Tandoori Chicken
Tandoor-style colour from spices, not dye.
- Marinade
- 6 to 24 hours
- Prep + cook
- 25 + 45 min
- Safe temp
- 74°C
- Yield
- 1 kg raw meat, about 4 servings
A home-oven version of tandoori-style chicken, using deeply slashed bone-in legs and a thick yoghurt marinade. A hot oven cooks the meat through; a brief grill finish adds char. It is tandoor-inspired, not a claim that a domestic oven behaves like a clay tandoor.
Method
- 1
Dry the chicken and cut two or three deep slashes into each leg, stopping at the bone.
- 2
Whisk all marinade ingredients. Rub into the slashes, cover and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
- 3
Preheat the oven to 220°C conventional or 200°C fan. Set an oiled rack over a foil-lined roasting tray.
- 4
Arrange chicken in one layer. Roast for about 35 to 45 minutes, turning after 20 minutes; check temperature rather than relying on the clock.
- 5
Once the thickest meat away from bone reaches 74°C, optionally finish under a hot overhead grill for 2 to 3 minutes. Watch continuously.
- 6
Rest for 5 minutes for juiciness. Serve with fresh lemon; do not use the raw marinade as a finishing sauce.
74°C
Safe internal temperature
Cook chicken to 74°C in the thickest part, away from bone. Refrigerate marinades at 4°C or below; never use colour alone to judge doneness. Times above are estimates; a probe thermometer is the only reliable check.
USDA safe temperature chartPitmaster notes
- A thick yoghurt coating browns better than a runny marinade.
- Bone-in pieces vary in size; a smaller drumstick may finish before a large leg.
- No food colouring is needed: chilli, browning and char provide the colour.
On the table
- Naan
- Kachumber
- Mint chutney
Questions people ask
Can I make tandoori chicken without a tandoor?
Yes. A hot home oven and a short overhead-grill finish make a useful tandoori-style version, though the heat and smoke differ from a clay tandoor.
Does bright red chicken mean it is cooked?
No. Colour comes from spices or colouring and cannot confirm safety. Chicken must reach 74°C in the thickest part, away from bone.
Should I use skin-on chicken?
This recipe uses skinless legs so yoghurt reaches the meat and the surface chars directly. If using skin-on pieces, expect different browning and check the same 74°C internal temperature.
Keep the grill going
Goes well with
Naan for tikka and kebabs
Explore naan to serve alongside your BBQ on our sister site, doubleroti.si.