Tandoori Chicken at Home: Easy Recipe Without a Tandoor

By Hotel Prince, ShahadaUpdated 4 November 20262 min read

You do not need a clay tandoor to make good tandoori chicken. A hot oven, an air fryer or even a tawa with a lid can give you smoky, juicy chicken with a red crust.

• Prep20 min
• Cook30 min
• Serves3
• TypeNon-veg

Ingredients

• 8 chicken legs or pieces, skin removed, slashed
• Juice of 1 lemon and 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup thick hung curd
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp mustard oil
• 1 tsp kasuri methi
• A small piece of charcoal and 1 tsp ghee for smoke (optional)
• Chaat masala, onion rings and lemon to serve

Method

1. Rub the chicken with lemon juice and salt. Rest for 20 minutes.
2. Mix curd, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, garam masala, cumin, kasuri methi and mustard oil. Coat the chicken well.
3. Marinate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight in the fridge.
4. Preheat the oven to 220 C. Place chicken on a rack and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once and basting with oil.
5. For smoke, place a hot charcoal piece in a small bowl, add ghee, cover the chicken and the bowl for 3 minutes.
6. Sprinkle chaat masala and serve hot with onions, mint chutney and lemon.

Tips for the best result

• Hang the curd for 1 hour so the marinade sticks.
• Do not skip the slashes; they help flavour go deep.
• Finish under the grill for 2 minutes for char.

Frequently asked questions