Grilled tandoori chicken is tender and juicy on the inside while maintaining a nice char on the outside, and it has all the eye-catching colors you expect from restaurant-style tandoori chicken. Coated in a homemade marinade with warm spices, the bone-in chicken cooks on the grill to smoky perfection. We serve ours with basmati rice, avocado cucumber tomato salad, or fresh naan.
The Origin of Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori chicken is a popular dish at Indian restaurants, but did you know its creation was a happy accident? Mokha Singh Lamba invented the tandoor-cooked chicken recipe at his restaurant in Peshawar, Pakistan.
While preparing bread in a clay tandoor oven, he decided to cook chicken over it, and the rest is history! The recipe grew in popularity and became a signature meal at his restaurant, the Moti Mahal in Delhi; this is the same restaurant known for creating butter chicken masala and dal makhani.
Like our BBQ-baked chicken Legs, this recipe is a crowd-pleaser and a perfect addition to cookouts, picnics, and gatherings.
What is Tandoori Chicken?
Like chicken and karahi gosht, this dish gets its name from the vessel it cooks in, a tandoor. Tandoors are cylinder clay pots heated by an open flame. The result is robust chargrilled chicken packed with smoky flavor and richly-spiced masala.
Since a tandoor is something few people have in their backyard (I certainly don’t), recreate the same Indian style of cooking on the grill for chicken that’s perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tandoori Chicken Marinade: My homemade tandoori marinade is a tenderizing combination of full-fat yogurt, garlic and ginger paste, kosher salt, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, homemade garam masala, Kashmiri chili powder, lemon juice, and chopped red onion. Don’t skip the marinating process; it helps moisten the chicken while the spices penetrate and flavor the dish. If heat is a concern for you, consider eliminating the cayenne pepper.
- Chicken: I use bone-in chicken thighs, legs, and quarters. If you prefer boneless chicken, I suggest using chicken thighs. If all you have is chicken breast, consider making our tandoori chicken tikka. Whatever you decide, adjust the cooking time accordingly; the safe cooking temperature for chicken is 165°F (73°C).
How to Make Grilled Tandoori Chicken
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine ingredients for tandoori masala in a food processor; incorporate until smooth. Then, add it to a mixing bowl and set it aside.
Step 2: Make 1-3 slits in the chicken pieces, and toss them into the bowl with the tandoori masala and chopped onion; stir to combine.
Step 3: Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
Step 4: Preheat the grill by setting all the burners to high heat for about 10 minutes.
Turn off the rightmost burner, but maintain an overall grill temperature of 350°F (176°C). Then, use a wooden grill scraper to clean the grates.
Step 5: Line the chicken onto the hottest side of the grill; cook until they blister for about 5 minutes.
Step 6: Flip the chicken and cook for another 4-6 minutes.
Step 7: Move the chicken to the cool side of the grill (the rightmost burner) and cook for 25 minutes.
Flip the chicken and continue cooking until the chicken has reached over 165°F (73°C), for about 20 minutes.
Step 8: Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro, red onion, lemon wedges, and raita.
Expert Tips
- For best results, I recommend scoring the chicken and marinating it for 24 hours (but at least 6 hours) to ensure the flavor penetrates. Use the marinade suggested in this recipe – it’s delicious!
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before preparing it.
- Before adding the chicken to the grill, carefully shake off the excess marinade – so it doesn’t fall into the grill.
- I prefer a low and slow method of cooking grilled tandoori chicken, so the inside and outside cook evenly. The cooking time is an hour and twenty minutes, but it’s worth the wait!
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If you love this recipe, try one of these Indian favorites!
Can I Use a Regular Grilled to Make Grilled Tandoori Chicken?
I don’t have access to a tandoor, and it’s likely you don’t either. Instead, I use a gas grill to achieve a similar result. And if you don’t have a grill, try our recipe for baked tandoori chicken instead!
Serving Suggestions
If you’re deciding what to serve with tandoori chicken, check out a few of our suggestions.
- Bread: Naan, Pita, Lavash
- Rice: Basmati Rice, Jeera Rice, Yakhni Pulao, Saffron Rice
- Vegetables: Roasted Potatoes, Grilled Zucchini, Corn on the Cob, Cauliflower Rice
- Salad: Vegetable Chopped Salad, Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad, Spinach and Arugula Salad, Kachumber Salad
- Sauce: Raita, Chutney
What to do With the Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Store the leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days, though it may lose some grilled smokiness.
- Freeze – Let the chicken cool, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Grilled tandoori chicken freezes for up to 2-3 months.
- Thaw – Defrost the frozen chicken in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat – Warm the defrosted or leftover chicken in the oven at 400°F (204°C) for 15 minutes.
