• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sidewalk Shoes logo

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Food Recipes Index
    • Cocktails Recipes Index
    • All Recipes
  • Lifestyle
    • Gardening
    • Travels
      • North Carolina
      • Oregon
      • Tennessee
  • Cats
  • Subscribe
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Food
  • Cocktails
  • Collections
  • Travels
  • Cats
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Main Dishes » Chicken Recipes

    Juicy and Flavorful Tandoori Chicken

    LAST UPDATED: March 7, 2020 PUBLISHED: November 27, 2019 By Pam Greer 12 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This Tandoori Chicken is so juicy and bursting with flavor!   No need for take out when you can make this succulent chicken at home!   An easy marinade is all it takes to make this tempting chicken recipe!

    Platter of tandoori chicken.

    Tandoori Marinade

    I don’t know about you, but sometimes I am lazy about marinating.  Heck, most of the time I am lazy about marinating.  Sometimes, it’s too much to be organized enough to have a marinade ready to go the day before, sometimes it’s even too much to have it ready a few hours before dinner!

    But for once, I managed to.  Oh.  My.  Gosh.  The first bite of this chicken was amazing.  My husband took a bite, looked at me, and said, “What is this?”  He had that kind of look on his face, like…why have you not made this before?  This is why you marinate. 

    Yes, you do have to get organized enough to get it ready 12 to 24 hours before you are ready to cook,  but the tandoori marinade goes together so easily.

    Ginger, cayenne pepper, yogurt, salt, cumin, coriander, onion, garlic, and chicken.

    Ingredients in Tandoori Chicken

    • Ginger - fresh is best, however you can use ground ginger. 
    • Yogurt - I use a full fat Greek yogurt. 
    • Cayenne pepper - adds some heat!
    • Salt.
    • Ground coriander.
    • Ground cumin.
    • Onion - yellow or red will work.
    • Garlic.
    • Chicken - I like to use legs or thighs, bone in.  You can use whatever pieces of chicken you like, though bone in breasts will take longer. 

    Photo collage showing the first four steps for making tandoori chicken.

    How to Make this Easy Tandoori Chicken

    You begin by processing the marinade ingredients in the food processor.  I usually leave the garlic cloves whole, cut the ginger into slices, and quarter the onions.  It only takes a minute or two to make a smooth-ish liquid paste. 

    Place the chicken pieces in a shallow dish that holds them all snugly.  Pour the marinade over the chicken turning to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.  

    Note - I have marinated this for as little as 4 hours and it was still good! 

    Photo collage showing the next four steps for making tandoori chicken.

    If you remember, you can turn the chicken halfway through marinating.  Sometimes I do and more often I don't! 

    About 30 minutes before you are ready to roast the chicken, take it out of the fridge to come to room temperature.   Preheat the oven to 450.

    Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a rack on it.  Lay the chicken pieces on the rack.  You want air to be able to circulate all around the chicken, so don't crowd the pieces. 

    Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the chicken and roast for 15 minutes more.  Note - I didn't turn mine (are you noticing a pattern here!)

    Tandoori chicken on a platter.

    So Good! 

    This easy chicken recipe is so good!  I found this marinade in 2012 in my copy of How to Cook Everything, and I've been using it ever since.  

    I've tried more complicated marinades, but this simple marinade is my favorite!  

    A tip for upping the flavor even more is that sometimes during the last 15 minutes I had lemon wedges to the rack.  Squeeze some of the lemon on the chicken as you serve it, so good! 

    More Easy Roasted Chicken Recipes

    If you love fried chicken, but hate the mess, you're going to love this Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken! 

    Please don't let my old photos dissuade you from making this Piri Piri Chicken.  It's another flavorful marinade that's out of this world! 

    Finding other ways to enjoy tequila besides a margarita makes me happy.  This Tequila Lime Chicken will make you happy too! 

