Tandoori Chicken
A double marinade — first in lemon and salt, then in spiced yogurt — gets flavour deep into the meat before it hits the fiercest heat your oven can produce. Naturally low-carb and dramatic to serve.
Photograph credit: 20251121 133159 Tandoori chicken by Saimmx · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photograph credit: 20251121 133209 Tandoori chicken by Saimmx · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Method
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Rub the chicken all over and deep into the slashes with the lemon juice, salt and chilli powder. Leave for 30 minutes at room temperature.
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Whisk the second marinade ingredients together into a thick paste and coat the chicken completely, working it into every cut.
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Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally 24. The yogurt must be thick or the marinade will slide off.
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Take the chicken out 45 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to its absolute maximum, at least 250°C / 480°F, with a rack set over a foil-lined tray on the top shelf.
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Arrange the pieces on the rack with space between them, so hot air circulates and moisture escapes rather than pooling.
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Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until charred in patches and the thickest part reaches 75°C.
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Switch to the grill for the final 3 to 4 minutes to blister the surface.
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Brush with melted butter, rest 5 minutes, then dust with chaat masala and serve with onion rings and lime.
Chef’s Tips
- Strain the yogurt in a sieve for an hour first. Watery yogurt steams the chicken instead of charring it.
- Skin off, always — the marinade cannot penetrate skin and it prevents the char.
- On a barbecue, cook over indirect heat for 20 minutes then finish directly over the coals.
Common Substitutions & Variations
- Lemon is the everyday swap for limes in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
- A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
Pairing Suggestions
- A cold lager or an off-dry Riesling
- Serve with naan, mint chutney and sliced onion
- Follow with kulfi
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate 3 days. Reheat at 200°C / 390°F for 10 minutes. The meat is excellent cold in wraps.
Common questions
How long does Tandoori Chicken take to make?
About 55 minutes of hands-on work — 20 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking — plus 6 hours 30 minutes of chilling, so allow 7 hours 25 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making Tandoori Chicken?
Strain the yogurt in a sieve for an hour first. Watery yogurt steams the chicken instead of charring it. Skin off, always — the marinade cannot penetrate skin and it prevents the char. On a barbecue, cook over indirect heat for 20 minutes then finish directly over the coals.
What should I serve with Tandoori Chicken?
A cold lager or an off-dry Riesling; Serve with naan, mint chutney and sliced onion; Follow with kulfi.
How should Tandoori Chicken be stored?
Refrigerate 3 days. Reheat at 200°C / 390°F for 10 minutes. The meat is excellent cold in wraps.
Is Tandoori Chicken suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is gluten-free, high-protein, low-carb, keto and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Tandoori Chicken?
About 428 kcal per serving, with 52 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate and 20 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutritional Highlights
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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