Tandoori Chicken Marinade

This Tandoori chicken marinade is a perfect make-ahead dinner for a busy weeknight with tender and moist chicken meat infused with loads of spices.

If you love chicken that is infused with flavors till the last bite, you should try marinated chicken. And I have to say, one of my favorite easy marinade recipes is Tandoori chicken marinade.

Don’t worry if you don’t like the heat, the seasonings are easy to customize so you can make this dish kid-friendly too. If you love, or maybe never had Indian food yet, you should definitely try this recipe.

My trick to make the juiciest Tandoori chicken is to use drumsticks and broil them at the end to get the crispiest skin. Let me show you how I make it.

What Is Tandoori Chicken?

Tandoori chicken is a popular Indian dish using spiced chicken marinated in yogurt and cooked in a tandoor – a special cylindrical clay oven for cooking heated over charcoal. The yogurt-based marinade helps to make very tender and juicy chicken.

The adapted “American” version of cooking it in the oven or over a grill is amazingly delicious and just as good as at Indian restaurants.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Healthy chicken dinner for a family of 4. I don’t use any vegetable oil in this recipe which is also healthier than regular fried chicken.
• Minimal prep time (under 20 minutes) and hands-off cooking as the oven does all the heavy lifting.
• The recipe can be easily adapted for summer BBQ parties as you can make it on the hot grill.
• Restaurant-style dish made at home. Better (and cheaper) than any takeout! It may not be exactly the same as the authentic tandoori chicken but it still has the signature red hue, a good mix of spices, and amazing flavors.

Ingredients Notes

The seasoning mix is the key ingredient. You may need to shop at Indian grocery stores to find all the spices.

Marinade Ingredients

• Plain yogurt (Greek yogurt works well, the best option is hung curd). Do not use non-fat yogurt as it contains too much moisture and will make the marinade watery. Tangy yogurt makes the chicken meat ultra-soft. It is a real secret ingredient in this recipe. Homemade yogurts are not good for this recipe as they tend to be too thin.
• Ginger-garlic paste or mix of minced ginger and minced garlic cloves.
• Lemon juice always helps to open up the flavors and balance the overall taste of the dish, especially the acidity of the tomatoes. It also helps tenderize the chicken.
• Tomato paste adds acidity, sweetness, and colors to the dish. Plus, it thickens the mixture. If you can find it, you can use Tandoori paste.
• Seasoning: tandoori spice mix (check for additives and coloring), garam masala, sweet paprika, red chili powder (Kashmiri chili powder is the best if you find it) or cayenne pepper (adjust for desired spice level), turmeric, ground coriander, and salt. These Indian spices add lots of earthy flavors and they are the signature Tandoori taste. I don’t use black pepper in this dish.

Chicken

• Chicken drumsticks with skin on. You can use skinless legs or cut chicken pieces. I love to leave the skin on because I can broil it and have the crispiest tasty skin.

Kitchen Equipment

• Baking dish lined with parchment paper or foil.
• Baking tray, optional, to catch any dripping.
• Optional, instant-read thermometer.

How To Make Tandoori Marinade Chicken

1: Prepare The Tandoori Marinade

1. Combine the yogurt, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, tomato paste, tandoori spice mix, garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, coriander, and salt in a large bowl, whisking to combine.
2. Pro tip: make three deep cuts with a sharp knife on each chicken leg to make the marinade get soaked inside easily. It is called scoring.
3. The marinade should be thick and not watery or runny or the chicken will lose all the moisture.
4. Use your hands to really rub the marinade into the deep slits on the chicken.

2: Marinate The Chicken

1. Place chicken in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

3: Bake Tandoori Marinade Chicken

1. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade and transfer it to a large baking dish in a single layer. Pat the excess marinade dry with a paper towel, some marinade will stay on the chicken it’s ok. Don’t overcrowd to make sure the chicken cooks evenly.
3. Bake for 35-45 minutes, flipping halfway through to make sure the chicken is cooked from both sides. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part of the drumstick.
4. To get a crispy skin, broil the chicken for the last 3–5 minutes of cooking.

Serving Suggestions

This tandoori chicken is delicious when served with white rice, brown or cauliflower rice, and a side of green salad, Raita, chutney, and naan or pita bread.

Top the cooked chicken with some lemon or lime wedges and chopped red onions, cilantro, or parsley.

You can marinate the chicken overnight and cook the chicken the next day. 

Storage

Store leftover tandoori chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days.

To reheat, cover the chicken with aluminum foil and warm up in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes. It should be warmed all the way through.  

You can also freeze tandoori marinade chicken once it is cooled completely. Freeze it in a bag for 2-3 months.

To make ahead simply marinate the chicken for up to 48 hours.

Substitutions & Variations

• To enhance the flavors you can also add curry powder, fenugreek leaves (a classic ingredient in the tandoori spice blends), fennel seeds, half an onion, and cumin.
• Use chicken breasts or chicken things instead of drumsticks.
• Add any veggies you like. This marinade is universal and you can marinate vegetables with chicken.
• Use vinegar instead of lemon juice. It works perfectly.
• To make ultra-tender chicken, first, let it sit in lemon juice or lime juice for about 10 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and refrigerate to marinate.
• Cut the chicken into pieces and make kababs!

Popular Questions

How Long Should Chicken Sit In Marinade?

Boneless skinless chicken meat will marinate within 3-6 hours. Chicken meat with skin on and bones in needs more time – up to 12 hours, to marinate properly.

What Turns Tandoori Chicken Red?

Tomato paste and spices like chili powder make Tandoori chicken marinade orange or deep red color. Tomatoes are a natural colorant, but some restaurants and recipes can also add artificial red food coloring to make the chicken bright red.

What Is The Difference Between Tikka And Tandoori Seasoning?

Both marinades use yogurt and lemon, but chicken tikka masala seasoning is much milder and mostly uses garlic, while Tandoori marinade uses a lot of spices like garam masala, chili powder, ginger, coriander, and so on.

What Is A Substitute For Yogurt In Tandoori Marinade?

You can use buttermilk, soy yogurt, or coconut milk in the marinade to help tenderize Tandoori chicken.

If you love this easy chicken dinner recipe, you’re going to love these other chicken recipe ideas too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Chicken Leg Recipes

Air Fryer Chicken Legs

Air Fryer Drumsticks

Grilled Chicken Drumsticks

Air Fryer Apricot-Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

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