Description
Tandoori chicken is the dish that introduced Indian cooking to much of the world — bone-in chicken marinated in a fiery red yogurt mixture and blasted in a tandoor oven at temperatures exceeding 900°F. The result is chicken with a charred, smoky exterior and juicy, deeply spiced meat. While few home kitchens have a tandoor, a combination of high broiler heat and a pre-heated cast iron skillet or grill can produce results that are remarkably close to the original.
Ingredients
Units
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (legs, thighs, and breasts), skin removed
- 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, grated to a paste
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated to a paste
- 2 tablespoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dried mango powder, optional)
- Red food coloring (optional, for traditional color)
- Melted ghee for basting
- Lemon wedges, sliced red onion, and fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Score the chicken pieces deeply — make 2-3 diagonal cuts down to the bone on each piece. This allows the marinade to penetrate and the heat to reach the interior.
- Make the first marinade: Rub the chicken with lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Let sit for 20 minutes. This acid treatment helps the yogurt marinade adhere and begins tenderizing the meat.
- Make the second marinade: Combine the yogurt, oil, garlic paste, ginger paste, all the ground spices, remaining salt, and food coloring if using. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the chicken to the yogurt marinade, making sure every piece and every scored cut is thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. The long marination is not optional — it is what gives tandoori chicken its depth of flavor and tender texture.
- When ready to cook, preheat your oven to its highest setting — ideally 500-550°F — with a rack positioned in the upper third. Place a wire rack over a foil-lined sheet pan.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off excess (but not scraping it clean). Arrange on the rack. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Switch to the broiler on high. Broil for 5-8 minutes, watching carefully, until the chicken is charred in spots and the edges are blackened and crispy. Baste with melted ghee halfway through the broiling.
- Rest the chicken for 5 minutes. Serve on a platter with lemon wedges, thinly sliced raw red onion, and fresh cilantro.
Notes
- The double-marination technique — first in lemon juice and salt, then in the spiced yogurt — is critical. The acid opens up the protein fibers, allowing the yogurt and spices to penetrate deeper.
- Score the chicken deeply, right down to the bone. Shallow, timid cuts will result in bland, under-seasoned meat beneath the surface.
- A minimum of 6 hours marination is needed for the flavors to truly penetrate. Overnight is better. The yogurt’s lactic acid breaks down tough fibers while the spices infuse the meat.
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 470
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 26
- Carbohydrates: 8
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 52