If you thought tandoori chicken was some mystical thing you could only get from Indian restaurants, I’m here to show you otherwise. You won’t believe how deliciously authentic this homemade tandoori chicken tastes, and it’s really easy too!
I wrote this tandoori chicken recipe a long, long time ago. OK, it was two years ago, which is a long time in blog years. At that time, I had gone to a farmer’s market and sampled several types of Indian breads. After all that sampling, I felt obligated to buy something (clever ploy…). Once I got home with my naan, I figured I should make an Indian dish to go with them but had no idea where to start.
We order Indian takeout fairly regularly, but I have never tried to make any of the dishes at home. I’ve looked up recipes for a couple of my favorite curries, and they are so involved that delivery seemed like a much more reasonable option. I found a couple recipes for Tandoori Chicken that looked easy, so I decided to give it a go. We were very surprised at how great it turned out!
If you don’t have a grill (which was the case for me until about a month ago), you can make this in your broiler instead! I have a note at the end of the recipe with details of how to do it. This is also a good option if you have a hankering for tandoori chicken, but the weather isn’t cooperating with grilling.
| Prep Time | 240 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon garam masala found in spice section of most grocery stores
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 cloves garlic crushed, or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Ingredients
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- Combine all ingredients except chicken and whisk together well. Add chicken and toss to coat completely. Cover, and place in refrigerator to marinate 4-24 hours.
- Spray grill with high-heat cooking spray (this is very important, or the chicken will stick). Preheat grill to medium-high.
- Place yogurt-coated chicken on the hot grill, and cook about 10 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F).
- Preheat broiler and move oven rack to be about 8 inches away from the heat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place wire rack on top of the foil. Spray the wire rack with cooking spray. Place chicken in an even layer on the wire rack.
- Broil for 10 minutes, then turn chicken over. Cook another 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and starting to brown. (Juices should run clear, and internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F.)
Adapted from Allrecipes.com and Simply Recipes.
The recipe for the lentil salad you see in the background is coming up on Thursday, so stay tuned for that. Those two make a great combo! This chicken would also pair well with these recipes:
Lemon Couscous Salad
Hardy says
Kære Andy Nu har jeg fulgt dig et stykke tid og du har altid været frisk med dine opskrifter JEG HAR prøvet at lave dine gode retter og det har altid været en fornøjelse den kylling med Indisk Tandori var simpelthend rigtig god Den var lavet på købt Tandori Med venlig hilsen Hardy
(Roughly Translated: Dear Andy Now I have followed you for a while and you’ve always been fresh with your recipes I HAVE tried to make your good dishes and it has always been a pleasure. The chicken with Indian Tandori was simpelthend great It was made on the purchased Tandori With sincerely Hardy)
Andi Gleeson says
Hi, Hardy! Thank you so much for this kind comment! It means a lot to me to know that I have a friend across the world trying my recipes. I’m so glad you liked the tandoori chicken. Have a wonderful weekend!
Angie S says
I absolutely LOVE Indian food and making it at home is much easier than most would know. Here’s the sad part – our family has gone vegan! We still have great options available, and I’ll always have my fond memories of previous Indian food… sigh…. :)
Lora @cakeduchess says
I wish some of my family member’s loved Indian food as much as I do so I could order it sometimes. But I could make this flavorful and easy tandoori chicken for me! How cool you got a grill!!
[email protected] The Gastronomic Bong says
I love tandoori chicken and we eat it fairly regularly.. This tandoori chicken looks so good and simple to make.. Can’t wait to try this!! :)
Sara says
I am actually not adventurous at all when it comes to Indian food, in fact tandoori and naan are the only things I’ll eat! Can’t wait to try your version, it looks great!
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
Chicken tandoori is one of my favorites and your version sounds delicious, Andi! Pinned!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
I can just imagine the aroma that fills the kitchen with this dish! Yes, this is one I need to try — like you said, I always feel like there’s no way I could make it at home. Great work showing us otherwise!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
I love Indian food so much, but you’re right, some of those recipes are way too involved for me! I love the looks of this chicken, and love that it’s simple to make!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
This looks perfect, Andi! Love the grill marks! We order Indian takeout fairly often and adore tandoori chicken. I’ve never tried making it at home before. Can’t wait to try it!
Stacey @ Bake.eat.Repeat. says
I don’t know if I’ve ever even had tandoori chicken, let alone made it! It looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
Andi Gleeson says
It’s really flavorful, Stacey. I hope you get a chance to try it. Thank you!