India · Meat Dishes

Tandoori Chicken

Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks scored deeply, marinated overnight in spiced yogurt, then cooked at high heat until the outside chars and the inside stays completely juicy.

50 min✻4 servings✻340 kcal
Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients

  • bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin removed, deeply scored1 kg
  • full-fat Greek yogurt or strained plain yogurt200 g
  • Kashmiri chilli powder1.5 tbsp
  • garam masala1 tsp
  • ground cumin1 tsp
  • ground coriander1 tsp
  • turmeric0.5 tsp
  • ginger-garlic paste1 tbsp
  • lemon juice1 tbsp
  • neutral oil or mustard oil2 tbsp
  • kasuri methi, crushed between palms1 tsp
  • fine salt1 tsp
  • red onion1
  • limes2

Method

  1. 1Score and marinate. Remove skin from all chicken pieces. Make 3 to 4 deep cuts in each piece, cutting down to the bone — this is not optional. The scores allow the marinade to penetrate past the surface layer and actually reach the muscle. Without them, the inside of a thick thigh tastes of nothing. Combine yogurt, Kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, oil, kasuri methi, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well and taste — it should be assertively seasoned, visibly red-orange, and smell of spice. Add the chicken and massage the marinade into every cut and surface. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
  2. 2Prepare the oven and rack. Position the oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Place a wire rack over a foil-lined baking tray. Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F). The wire rack is important: it lifts the chicken off the pan so hot air circulates underneath, mimicking the all-around heat of a tandoor. Pat the chicken lightly to remove excess marinade drips that would burn on the pan — but keep a visible coating on the meat itself.
  3. 3Roast. Place the chicken pieces on the rack, leaving space between them. Roast at 230°C for 20 minutes. The marinade should be sizzling and the edges starting to darken. Baste with remaining marinade or a brush of oil. Flip each piece and roast for another 15 minutes. The exterior should be well-charred in places — dark brown to black at the thinnest edges, deep red-orange across the main surfaces. An instant-read thermometer should read 75°C (165°F) at the thickest part.
  4. 4Char finish. Switch the oven to grill/broil function at maximum heat. Position the chicken close to the heating element and grill for 3 to 5 minutes until the surface is genuinely charred — black in spots, not just browned. Watch closely. This step is what separates good oven tandoori from excellent oven tandoori. The char carries flavor compounds that the rest of the cooking process does not produce.
  5. 5Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes — the juices redistribute and the meat firms up slightly. Transfer to a platter. Scatter sliced red onion dressed with a squeeze of lime over and around the chicken. Serve with lime wedges and mint-coriander chutney on the side. The chicken is also excellent cold the next day sliced into wraps or over rice.