The BEST Easy Tandoori Chicken Recipe (Takes 5 Minutes To Prep)

This tandoori chicken recipe is just so, so yummy. It combines the perfect blend of fresh Indian spices with tangy Greek yogurt and meaty, juicy chicken to create a dish that's to die for. Honestly, each bite of this stuff is as good as the last, and best of all, it's a breeze to make! In fact, it takes just 10 minutes worth of prep work to put together, and then the oven takes care of the rest!

The Best Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken is a menu staple at all Indian restaurants, and with good reason. For one, it's just downright delicious, and for two, it's just filled with warm yummy spices.

Truthfully, it's one of my favorite things to order when I'm getting Indian food. So, since I always seem to order it, I decided to try my hand at making it at home.

And, if I'm being honest, I think I knocked this tandoori chicken recipe out of the park. Although, I am a little biased.

Seriously though, this restaurant-style tandoori chicken is just jam-packed with flavor, and you'll be hooked on it from the first bite you take. Atleast, that's been true with everyone I've made it for. In fact, I've already had to write this recipe out for several friends and family members who've tried it.

With all of that said, this tandoori chicken isn't just super delicious, it's also super easy to make. I mean, you basically just have to mix the marinade ingredients together, coat the chicken with it, and then the oven does all of the heavy lifting after that.

So, even if you've never made Indian food at home before, don't be intimated because this recipe is a breeze. 

By the way, if you're looking for a couple of tasty sides to serve this recipe with, I highly recommend pairing it with this turmeric rice, this jollof rice, or this Mediterranean yellow rice. All of those rice recipes just blend so well with the tandoori chicken. You seriously can't go wrong by making any of 'em.

Ingredients

One of the best things about this tandoori chicken recipe is that it's made almost entirely with kitchen/pantry staples. In fact, I'm willing to bet you have most - if not all - of the ingredients you'll need to make it at home already!

Anyway, here's everything you'll need to make tandoori chicken at home:

• 1 ½ lb. chicken with skin and bones, cut into pieces
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp. cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. turmeric
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp. garam masala 
• 1-inch ginger piece, minced
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• Lime, cilantro, and naan bread to serve

Pretty simple stuff, right?

By the way, if you have any extra garam masala after this recipe, you can put it to good use and make this spicy chicken 65 recipe next!

Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

While I recommend making this chicken tandoori with the ingredients listed above, there are definitely some ways you can put your own spin on it.

So, with that said, here are some of my favorite ideas to try.

Swap Whole Chicken For Chicken Pieces

This recipe calls for a half chicken to be cut into pieces before being marinated. With that said, if you don't have a half chicken, then you can use a combination of chicken breasts and chicken drumsticks, chicken legs, or chicken thighs - whatever you can get your hands on will work just fine.

If you do go with boneless chicken though, just keep in mind that you'll only need about a pound of it instead of a pound and a half.

Experiment With The Marinade Ingredients

I like to keep the marinade ingredients simple since I think the spice mix speaks for itself. That said, if you want to add more flavor, you could always add in a little lemon juice, extra ginger garlic paste, cayenne pepper, or even Kashmiri red chili powder. Just make sure you taste the marinade before adding the raw chicken so the spices are just right.

How To Make Tandoori Chicken

Alright, now it's time for the fun part - making the chicken!

Again, even if you don't consider yourself a professional home cook, I can almost guarantee you'll have no problem making this recipe. I mean, it takes just 3 easy steps to whip up, and most of the time spent making it is the time it takes for the chicken to marinate. Honestly, it's basically foolproof!

Anyway, let's stop wasting time and make some tandoori chicken!

Step 1: Make The Marinade

The first thing you'll want to do is to make the marinade for the chicken. So, to do that, you'll want to take out a large bowl and mix the Greek yogurt, cumin powder, turmeric, garlic clove, garam masala, ginger, olive oil, salt, and pepper in it.

Then, once everything is combined, you can marinate the chicken in this mixture for at least 6 hours. The longer, the better, so if you want to save time, you can do this step in the morning, and it'll be ready by dinner.

Step 2: Cook The Chicken

Now, when you're ready to cook your marinated chicken, you'll want to get your oven up to 450°F.

Then, when the oven is hot and ready to go, you can remove the excess marinade from the chicken and place it on top of a grill rack on a baking tray or on a roasting pan. Once you've got that situated, you can put your marinated chicken in the oven and roast it for around 12 minutes. After that, you'll want to turn the chicken pieces over and bake 'em for another 8 minutes or until both sides are nicely browned and the internal temp reaches 165°F.

Step 3: Serve The Chicken

Finally, once the tandoori chicken is cooked to perfection, it's time to dig in!

I recommend serving it with fresh lime, cilantro, and toasted naan bread for an authentic experience. With that said though, this tandoori chicken goes great with just about anything and everything. So, feel free to get creative.

How To Store Tandoori Chicken

This recipe for tandoori chicken makes 2 large servings, so it's the perfect amount for a big dinner for two. If you're lucky, you may even end up with some leftovers. 

As for those leftovers, if there are any, you'll want to allow the tandoori chicken to cool down completely first before transferring it to an airtight container and storing it in the fridge. Stored this way, it should last for around 3-4 days.

Alternatively, if you want to store your leftover tandoori chicken for even longer, you can store it in the freezer in an airtight container - or freezer-safe bag - for up to 3 months.

How To Reheat Tandoori Chicken

When you're ready to enjoy your tandoori chicken again, you'll definitely want to reheat it.

So, to reheat your chicken tandoori, all you have to do is just place it on a baking sheet and then reheat it in the oven at 325°F for about 10-12 minutes.

Alternatively, if you have an air fryer, you can heat it up in there. Just place the chicken in the air fryer basket and air fry at 350°F for about 3-4 minutes or until thoroughly warmed.

Oh, and to heat it up even quicker, you can always use your microwave. Just heat it in 30-second intervals until the chicken is hot.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make tandoori chicken!

Honestly, I don't know if it's the tangy, aromatic marinade or the juicy, meaty deliciousness of the chicken that makes this tandoori chicken so good, but something does. I just know that it's been one of my family's favorite dishes lately, and I'm sure it will be one of yours too.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this tandoori chicken recipe as much as I/we do. As always, if you give this recipe a try, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know how it went.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

Did this tandoori chicken recipe get you in the mood to make even more easy dinner recipes?! If it did, you're in luck. We have a ton of really tasty ones already on the blog.

Give one of these easy recipes a try next:

• Lamb vindaloo
• Lemon chicken
• Curry shrimp
• Seafood rice
• Marry me chicken
• Instant pot Japanese curry

Oh, and for even more unbelievably delicious recipes, be sure to follow us on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. We post new ones on them every single day!

Print