Tandoori Chicken

by Arman Liew

published on Feb 10, 2025

225 comments

5 from 97 votes
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Spice up the dinnertime with my smoky and perfectly juicy tandoori chicken. Marinated in yogurt and cooked in the oven, it’s an easy, authentic recipe.

baked tandoori chicken.

Authentic tandoori chicken recipe that tastes like it’s from a restaurant

meet arman

Tandoori chicken is, in my opinion, the most popular and tasty Indian dish ever. It features chicken marinated in yogurt and spices. Traditionally, the chicken is then cooked in a tandoor, which is a clay oven. In my version, I oven-bake it, and it honestly tastes like something from a restaurant! 

If you love Indian chicken recipes as we do, try my butter chicken, chicken saag, chicken vindaloo, or chicken tikka masala next.

Key Ingredients

  • Chicken. I prefer using chicken leg quarters for this recipe because they are fatty, flavorful, and have the bone intact. You can also use a mix of chicken legs and drumsticks. If you want boneless chicken, opt for chicken thighs.
  • Yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt or natural yogurt. Please do not use flavored yogurt.
  • Lemon juice. Optional, but if your yogurt is NOT on the tard side, add 1 teaspoon of lemon or lime juice.
  • Ginger and garlic. Freshly minced. Fresh ginger and garlic give the chicken Asian notes and add great flavor. Use fewer or more garlic cloves, depending on your preferences. 
  • Spices. The spice blend I prefer using for my tandoori chicken recipe consists of garam masala, cumin, cinnamon, ground coriander, turmeric, and smoked paprika. While you can customize the spice blend for tandoori chicken, I recommend you never skip the garam masala, as it gives the dish an authentic Indian feel. 
  • Olive oil. For the marinade. You can use butter or ghee, but I find it firms up a little too much for my liking.
  • Salt. To taste. 

How to make tandoori chicken

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

tandoori chicken marinade in a bowl.

Step 1- Prepare the marinade. Add the yogurt to a mixing bowl. Add the spices, freshly minced ginger and garlic, and olive oil.

raw chicken marinating in a bowl.

Step 2- Marinate. Pat dry the chicken pieces and put them in the marinade. Mix well to get the chicken completely coated. Let the chicken sit for at least 10 minutes.

marinated raw chicken on a wire rack.

Step 3-  Assemble. Remove the chicken from the yogurt mixture and shake off the excess marinade. Place the chicken on the wire rack.

roasted tandoori chicken pieces.

Step 4- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is nicely charred and cooked through.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Use even-sized chicken pieces to ensure even cooking. If you are using different cuts of chicken, I recommend cooking them in batches.
  • Don’t overcrowd the baking rack so the chicken pieces brown well on all sides. 
  • Check the internal temperature. Remove the chicken from the oven as soon as it reads 165F in the thickest part of the chicken. 
  • Resting the chicken is essential because it allows the juices to redistribute and yield the juiciest meat ever.

Frequently asked questions

What does tandoori chicken taste like?

Tandoori chicken is juicy thanks to the yogurt marinade and earthy due to the Indian spices, ginger, and garlic. Cooked over high heat, the chicken is also naturally smoky. This is why I like to add smoked paprika to the marinade to make up for the smokiness that the traditional cooking method provides. 

tandoori chicken.

More delicious Indian dinners to try

tandoori chicken recipe.

Authentic Tandoori Chicken

5 from 97 votes
My easy and authentic tandoori chicken recipe tastes like something from a restaurant. It's perfectly seasoned and bakes up in under 20 minutes. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
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Video

Ingredients  

  • 1 inch ginger minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon garam marsala
  • 1 teaspoon ground corriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 pounds chicken quarters or a mix of thighs and drumsticks

