Tandoori Chicken
Its restaurant form is credited to Moti Mahal, opened in Delhi by Partition refugees from Peshawar, whose regulars reportedly included Jawaharlal Nehru — though the families of founders Kundan Lal Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi still dispute who deserves the credit.
Chicken is slashed to the bone, marinated in yogurt and spices, and skewered vertically into a clay tandoor where it chars over live coals in minutes. It's a fixture of Punjabi dhabas and roadside grills, served with a squeeze of lime and sliced onion.
What is Tandoori Chicken?
Tandoori chicken is chicken marinated in yoghurt and spices, then cooked at very high heat in a tandoor, a clay oven heated with charcoal or wood. The marinade is usually built on yoghurt, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, chilli and warm spices such as cumin, coriander and garam masala. The pieces are typically cut to the bone so the marinade can get in, and they come out charred at the edges and juicy inside. It is usually served with sliced raw onion, lime wedges and a green chutney, and is a staple of Punjabi dhabas and roadside grills.
The dish is usually linked to Punjabi cooks from Peshawar, and it was popularised after 1947 at Moti Mahal in Delhi, a restaurant opened by refugees from Peshawar, although the families involved have long disputed who deserves the credit. The tandoor itself is much older than the dish. The bright red colour of many restaurant versions is often helped along by food colouring added to the marinade, while the more natural orange-red of a home version comes from Kashmiri chilli powder, which is mild and rich in colour.
How to make tandoori chicken in a home oven, with mint chutney and raita
Ingredients
- For the chicken: 1.2 kg bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks (about 8 pieces), 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon fine salt
- For the marinade: 200 g thick plain whole-milk yoghurt, 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste (a 3 cm piece of ginger and 4 garlic cloves, grated or blitzed), 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed between your fingers, 1 tablespoon mustard oil or neutral oil, 1 teaspoon fine salt
- For basting and serving: 1 tablespoon melted butter or oil, 1 red onion, thinly sliced, 2 limes, cut into wedges
- For the mint chutney: 50 g fresh mint leaves, 25 g fresh coriander (leaves and tender stems), 1 green chilli, a 2 cm piece of ginger, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
- For the cucumber raita: 250 g plain yoghurt, ½ cucumber (about 120 g), grated, ½ teaspoon ground roasted cumin (or ordinary ground cumin), ½ teaspoon salt
Method
- Pat the chicken dry. With a sharp knife cut two or three deep slashes to the bone in each piece. Rub with the lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt and leave for 20 minutes.
- Mix the marinade ingredients (yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, all the spices, fenugreek, oil and 1 teaspoon salt) in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn until every piece and slash is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, and no more than 24 hours. Throw away any leftover marinade that touched raw chicken.
- Make the raita: squeeze the grated cucumber in your hands to remove the water, then stir it into the yoghurt with the cumin and salt. Chill until needed.
- Make the chutney: blitz the mint, coriander, chilli, ginger, lemon juice, salt, sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a blender until smooth, adding up to 1 more tablespoon of water only if needed to get the blades turning. Taste and add a little more salt or lemon juice if you like. It keeps for 2 days in the fridge but fades in colour.
- Heat the oven to its highest setting, up to 240 °C (220 °C fan, gas 9), with a rack in the upper third. Put a wire rack on a foil-lined baking tray. Lift the chicken from the marinade, let the excess drip off (a thick coat is fine) and set the pieces on the rack with space between them.
- Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway, until the surface is browned with darker charred patches. If it is not charring, switch to the grill (broiler) for the last 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely. Brush with the melted butter in the last 5 minutes.
- Check that the thickest part of the largest piece, away from the bone, reads at least 74 °C (165 °F) on a thermometer and the juices run clear. Thighs are still juicy and are often cooked a little higher, around 80 °C. Rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve with the sliced onion, lime wedges, chutney and raita.
Tips
- Use thighs and drumsticks. Breast meat dries out quickly at this heat, so if you use it, pull it from the oven as soon as it reaches 74 °C.
- Do not marinate for much longer than 24 hours. The lemon juice and yoghurt acid will eventually turn the meat soft and mealy.
- Thick yoghurt matters. If yours is thin, strain it through a cloth or sieve for an hour so the marinade clings rather than runs off.
- A home oven is only an approximation of a tandoor. It will not give the same smoky char, so the grill finish and a very hot oven do most of the work.
Regional versions
- For a deeper red like many restaurants, some cooks add a small amount of food colouring. It changes the look only, not the flavour, and is optional. Using more Kashmiri chilli or a little paprika gives a natural orange-red.
- Chicken tikka uses boneless chunks marinated the same way and skewered, so it cooks in 12 to 15 minutes. Check that the chunks reach 74 °C.
- Some versions add a tablespoon of ground cashews or a little cream to the marinade for a richer coating.
- On a charcoal barbecue, cook over a hot fire with the lid on, turning every few minutes, until the chicken reaches 74 °C.
Questions
What is tandoori chicken?
Chicken marinated in yoghurt and spices and cooked at very high heat, traditionally in a clay tandoor oven. It is a classic of Punjabi and North Indian cooking.
Why is tandoori chicken red?
Partly from Kashmiri chilli powder, which gives colour without much heat. Many restaurants also add food colouring, so the very bright red is often not natural.
Can I make tandoori chicken without a tandoor?
Yes. A very hot oven with a grill finish, or a covered charcoal barbecue, gives a similar if less smoky result.
What temperature should tandoori chicken be cooked to?
At least 74 °C (165 °F) in the thickest part, measured away from the bone, with clear juices.
What do you serve with tandoori chicken?
Sliced onion, lime wedges, green chutney and raita are the usual accompaniments, often with naan or rice.
