Restaurant Style Tandoori Chicken Recipe
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp kasuri methi ((dried fenugreek leaves))
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- â½ kg chicken ((or 500 to 700 grams))
- â½ cup yogurt ((or hung curd or greek yogurt))
- â¾ tbsp ginger garlic paste
- â¼ tsp pepper powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder ((or daniya powder))
- â¼ tsp salt ((taste marinade & add more))
- â¼ tsp turmeric ((or haldi))
- 1 tbsp oil ((or mustard oil))
- Carbohydrate 0.699062258896705 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 27.1576058236464 g
- Fiber 0.334019237270286 g
- Protein 0.128912018985683 g
- Saturated Fat 3.52364438202878 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (30g)
- Sodium 9.9490624781752 mg
- Sugar 0.365043021626419 g
- Trans Fat 1.32222639679949 g
- Calories 242 calories
Step-by-step
- To a mixing bowl, add thick yogurt or hung curd. If you do not have it, then line a thin cloth over a sieve. Pour 1 cup curd. Wring it gently and strain off the whey (water). Make a knot and hang it to a hook for 45 mins. Then use half cup here.
- Next add in ginger garlic paste, garam masala, red chili powder, salt, turmeric, kasuri methi, pepper powder and coriander powder.
- Pour oil and lemon juice as well.
- Mix everything well. The marinade has to be thick and not of dripping consistency. Taste it and add more salt and chili powder if needed.
- Make deep gashes over the chicken and add it to the bowl.
- Marinate the chicken well into the gashes.
- Cover and set aside for at least 6 hours. If you reduce the marination time, chicken will not turn soft and juicy. It may not get cooked well if making on tawa.
- For the stove method, please follow the step by step instructions after the recipe card. Preheat the oven at 240 C for at least 15 mins.
- Place a foil on the tray. Next grease it.
- Place the chicken pieces oven the foil or greased wire rack. If using a wire rack place a tray under it to hold the drippings.
- Grill the chicken for about 15 mins.
- Mix together 1 tsp red chili powder with 1 tbsp oil.
- Then baste the red chili oil over the chicken. Grill for 5 mins.
- Flip the chicken to the other side and baste the red chili oil.
- Grill for another 6 to 10 mins.
- The last 5 mins, you can move it to the top most rack. This gives the charred look. You can also burn a char coal piece and place it in a small cup. Keep that in the chicken tray. Cover with a large utensil. Allow it to smoke for 5 to 7 mins.
- Restaurant style tandoori chicken is ready. Serve with onion and lemon wedges.
Unlike milder yogurt-marinated poultry dishes such as murgh malai tikka, traditional tandoori preparations rely on a potent punch of Kashmiri chili powder, raw garlic heat, and acid to penetrate deep into scored protein. Getting that characteristic high-heat char without drying out the interior requires careful attention to thermal dynamics, thick-cut surface scoring, and proper dairy straining. Scaling this preparation up or down is entirely linear; simply maintain the ratio of one-half cup of strained dairy to every half-kilogram of chicken pieces to ensure the coating stays thick enough to cling during the roast.
The Right Accompaniments
Raw protein cooked at extreme temperatures demands cooling, crisp side elements that provide textual and thermal contrast. Thinly sliced red onions soaked in ice water lose their sulfurous bite while retaining a sharp crunch, which cuts through the rendered fats of the spiced poultry. A wedge of fresh lemon provides the necessary citrus burst to brighten the heavy spices just before eating.Managing the Marinade and Heat
Thick Greek yogurt or properly hung curd is non-negotiable here because watery dairy will slide right off the meat and pool on the baking sheet instead of reducing into a sticky glaze. Score the chicken thighs or breasts down to the bone using a sharp boning knife so the spiced paste can reach the interior fibers. Preheating your oven to a blazing 240 degrees Celsius for at least fifteen minutes creates the thermal shock required to jump-start surface browning.Finishing and Smoking Techniques
Moving the baking rack to the topmost position for the final five minutes of cooking triggers Maillard reactions that mimic a traditional clay oven. Basting the surface with a mixture of oil and chili powder halfway through prevents the exposed edges from scorching into bitterness while locking in internal juices. Placing a small metal cup containing a glowing piece of charcoal inside your resting tray with a tight cover allows volatile smoke compounds to infuse the meat within seven minutes.
