Tandoori Chicken Recipe | Restaurant-Style Smoky Flavor
If you’ve ever wondered how to make authentic restaurant-style tandoori chicken at home. Tandoori chicken is a non-vegetarian Indian dish, known for its smoky, charred flavor and rich spice marinade. This healthy chicken recipe is low in carbs and high in protein, making it a great option for those following a high-protein diet. Traditionally made in a tandoor (clay oven), this easy and delicious tandoori chicken recipe brings all the smoky, juicy flavors of your favorite restaurant right into your kitchen, without needing a tandoor. Follow this simple step-by-step guide to create mouth-watering tandoori chicken using an oven.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Chicken pieces: Use fresh chicken drumsticks or thighs. You can also use boneless chicken if preferred.
- Salt: Regular table salt works best. Sea salt or kosher salt can be used as substitutes.
- Red chili powder: You can use paprika or cayenne powder for a milder or spicier taste.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is ideal. Lime juice can be used as an alternative.
- Ghee or oil: Use melted ghee or any neutral cooking oil like sunflower or canola oil.
- Grated garlic: Fresh garlic is best. Garlic paste can be used instead.
- Grated ginger: Fresh ginger works well. Ginger paste can be used as a substitute.
- Hung curd: Thick yogurt is recommended. You can use Greek yogurt or strained regular yogurt as an alternative.
- Ground cumin: Ground cumin powder is ideal. Cumin seeds can be roasted and powdered as a substitute.
- Garam masala powder: Ready-made garam masala works best. You can also make your own mix using cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper.
- Amchur powder: Dry mango powder is preferred. Lemon zest can be used as a mild substitute.
- Crushed kasuri methi: Dried fenugreek leaves give the authentic flavor. You can skip it if unavailable or use a small pinch of mustard greens powder.
- Red or orange food color (optional): Natural food color or paprika can be used to enhance color if desired.
- Onion: Use a small fresh onion. Shallots can be used as an alternative for garnish.
- Chopped cilantro: Fresh coriander leaves are recommended. You can use parsley in a pinch.
- Lemon juice for garnish: Fresh lemon juice is ideal. Lime juice can be used instead.
- Charcoal piece for dhungar method (optional): Use a small piece of red-hot charcoal. If unavailable, a smoky paprika or smoked kitchen torch can add mild smoke flavor.
- Ghee for dhungar: Melted ghee or butter works for infusing smoke.
Tips for making perfect Tandoori Chicken
For extra flavor, marinate the chicken overnight. This allows the spices, yogurt, and traditional Indian seasonings to deeply penetrate the meat, resulting in juicy tandoori chicken at home and restaurant-style smoky chicken flavor.
To achieve a smoky tandoori aroma without a tandoor oven, the dhungar (charcoal) method for tandoori chicken works best. Make sure the charcoal is red-hot before placing it near the chicken and cover it immediately to trap the smoke, giving your chicken an authentic smoky tandoori taste.
For even cooking and a nice char, ensure the chicken pieces are of uniform size. Flip the pieces halfway through baking so they brown evenly, creating perfectly baked tandoori chicken in oven.
If you want a vibrant restaurant-style color, a small pinch of red or orange food color can be added to the yogurt marinade. This optional trick helps achieve bright and visually appealing tandoori chicken at home.
When serving, allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes after baking. This helps retain the juices, ensuring tender and moist chicken tikka or tandoori chicken every time.
Fresh garnishes like chopped cilantro, lemon juice, and onion rings enhance both flavor and presentation. They add brightness and balance to the rich, spiced chicken, making it perfect for Tandoori Chicken plating ideas for home cooking.
For a slightly spicier version, increase the red chili in the marinade according to taste. You can also add smoked paprika for extra depth without altering the classic flavor, ideal for spicy tandoori chicken recipes for beginners.
Frequently asked questions
Chicken usually dries if it’s overcooked or marinated for too little time. Use chicken with skin, and don’t skip the yogurt in the marinade.
Traditionally, Kashmiri red chili powder gives a deep red hue without too much heat. Some restaurants also use red food color to make chicken red in color.
Change your method of cooking chicken, try the dhungar method to infuse smoky flavor.
Recipe Card
Smoky Restaurant-Style Tandoori Chicken
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 2 Whisk or spoon
- 1 Knife and cutting board
- 1 Oven
- 1 Parchment paper or aluminum foil
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Grill pan or stovetop pan (optional, for alternative cooking)
- 1 Small steel bowl or foil cup (for dhungar method)
- 2 Tongs or spatula
- 1 Pastry brush (for basting)
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken pieces cleaned and slitted
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil for baking
- 1 tbsp grated garlic for first marinade
- 1 tbsp grated ginger for first marinade
- ½ cup hung curd
- 1 tbsp grated garlic for second marinade
- 1 tbsp grated ginger for second marinade
- 1 tsp red chili powder for second marinade
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp amchur powder
- ½ tsp crushed kasuri methi
- Pinch of red or orange food color optional
- 1 small onion sliced into rings (for garnish)
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish
- Juice of ½ lemon for garnish
- ½ tsp ghee for smoky dhungar, optional
- Small piece of charcoal for smoky dhungar, optional
Instructions
- Clean and pat dry 500 grams of chicken pieces. Make deep cuts (slits) in the chicken pieces to allow the marinade to penetrate deeply.
- In a small bowl, prepare the first marinade by mixing 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 tablespoon grated garlic, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Mix everything well to form a smooth paste and coat the chicken pieces thoroughly with it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- In another bowl, mix ½ cup hung curd, 1 tablespoon grated garlic, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon amchur powder, and ½ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi together to prepare the second marinade. Add a pinch of red or orange food color if desired. Mix until smooth and coat the chicken pieces evenly with this yogurt-based marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat a small piece of charcoal until red-hot. Place it in a small steel bowl or foil cup in the center of the marinated chicken. Drizzle ½ teaspoon ghee over the charcoal and cover the bowl tightly. Let it smoke for 5–8 minutes, then remove the charcoal.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil and arrange the marinated chicken pieces on the tray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon ghee or oil over them. Bake in the preheated oven at 200°C (392°F) for 35–40 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through. For a more charred effect, increase the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C) for the last 5 minutes of baking.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 small onion sliced into rings, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, and juice from ½ lemon to prepare the garnish. Toss well.
- Transfer the baked chicken to a serving plate and allow it to rest for a few minutes. Top with chopped coriander leaves or the onion-cilantro salad and serve hot.
Notes
- Cook on Grill: You can cook chicken over medium-high grill for 20–25 minutes, turning and basting with butter/ghee.
- Cook on Stovetop: Cook in grill pan over medium-high heat for 20–25 minutes, flipping and basting.
- You can use hung curd for a thick, rich marinade.
- Heat mustard oil slightly before mixing in marinade but it’s optional.
- Marinate the chicken pieces overnight for best results.
- You can also use broil mode for a perfect char.
- Dhungar method adds authentic smoky flavor.
- Note: Nutrition values are estimates for Tandoori Chicken and can vary based on the type of chicke, yogurt thickness, and whether oil/ghee is added before or after cooking.
