Food Recipes Dinner Poultry Dishes Tandoori Chicken 5.0 (4,492) 2 Reviews Light up a grill to cook this classic, flavorful Indian chicken dish. By Madhur Jaffrey Madhur Jaffrey Madhur Jaffrey is a James Beard award-winning cookbook author, food writer, television personality, and actress widely credited for introducing Indian cuisine to the Western world with the 1973 publication of her seminal book An Invitation to Indian Cooking. She has appeared in countless cookery shows and publications in a culinary career that spans over five decades. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 21, 2024 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Active Time: 35 mins Marinate Time: 5 hrs Total Time: 6 hrs Servings: 4 Jump to recipe This Indian chicken dish is popular throughout the world for the big flavor that comes from cooking chicken in a tandoor, the deep, urn-shaped clay oven. Legendary cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey adapted the recipe for a charcoal grill to make it accessible to home cooks. Frequently Asked Questions What is the sauce for this chicken tandoori recipe? The chicken is dressed with lemon juice and salt before it marinates in a mixture of onion, ginger, garlic, chiles, and the North Indian spice blend garam masala. You can buy packaged garam masala in most grocery stores, or mix up your own blend. What do you serve tandoori chicken with? Serve this chicken alongside a few pieces of naan. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tandoori chicken is often recognized by its bright red exterior. That's the result of Kashmiri chile powder in the marinade, though sometimes actual food coloring is added as well. This authentic adaptation has all the flavor that the dish is known for but does not exude a red hue — instead of using Kashmiri chile, Jaffrey opts for slices of fresh green chile. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks 2 juicy lemons 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 3/4 cup plain yogurt 1/2 medium onion, peeled and quartered 5 garlic cloves 1 (3/4-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and quartered 1/2 fresh hot green chile, roughly sliced 2 teaspoons garam masala 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted Lemon wedges Directions Make two diagonal incisions, each about 1 inch long, on center of each side of chicken pieces. (Slits, which should not start at an edge, should be deep enough to reach bone.) Place chicken pieces on a rimmed baking sheet. Squeeze 1 lemon over chicken, and sprinkle with salt. Gently rub 1 teaspoon salt and lemon juice into slits. Turn chicken over and repeat with remaining lemon and salt. Set aside for 20 minutes. Blend yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, green chile, and garam masala in a food processor or blender into a smooth paste, about 3 minutes. Transfer spice paste to a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl and turn until coated evenly in spice paste, being sure to get paste into slits. Cover chicken and refrigerate at least 5 hours, up to 24 hours. Heat charcoal grill to high. Grill chicken over moderately high heat, basting with butter, until browned, 10 minutes. Turn and cook, basting with remaining butter, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Squeeze lemon wedges over chicken and serve with naan. Originally appeared: May 2013 Rate It Print