Roasted Tandoori Chicken
If you’re a fan of Indian spices and flavors, you’ll love this whole roasted tandoori chicken recipe marinated in yogurt and spices. The meat is impossibly juicy and seasoned to the perfection with the aromatic spices. Served with basmati rice and cucumber salad, it makes the perfect fuss-free meal.
What is tandoori chicken?
Tandoori chicken is a chicken dish cooked in a Tandoor oven. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices before being grilled in the clay oven. As the chicken cooks, the smoke infuses the meat with flavor and results in the most delicious chicken dish. To make tandoori chicken at home, I preheat my oven to the hottest temperature and then turn it down the moment I place the chicken in the oven to encourage a little char and deep burnished color to develop on the skin of the chicken.
Ingredients
Even though tandoori chicken is most often made with chicken pieces like thighs and drumsticks, I like using a whole butterflied chicken here. The marinade is made with plain yogurt (I use a full cream/high fat yogurt like Greek yogurt), spices and herbs.
- Whole chicken. Use whole chicken legs as substitute.
- Greek yogurt. Buttermilk can also be used.
- Garlic. Use fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Ginger.
- Garam Masala. If you can’t find Garam Masala powder, use a good Indian spice mix containing turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, etc.
- Chilli powder. Cayenne pepper can also be substituted. Kashmiri chilli powder is delicious in this marinade.
- Paprika.
- Cardamom.
- Cumin.
- Salt and black pepper.
- Lemon juice. Lime juice can be used instead.
- Vegetable Oil. Melted ghee can be substituted.
How to make Tandoori Chicken
- Prepare the chicken: Using a pair of sharp kitchen shears, cut on either side of the backbone of the chicken, removing it. Turn the chicken over and flatten with the palm of your hand.
- Make the marinade: Combine the yogurt with the garlic, ginger and spices in a small bowl and mix well. Season generously with salt and a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Rub the yogurt mixture over the chicken and under the skin, making sure it’s completely coated. At this stage you can refrigerate the chicken, loosely covered, for up to 2 days.
- Roast the chicken: Preheat the oven to the hottest setting for a minimum of 45 minutes. Place the chicken on a wire rack over a roasting dish or baking sheet. Place the chicken in the oven then turn the heat down and allow to roast for 45-60 minutes, drizzling with oil half way through as the yogurt marinade will form a crust and dry out a little. If you want a deeper color on the skin, allow the chicken to broil under the broiler/grill of the oven for a few minutes at the end of cooking.
- Serve: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear or when the meat reaches 73ºC/165°F on a meat thermometer. I would recommend removing the chicken from the oven when it reaches 160°F/70°C as it will continue cooking as it rests. Carve the chicken once rested and serve.
What to serve with tandoori chicken
Rice is always my go-to side dish with any form of spiced chicken. Here I served it with plain jasmine rice but curried rice will also be delicious. A sharp and fresh cucumber salad cuts through the rich, spiciness of the chicken. Flatbread, roti or naan will also be a great addition.
Easy chicken recipes
Roasted Tandoori Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (approximately 1.5kg/3lb)
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tsp crushed ginger
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Garam Masala
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ½-1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Using a pair of sharp kitchen shears, cut on either side of the backbone of the chicken, removing it.
- Turn the chicken over and flatten with the palm of your hand.
- Combine all the marinade ingredients together and rub the yogurt mixture over the chicken and under the skin, making sure it's completely coated.
- Allow to marinade for at least 45 minutes up to 24 hours covered in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 250°C/480°F (or as hot as your oven goes) on the broiler/oven grill setting. Line a baking tray with foil and place a wire rack on top.
- Place the chicken on a wire rack over a roasting dish or baking sheet. Place the chicken in the oven then turn the heat down to 180°C/350°F and allow to roast for 45-60 minutes drizzling with oil half way through as the yogurt marinade will form a crust and dry out a little. If you want a deeper color on the skin, allow the chicken to broil under the broiler/grill of the oven for a few minutes at the end of cooking.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear or when the meat reaches 73ºC/165°F on a meat thermometer. I would recommend removing the chicken from the oven when it reaches 160°F/70°C as it will continue cooking as it rests. Carve the chicken once rested and serve.
- Serve the Tandoori chicken with naan bread, rice and cucumber salad.