Indian Mughlai Cuisine is my favorite cuisine and I used to believe that several of its dishes including Tandoori Chicken would be hard to replicate at home. That has turned out to be untrue and although it took me many tries over years learning a few new things each time, I believe I have the recipe down to make great Tandoori Chicken at home in an oven without a tandoor. This is the first of Mughali Cuisine recipes I am posting and expect to see recipes for Chicken Biryani, Butter Chicken and Naan soon.
The key to making tender and juicy Tandoori Chicken is to marinate it first in lemon juice and then in a yogurt marinade. Also, when the chicken is almost done cooking in the oven you need to broil it to give it the authentic tandoori flavor and appearance.
Ingredients
4 Chicken leg quarters
1/2 cup Peanut or Avocado Oil (or any other oil with a high smoke point)
2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder or Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1/4 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Ginger-garlic Paste
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
2 tsp Salt
Servings: 4
Preparation
Remove the skin from the chicken leg quarters. Score the Chicken – cut 3 slits on the thighs and drumsticks with a sharp knife. Scoring allows the flavors to get into the chicken and helps in forming a crust. Also, make a cut in the joint between the thigh and drumstick, and cut the tendon (you’ll see it) at the bottom of the drumstick. Cutting the tendon helps to cook the drumstick better and the meat comes off the bone easily, see the photograph below.
Chicken leg quarters skinned and with the knife cuts applied.
When the chicken is cooked the flesh on the drumstick easily separates from the bone.
If you’re using plain yogurt instead of Greek Yogurt then you need to hang the yogurt in a cheese cloth for 20-30 minutes so you can get all the moisture out. You want to use a thick yogurt for the marinade.
First Marination
Mix 1/2 tbsp of Ginger-garlic Paste, 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, 1 tsp Salt in about 2-3 tbsp of Lemon Juice. Apply this to the chicken and let it sit in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes.
Second Marination
In a large bowl combine the yogurt, 2 tsp Ginger-garlic Paste, 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, 1 tbsp Garam Masala, 1/2 tsp Salt and 1 tbsp Oil. Since we already salted the chicken with the first marinade, when you add salt to the yogurt it should not taste too salty. Whisk all of these ingredients together so they are mixed well. Apply this marinade to the chicken coating it well on both sides and especially make sure that the marinade gets into the cuts. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours; if I’m not in a hurry I usually let it marinate overnight.
Cooking
Line a grill pan with aluminum foil and also the drip tray as it will make it easier for you to clean them when you’re done making the chicken. On the grill pan make several slits in the aluminum foil right where the openings are on the grill pan. This is required so that the juices drip onto the tray and makes it less likely that your chicken will catch fire when you’re broiling it.
Place the marinated chicken leg quarters on the tray, applying a layer of oil on the pan where you place them. Also, brush some oil onto the top of the chicken.
Then put the tray with the chicken leg quarters into an oven pre-heated to 450 F. After about 15 minutes remove the chicken from the oven and brush oil onto the top side, turn it over and brush some oil on the other side as well and return the grill pan into the oven.
Bake it for another 15-20 minutes, watching the chicken so that it does not overcook and then take the chicken out of the oven and give it another brushing of oil.
Change your oven’s setting to broil and then put the grill pan into the broiler tray and broil for about 6-10 minutes. Check it after about 5 minutes to ensure that it has not charred too much. You want to broil it to get the distinct tandoori flavor with some char on the flesh and the appetizing color.
Remove the chicken from the broiler and serve right away with lemon wedges. Tandoori Chicken also goes very well with Green Chutney.
Enjoy and curry on!
- 4 Chicken leg quarters
- ½ cup Peanut or Avocado Oil (or any other oil with a high smoke point)
- 2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder or Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
- ¼ tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic Paste
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt
- 2 tsp Salt
- Preparation: Remove the skin from the chicken leg quarters and cut 3 slits on the thighs and drumsticks with a sharp knife. Also, make a cut in the join between the thigh and drumstick and cut the tendon (you’ll see it) at the bottom of the drumstick. These cuts are important to ensure that the spices get into the chicken and also cutting the tendon helps to cook the drumstick better and the meat comes off the bone easily, see the photograph below.
- If you’re using plain yogurt instead of Greek Yogurt then you need to hang the yogurt in a cheese cloth for 20-30 minutes so you can get all the moisture out. You want to use a thick yogurt for the marinade.
- First Marination: Mix ½ tbsp of Ginger-garlic Paste, 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, 1 tsp Salt in about 2-3 tbsp of Lemon Juice. Apply this to the chicken and let it sit in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes.
- Second Marination: In a large bowl combine the yogurt, 2 tsp Ginger-garlic Paste, 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, 1 tbsp Garam Masala, ½ tsp Salt and 1 tbsp Oil. Since we already salted the chicken with the first marinade, when you add salt to the yogurt it should not taste too salty. Whisk all of these ingredients together so they are mixed well. Apply this marinade to the chicken coating it well on both sides and especially make sure that the marinade gets into the cuts. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours; if I’m not in a hurry I usually let it marinate overnight.
- Line a grill pan with aluminum foil and also the drip tray as it will make it easier for you to clean them when you’re done making the chicken. On the grill pan make several slits in the aluminum foil right where the openings are on the grill pan. This is required so that the juices drip onto the tray and makes it less likely that your chicken will catch fire when you’re broiling it.
- Place the marinated chicken leg quarters on the tray, applying a layer of oil on the pan where you place them. Also, brush some oil onto the top of the chicken.
- Then put the tray with the chicken leg quarters into an oven pre-heated to 450 F. After about 15 minutes remove the chicken from the oven and brush oil onto the top side, turn it over and brush some oil on the other side as well and return the grill pan into the oven.
- Bake it for another 15-20 minutes, watching the chicken so that it does not overcook and then take the chicken out of the oven and give it another brushing of oil.
- Change your oven’s setting to broil and then put the grill pan into the broiler tray and broil for about 6-10 minutes. Check it after about 5 minutes to ensure that it has not charred too much. You want to broil it to get the distinct tandoori flavor with some char on the flesh and the appetizing color.
- Remove the chicken from the broiler and serve right away with lemon wedges. Tandoori Chicken also goes very well with Green Chutney.
Related Recipes
Green Chutney
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