    If you make this I would love it if you would follow me and tag me on Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook

    Plate of tandoori chicken.
    Print Pin Save Saved!
    5 from 6 votes

    Easy Tandoori Chicken

    This easy Tandoori chicken marinade results in a juicy chicken that is bursting with flavor!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Marinating 12 hours
    Total Time 12 hours 40 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 609kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 onion peeled and quartered
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled and lightly smashed
    • ½ inch ginger root peeled (or 1 teaspoon ground)
    • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup plain yogurt
    • 8 chicken legs or thighs

    Instructions

    • Place all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor and process until fairly smooth.
    • Place chicken in a shallow dish and pour over the marinade. Turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12-24 hours (turning once if you'd like.)
    • About 30 minutes before you are ready to begin cooking, take the chicken out the fridge to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450.
    • Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a rack on it. Place the chicken on the rack.
    • Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, turning once at the halfway point.

    Notes

    Note - the calorie count is taking into consideration the whole cup of yogurt.  So, the count is actually less. 
    For extra flavor, roast some lemon wedges along side the chicken and serve with the chicken.  Squeeze the juice on the chicken for a bright fresh flavor. 

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 609kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 248mg | Sodium: 830mg | Potassium: 685mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 3mg

    This post was originally published in 2012 and has been updated for 2019. 

    « So Easy! Honey Orange Glazed Carrots
    Double Cranberry Cosmopolitan »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Vicky says

      November 27, 2019 at 1:29 pm

      5 stars
      I also have never been much of a marinating girl because of the time involved. But it sounds like it really made a difference with this recipe. I'm totally willing to give it a try for some moist and delicious chicken.

      Reply
    2. Noelle says

      November 27, 2019 at 1:26 pm

      5 stars
      This added great flavors to the chicken I made last night, will be saving this and using it again!

      Reply
    3. Beth says

      November 27, 2019 at 12:48 pm

      5 stars
      I'm the same way, never have my act together enough to marinate my chicken but you are right, it's so worth it! Love the flavors in this chicken!

      Reply
    4. Alisa Infanti says

      November 27, 2019 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      OMG this recipe was so good and easy to make! I needed a new chicken recipe and this is the best one I have tried yet!

      Reply
    5. Katherine says

      November 27, 2019 at 11:45 am

      5 stars
      Such awesome tandoori flavours. I love all the spices.

      Reply
    6. Calleigh says

      November 27, 2019 at 10:56 am

      5 stars
      These lip-smacking dry chickens look so yummy and exploding with flavors. I can't wait to try these drumsticks shortly.

      Reply
    7. Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says

      June 04, 2012 at 5:48 pm

      So nice to be reminded that tandoori chicken marinade does not have to include red food coloring, as it does in so many Indian restaurants.

      Reply
    8. grace says

      June 04, 2012 at 10:03 am

      i feel like i read somewhere that at a certain point, no more marinating is done (a saturation point?), so depending on the meat and marinade, an hour might be enough. that might've been a lie, though. 🙂

      Reply
    9. Psychgrad says

      June 03, 2012 at 10:08 pm

      Looks delicious! I think I'm going to try this marinade!

      Reply
    10. Anne says

      June 03, 2012 at 8:08 pm

      gonna try it!!! Thanks!!!

      Reply
    11. June says

      June 01, 2012 at 3:31 pm

      O....M....G! My mouth is watering, I'm lookin' for chickin' and it's only 8:30 AM. Darn!

      Reply
    12. Joanne says

      June 01, 2012 at 10:47 am

      I am SO bad about marinating also...who has that much time and focus to be organized? I wonder how this would be on paneer or tofu...

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Pam Greer from Sidewalk Shoes

    Hi, I'm Pam. I'm the person who plans whole vacations around where to eat and drink. Beautiful scenery is optional.

    More about me →

    Featured in:

    Collage of website titles

    Click here to subscribe to my newsletter.

    Frozen Treats!

    • Cool and Creamy Frozen Yogurt Recipes to Get You Through Summer!
    • Extra Yummy Cherry Frozen Yogurt
    • Rich and Creamy Piña Colada Sherbet
    • 7 Fruit Popsicles to Get You Through The Summer!

    See more More Frozen Treats →

    Instant Pot Recipes

    • Instant Pot Pineapple Rice
    • Instant Pot Asian Pork Noodle Soup
    • Instant Pot Green Beans with Bacon and Mushrooms
    • Instant Pot Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats

    See more Instant Pot Recipes →

    Sidewalk Shoes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Me
    • Contact me!

    Copyright © 2022 Sidewalk Shoes