Tandoori Chicken
Ingredients
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
- 2 1/2 pounds chicken leg quarters – skin removed and deeply scored (~5.5 n/a chicken leg quarters)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 3 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3/4 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1 tablespoons fresh ginger – finely grated
- 1 tablespoons garlic cloves – finely grated
- 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 tablespoons ghee – melted (for basting)
- red onion – thinly sliced (for serving)
- lemon – cut into wedges (for serving)
- cilantro leaves – chopped (for serving)
Instructions
1. Remove the skin from the chicken leg quarters, pat dry, and make 3–4 deep diagonal slashes on each piece to the bone.
2. In a large bowl, rub the chicken with the lemon juice, half of the fine salt, and 1 teaspoon of the Kashmiri red chili powder, working it into the slashes. Let stand 20–30 minutes; reserve the remaining salt and chili powder for the marinade.
3. In a clean bowl, whisk the plain whole-milk yogurt with the fresh ginger, garlic cloves, mustard oil, ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, ground turmeric, and black pepper until smooth, then stir in the reserved salt and chili powder.
4. Add the chicken to the yogurt marinade and coat thoroughly, getting marinade into the slashes. Cover and refrigerate 6–12 hours (8 hours ideal).
5. Position a rack in the upper-middle of the oven and preheat to 475°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting and allow excess marinade to drip off so a light coating remains.
6. Arrange the chicken on the rack and roast until browned with some char at the edges and the thickest part reaches 165°F, 20–25 minutes, basting once halfway through with the ghee. For deeper char, broil 2–3 minutes more, watching closely.
7. Rest 5 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with cilantro leaves and with red onion and lemon wedges alongside.
Tandoori Chicken is a North Indian staple known for its smoky char, vibrant color from Kashmiri red chili, and a tender, juicy interior from a yogurt-based marinade. Bright lemon and earthy spices like cumin, coriander, and garam masala create layers of heat, tang, and warmth without overwhelming the palate. Traditionally cooked in a searing-hot clay tandoor, the chicken develops a lightly blistered exterior and unmistakable aroma that’s irresistible straight from the oven or grill.
The dish traces its roots to the Punjabi tandoor tradition and rose to global fame in mid-20th-century India, where urban restaurants popularized it as a signature preparation. Its hallmark technique—deep slashing, a spiced yogurt marinade, and intense dry heat—reflects centuries of communal clay-oven cooking adapted for modern kitchens. Today, it appears at roadside dhabas, festive gatherings, and restaurants worldwide, commonly served with raw onion, lemon wedges, and green chutney.