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You can bring bold classic Indian flavors into your own kitchen with tandoori chicken, even if you don't have the traditional clay oven. This method uses your regular oven but still delivers smoky, juicy chicken with a punchy marinade. Bet your house will smell amazing.
Vibrant Ingredients
- Fresh cilantro: toss on top for that pop of bright color and fresh finish, pick the most lively leaves
- Lemon wedges: offer extra tang right before you eat
- Ground cumin and coriander: give citrusy, nutty flavor boosts
- Turmeric: brings earthiness and sunny color, you want a good quality powder
- Paprika: adds rich color, pick sweet or a little smoked if you like some depth
- Garam masala: classic Indian spice blend you’ll smell first
- Vegetable oil: covers everything so the chicken stays juicy, neutral oil is best
- Lemon juice: perks up the marinade and makes the chicken extra tender, squeeze it fresh
- Chicken drumsticks and thighs: stay juicy in the heat, grab them as fresh as possible or organic if that’s your thing
- Full fat plain yogurt: makes a rich creamy coating that locks in moisture, stick with full fat or whole milk yogurt
- Fresh ginger and garlic: these bring all the heat and aroma, use thick roots and heavy cloves
- Cayenne pepper: lets you dial up the heat, use more or less depending on how spicy you want it
- Salt: ties up all the flavors, just enough goes a long way
Easy Step-by-Step
- Serve It
- When chicken's done, rest it briefly, sprinkle on cilantro, and pass around lemon wedges—great with salad, naan, or rice too
- Bake the Chicken
- Get your oven hot to two hundred Celsius. Spread chicken pieces out on your oiled rack with a little space in between, bake for half an hour. Flip them, bake ten to fifteen minutes more, and look for darkened edges and an inside temp of seventy five Celsius
- Get Ready for the Oven
- Pop a wire rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet so the chicken roasts evenly. Oil the rack just a bit to keep everything from sticking
- Marinate the Chicken
- Score each piece a couple times with a sharp knife. Dunk chicken in your marinade and turn until it’s all covered. Cover up and stash in the fridge at least twelve hours—longer is even better
- Mix Up the Marinade
- Grab a big bowl and whisk together yogurt, oil, lemon juice, grated ginger, minced garlic, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt. Stir it until it’s super smooth and mixed
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How to Store It
Let the tandoori chicken cool, then tuck it into an airtight container. It’ll be fine in the fridge for up to three days and freezes well for two months. Warm up leftovers in a low oven under foil and it won’t dry out.
Swaps & Variations
No bone-in thighs or drumsticks? Try boneless thighs or chicken breast but the bone really cranks up the taste. Greek yogurt works as a swap for plain yogurt. Not a fan of spicy heat? Drop the cayenne or use just sweet paprika instead.
How to Serve
It’s amazing with fluffy basmati rice and naan. Scoop on some cooling cucumber raita too. Or stuff the chicken and fresh salad into flatbread and roll it up for a street food vibe.
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Cultural Bite
Classic tandoori comes from the north of India and gets its punch from a super hot tandoor. Now lots of folks use their ovens or grills at home—it's a dish you see everywhere at parties and was among the first Indian foods everyone started loving worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions About Recipes
- → Why is the chicken so bright in color?
That bold color comes from turmeric and paprika in your marinade, plus they bring an earthy kick too.
- → What's a good marinating time for the chicken?
A good long soak—anywhere from 12 to 24 hours—lets those flavors really sink in and keeps your chicken super juicy.
- → Can I switch to boneless chicken?
Sure thing. Boneless thighs or breasts work just fine, but ones on the bone hold juices and flavor better.
- → Any tricks for getting that smoky touch?
Blast it at a high temp for those charred bits. Smoky paprika or a turn under the broiler add extra smokiness too.
- → What goes well on the side with this chicken?
Scoop it up with naan, pile on rice, or add something fresh like cucumber salad or a minty chutney.
- → Do I really need a tandoor for this?
Nope, a regular oven totally works and still gives you awesome flavor and texture, no clay oven needed.