least 20 minutes with a rack in the upper third. Set a greased wire rack over a foil-lined tray so hot air reaches every side.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Roast and turn
Shake off loose marinade and arrange chicken apart. Roast 15 minutes, turn each piece, brush with half the butter, and roast 10–14 minutes more until the thickest part reaches 72°C.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Broil to char and safe doneness
Move chicken 10–12 cm below the broiler, brush remaining butter, and broil 2–4 minutes, watching constantly, until charred in spots and every piece reaches at least 74°C.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Rest before serving
Transfer to a warm platter and rest uncovered 5 minutes so the crust stays dry. Serve with mint-cilantro chutney, sliced onion, and lemon only after checking juices run clear at the joint.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Measure and stage whole spices, ground spices, aromatics, and finishing ingredients separately; each enters at a different heat stage.
Cook onion-tomato masala until its raw smell disappears and fat glistens at the edge; adding liquid too early leaves a harsh sauce.

Common mistakes

Ground spices scorch quickly in a dry pan; lower the heat and add a measured splash of water if the masala catches.
Do not add garam masala at the beginning unless specified; its volatile aromas are strongest near the end.

Substitutions

Boneless thighs can be used in 5 cm pieces; begin checking after 14 minutes total and cook every piece to 74°C.
Neutral oil may replace mustard oil; smoked paprika may replace half the Kashmiri chile for colour, but not all of its flavour.

Storage

Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate airtight for up to 3 days. Reheat once to a steady simmer and at least 74°C throughout.

Cultural context

Tandoori chicken traditionally cooks against the fierce walls of a clay tandoor. A very hot oven plus brief broiling recreates char while the thermometer prevents dry or unsafe chicken.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Tandoori Chicken 1 — Photograph by Miansari66; CC0 1.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Indian recipes

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients

Method

Dry and slash the chicken

Mix a thick marinade

Pack marinade into the slashes

Preheat the rack and oven

Roast and turn

Broil to char and safe doneness

Rest before serving

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

More Indian recipes

Butter Chicken

Palak Paneer

Chana Masala