- Repurpose – This may be a given, but you can make chicken tikka masala or butter chicken masala using the leftovers. Add the chicken to a pizza, quesadilla, or sandwich.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I marinate the chicken?
I recommend marinating the chicken for 24 hours (but at least 6 hours) to ensure the flavor penetrates; use the marinade in this recipe- it’s tasty!
How long do you grill the chicken?
Like our recipe for grilled chicken drumsticks, I prefer searing the chicken over high heat to create a flavorful seal before lowering the heat for a longer cooking time of about 40-45 minutes, turning them occasionally to ensure the inside cooks without completely burning the outside.
However, it’s important to note that the cooking is just an estimate, and the best way to ensure that your chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat is to use a meat thermometer.
Why is tandoori chicken red?
The red-colored tandoori chicken served in Indian restaurants is cultural and the result of added food coloring. You can achieve a similar color using Kashmiri chili powder, though it won’t be as pronounced without food coloring.
Is tandoori chicken healthy?
Our BBQ tandoori chicken recipe is high in protein and low in carbohydrates, fat, and sugar. Pair it with a salad or vegetable side dish to make it a perfectly balanced meal.
You can also use this recipe to meal prep throughout the week to meet your health and fitness goals.
What is the difference between tandoori and chicken tikka?
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the terms tandoori and chicken tikka, and many use them interchangeably.
• Charga – Similar to our Peruvian chicken or tandoori turkey recipe, charga refers to a whole chicken that’s grilled or cooked.
• Tikka – Most people in the West consider small pieces of chicken, usually breast, to be tikka when in reality, chicken tikka also means leg quarters, legs, and bite-size cuts of chicken.
• Tandoori – Tandoori chicken is whole or parts that cook in a clay tandoor; since most kitchens do not have access to tandoors, you will find grilled or baked tandoori chicken recipes that attempt to recreate the cooking technique.
More Indian and Pakistani Recipes:
Grilled Tandoori Chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup plain yogurt, full-fat
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges to garnish
- ½ medium red onion, roughly chopped, plus sliced onion to garnish
- 8 pieces chicken, drumsticks, and chicken quarters
- Combine ingredients for tandoori masala in a food processor; incorporate until smooth. Then, add it to a mixing bowl and set it aside.
- Make 1-3 slits in the chicken pieces, and toss them into the bowl with the tandoori masala and chopped onion; stir to combine. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
- Preheat the grill by setting all the burners to high heat for about 10 minutes. Turn off the rightmost burner, but maintain an overall grill temperature of 350°F (176°C). Then, use a wooden grill scraper to clean the grates.
- Line the chicken onto the hottest side of the grill; cook until they blister for about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 4-6 minutes.
- Move the chicken to the cool side of the grill (the rightmost burner) and cook for 25 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue cooking until the chicken has reached over 165°F (73°C), for about 20 minutes.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro, red onion, lemon wedges, and raita.
- For best results, I recommend scoring the chicken and marinating it for 24 hours (but at least 6 hours) to ensure the flavor penetrates; use the marinade suggested in this recipe- it’s delicious.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before preparing it.
- Before adding the chicken to the grill, carefully shake off the excess marinade- so it doesn’t fall into the grill.
- I prefer a low and slow method of cooking grilled tandoori chicken, so the inside and outside cook evenly. The cooking time is an hour and twenty minutes, but it’s worth the wait!
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Michael
Friday 26th of May 2023
The flavors were spot-on, and the chicken turned out great.
Emily Thompson
Friday 26th of May 2023
Wow, I just made this Grilled Tandoori Chicken recipe for dinner and it was absolutely incredible! The homemade tandoori marinade gave the chicken such amazing flavor, and grilling it added that perfect smoky touch. The chicken was so tender and juicy on the inside, while the char on the outside added a delicious crunch. I served it with some fluffy Basmati Rice and the combination was divine. This recipe definitely rivals any restaurant-style Tandoori Chicken I've had. Thank you for sharing this gem!
Priya Patel
Thursday 16th of February 2023
I made this grilled tandoori chicken last weekend, and it was a hit with my family! The marinade was easy to make and added so much flavor to the chicken. We served it with naan and the avocado cucumber tomato salad - the perfect summer meal.
Lynne
Wednesday 8th of June 2022
This is the moistest chicken I have ever had! Yum!!!
Tressa Jamil
Wednesday 8th of June 2022
Wow, what high praise! I am happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Bianca
Tuesday 7th of June 2022
This tandoori chicken was absolutely amazing! Packed with flavor and so juicy.
Tressa Jamil
Tuesday 7th of June 2022
The flavor is so amazing! My kids fight over the chicken every time.