This homemade Tandoori Chicken is loaded with an authentic smokey flavour! With only a few ingredients, this Tandoori Chicken is easier than ever to master. This is going to become one of your favourite dinner recipes!
Ingredients
- 4-6 (975-1250 grams) Chicken Legs
For the Marinade
- ¾ cup (210 grams) Yogurt
- ½ tbsp (11 grams) Ginger Paste
- 1 tbsp (22 grams) Garlic Paste
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp (20 grams) Kashmiri Chili Powder
- 1 tsp (2 grams) Turmeric Powder
- 1½ tsp Salt, to taste
- 3 tbsp Oil
For Cooking
- 2-3 tbsps Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter
Method
- Clean, wash and pat dry the chicken legs. Make some deep cuts into the chicken legs on both sides. Place the chicken legs in a bowl.
- To the chicken legs add the yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, lemon juice, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, and oil.
- Mix the marinade along with the chicken legs making sure that the marinade gets into all the cuts made on the chicken legs.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and keep the chicken aside to marinate for 2 hours or overnight for best results.
- To a heated skillet on medium-low heat, add some oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, place the chicken legs in the pan.
- Now allow the chicken to cook on each side for at least 2 minutes without touching them. Once the chicken gets some colour on one side, flip it over and allow it to cook for another two minutes on the other side. Now continue flipping it from side to side till the chicken has cooked completely.
- If you want to smoke the chicken for that authentic tandoor flavour, remove the chicken from the skillet and place it in a bowl.
- To smoke the chicken, you can either heat a piece of charcoal until it’s red hot, place it in a metal container, and then place it in the bowl of the tandoori chicken, pour some oil or ghee on the hot charcoal for it to start smoking. Immediately cover the glass bowl with plastic wrap or any cover so that the smoke remains in and flavours the chicken. If you do not have charcoal, you could use a smoking gun (like I did) to get the same flavour.
- After some time, uncover the chicken and your tandoori chicken is ready to enjoy. Serve hot with a side of onion-tomato salad, lemon wedges, and hot butter naans.
Onion Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Red Onion, finely sliced
- 1 Large Tomato, finely sliced
- 1 Green Chili, finely diced
- 1 Tablespoon Coriander/Cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- Salt to taste
Method
- Toss all the ingredients in a bowl and give them a good mix. Taste and see if you need to make any adjustments to the vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Cover and leave it aside for about 30 minutes so that the onions and tomatoes absorb all the flavours.