The bell-shaped tandoor clay oven, which is also used to create naan, or Indian flatbread, is the source of the name “tandoori chicken.”
The skinless legs and thighs are marinated in a tenderising concoction of yoghurt, lemon juice, and spices. The meat is repeatedly sliced to the bone to facilitate the penetration of the marinade and expedite the cooking process of the chicken.
Either an abundance of hot chilies or red food colouring are used to give the chicken its distinctive red colour.
Though we’re not great fans of food colouring, feel free to add a small amount of red food colouring to the marinade if you really must have your chicken a vibrant red colour.
Making tandoori chicken doesn’t require a tandoor oven! (Thank heavens). It can be cooked in an oven with a grill or on a grill (charcoal is best).
What is Tandoori Chicken?
Cuisine food in a clay oven, also known as a tandoor, is referred to as “tandoori” cuisine in the Indian subcontinent. The majority of traditional Tandoori chicken is grilled in a clay oven after being marinated in yoghurt and colourful spices. Since most of us lack clay ovens, there are alternative ways we can use our own kitchen appliances, like an air fryer, outdoor barbecue, or oven, to mimic the cooking techniques. Indian cuisine’s tandoori chicken is usually marinated in yoghurt and spices before being baked in a hot tandoor oven, which is a cylindrical clay oven. It is typically coloured with food colouring, turmeric, or chilli powders, which gives it a vivid colour.
What makes this recipe for tandoori chicken unique?
Like this dish, most tandoori chicken recipes call for removing the chicken’s skin. This is obviously healthier and functions nicely. Although you are free to remove the skin, this recipe calls for leaving it on. This recipe calls for a tandoori chicken marinade, which is superior to the stuff you buy in jars. Yoghurt is not added to the marinade since you want the skin to be crispy.
Yoghurt is a must in tandoori marinade, right?
There are not any guidelines! Yes, yoghurt is typically included in tandoori chicken marinades. Feel free to add a couple tablespoons of yoghurt to the marinade components if you’d like. The problem is that yoghurt doesn’t really enhance taste. Yoghurt or butter milk work well as a natural tenderizer in tandoori marinades. It’s unnecessary since the chicken that is raised in the West is already quite soft.
How is the chicken tandoori cooked?
This marinade works well for any type of tandoori chicken. The chicken was cooked entire, without the skin, in this recipe for tandoori chicken. Another option is to skewer the chicken after chopping it into little pieces.
Ingredients
1.5 kilogrammes (3lb 5oz) whole chicken 70ml (about 1/4 cup) Melted butter and one tsp of salt combined for the Tandoori Marinade
One tablespoon of ground cumin
One tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon masala tandoori
One tablespoon of garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
One teaspoon amchoor, or powdered dried mango
One tablespoon of powdered Kashmiri chilli (or mild paprika, according to taste)
2 tablespoons of ginger, garlic, and chilli (see note)
1 tsp of ground pepper
One teaspoon of salt
three tablespoons of lemon juice
One tablespoon of pure white vinegar
4-tsp canola or rapeseed oil
Powdered red food colouring (optional)
Guidelines
To prepare it at home, try this real tandoori chicken, which is marinated in yoghurt and spices and grilled on the grill rather than in a clay oven. Serve with cucumber salad, roasted corn on the cob, grilled vegetables and long-grain basmati rice.
- On a chopping board, arrange the chicken so that it is sitting erect. Cut a butterfly by slicing down between the breasts with a sharp knife. Instead of making it this way, many people remove the backbone from the butterfly chicken
- Place the chicken breast side up on the chopping board, then firmly press down to flatten it all over.
- Next, combine all of the marinade ingredients in a whisked mixture, adding approximately 3 tablespoons of water to create a homogeneous paste.
- In order to work the marinade into both the meat and the skin on top of the breasts, legs, and thighs, you can often slide a few fingers beneath the skin everywhere. The chicken’s taste is enhanced by this.
- If desired, rub the marinade inside the skin as well as all over the chicken. Cover and let the chicken sit in the refrigerator for one hour or overnight.
- Prepare your grill for indirect heat roasting when you’re ready to cook. You want to get a temperature of roughly 250°C (480°F). Make sure to position a drip tray with some water in it on the cooler side, away from the coals, if you’re using a standard kettle BBQ.
- If you are using a ceramic BBQ, this is not required.
- When the internal temperature of the butterflied chicken reaches 75°C (165°F), place it breast side up on the side of the barbecue that is free of embers. 45–60 minutes should pass during this. Continue basting the chicken with the melted ghee until it is completely consumed.
Wrap up
This recipe for Tandoori Chicken is a must-have! It’s quite simple to prepare and tastes just as excellent as anything you would receive at an Indian restaurant! To get the classic char, chicken thighs are marinated in a creamy, well-seasoned marinade made of yoghurt and are then grilled. On its own, Tandoori chicken is a delicious dish. It can also be served with some mint chutney or over a bed of basmati rice. You may still try this recipe if you’re a vegetarian by using other meat substitutes like tofu, babycorn, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, etc. See my recipe for the tastiest paneer tikkas, tandoori-style potatoes, and the best tandoori cauliflower! Visit our blog for more Summer Recipe Ideas.