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
  • In a mixing bowl, mix together the ginger, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, garam marsala, ground coriander, smoked paprika, salt, olive oil, and plain yogurt.
    tandoori chicken marinade in a bowl.
  • Pat dry the chicken then add it to a large mixing bowl. Add in the marinade and mix very well, until all the chicken is completely coated.
    raw chicken marinating in a bowl.
  • Either cover and marinate for up to one day or let it sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Place tin foil on two wire racks. Remove each piece of chicken from the bowl and shake off the excess marinade. Place them on the wire rack.
    marinated raw chicken on a wire rack.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they begin to char around the edges. You can also check the internal temperature and make sure it reaches 165F.
  • Allow the chicken to set for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Grill method: Once the chicken is marinated, place it on a preheated charcoal grill or grill pan. Grill on high heat for 8 minutes per side.
Air fryer method: Once marinated, place the chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 200C/400F for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Instant pot method: Marinate the chicken, then place it in the Instant Pot and switch on ‘saute’ mode. Sear the chicken on both sides. Add remaining marinade and set the pot to ‘pressure cook’. Cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes before turning it off and allow it to naturally release for 10 minutes.
TO STORE: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days. 
TO FREEZE: Place the cooked and cooled chicken in a shallow container and store it in the freezer for up to two months.
TO REHEAT: Microwave portions of the chicken for 40-50 seconds or reheat in a preheated oven until hot.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 17gFat: 19gSodium: 89mgPotassium: 263mgFiber: 0.3gVitamin A: 233IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 3g
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Originally published March 2015, updated and republished February 2025

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  3. I love that you can make this on the stove!! I have a day off and thought I’d try it in the slow cooker. Would you cook the ck in the broth and then add the tandoori sauce at the last half hour after shredding? Or would you just cook it in the tandoori sauce for the whole time – if you did that would you cut down on the broth then? Thanks for your help!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jessica! I’m so sorry for the delayed reply- Either would work, I’d play it by ear- I find the longer it sits, the more liquid it needs because it soaks it up 🙂

      Reply

  5. Killer! Doubled up on the portions and meal prepped my protein for the week along w/Turkish meatballs w/almost the exact ingredients. Slow cooked, cause I like the smell to linger and think it soaks in a bit better. Delicious brother. Thanks!

    Reply

  8. Aww, mine doesn’t look as pretty as yours ;( still tastes good, though. Thanks for the recipe, so much better than waiting for the chicken to marinate! I’m having to fight the urge to pair it with a flour tortilla ( Mexican household, no naan). What vegetables go well with this?

    Reply

    1. You are so welcome 🙂 I LOVE (when I’m doing paleo) serving it over cauliflower rice with a big scoop of the sauce to soak- It’s delicious! Otherwise, sauteed peppers, broccoli and cauliflower with a dash of pepper is delicious 🙂

      Reply

  9. Hi, I’m looking to make this to have for lunches during the week. I have a question about the sauce. When you make the sauce you prepare in a bowl and mix all ingredients. I see that you keep chicken and sauce separate if not eating right away. When you reheat the chicken to add the sauce then? or is the sauce supposed to be cold?

    Reply

    1. Hi Tara! When reheating, I would add the amount of sauce over the chicken. The reason for not keeping them together is that I found the coconut milk would firm up and not distribute nicely 🙂 Enjoy!

      Reply

      1. Thank you! That’s what I thought but wanted to make sure. I prepped everything today and will be having for lunch tomorrow 🙂

  10. I have never tried tandoori chicken and so didn’t know what to expect. But my husband is tired of my go to chicken recipes so I gave this a try. It’s actually quite tasty, but it’s hot!! Funny enough I tried it with just a 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper first but decided to add the other half and it really is better hot. But if you aren’t used to spicy stuff, be warned. It’s not for wimps. My 10 yr old son complains about dinner just about every night but he and my husband both liked this and created a competition as to who could take the most bites without their eyes watering lol. We will definitely make again. Next time I may use the Greek yogurt over the coconut milk simply because coconut isn’t my favorite flavor and you can taste it slightly in the sauce. Great job and thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    1. Hi Melody!!! Thanks so much for the feedback and thank YOU for the reality check – I often forget my level of spiciness is so different to others (I grew up with chilli sauce over ketchup as a condiment!)- I’m so glad it worked out well in the end, I will be amending the instructions 🙂 We love it with yogurt over coconut milk too 🙂

      Reply

  11. This is so delicious! Did you know that if you put the chicken in the pot and use your regular beaters (like you would use to make cookies) It makes the perfect shredded meat!

    Reply