⏤ The Recipe
Tandoori Chicken.
Thishomemade tandoori chicken recipeis bold, smoky, and layered with warm, aromatic spices. A yogurt-based marinade creates incredibly tender, flavorful meat, while high heat gives the chicken its signature char. Served with soft homemade naan and a bright mint-coriander chutney,…
Prep
20m
Cook
30m
Total
4h
Serves
6
⏤ The Story
Thishomemade tandoori chicken recipeis bold, smoky, and layered with warm, aromatic spices. A yogurt-based marinade creates incredibly tender, flavorful meat, while high heat gives the chicken its signature char. Served with soft homemade naan and a bright mint-coriander chutney, it’s a perfectly balanced meal that delivers classic tandoori flavors without the need for a clay oven.
If you’re unfamiliar, tandoori chicken is a traditional Indian dish made by marinating chicken in a spiced yogurt mixture and then cooking it at high heat, typically in a clay oven known as a tandoor. The high temperatures create a signature charred exterior, giving the chicken a smoky flavor without drying it out.
If you’ve had dishes likebutter chickenorchicken tikka masala, you’ve already tasted flavors inspired by tandoori cooking. Both dishes typically start with marinated, tandoor-style chicken (often calledchicken tikka) that’s then simmered in a rich, spiced sauce.
Tandoori chicken, on the other hand, is served as-is, letting the charred exterior and vibrant marinade shine on their own. It’s one of my favorite family-style meals and is surprisingly easy to make on the stovetop.
⏤ The Method
Step by step.
For the Chicken
- 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, lime juice, ginger-garlic paste, spices, salt, and oil until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- 2
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and make shallow slashes in the thickest parts to encourage marinade penetration.
- 3
Season the meat lightly with salt.
- 4
Add the chicken to the bowl of marinade and use your hands to coat each piece thoroughly.
- 5
Cover with plastic wrap or a plate and refrigerate for at least four hours, ideally overnight.
- 6
Preheat a cast-iron grill pan to piping hot.
- 7
Add one tablespoon of ghee to the pan.
- 8
Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook, turning occasionally, until charred and fully cooked through. Each piece should reach 165°F (73°C) when done cooking.
For the Naan
- 1
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.
- 2
Using a wooden spoon, stir in the warm milk, yogurt, and oil.
- 3
Mix and knead until the dough is smooth and soft. This will be sticky and take six to eight minutes to form a sturdy dough.
- 4
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate. Let the dough rise in an oven with the light on for one to two hours or until doubled in size.
- 5
Remove the dough from the oven, and use a bench scraper to cut the ball into six equal portions. Roll each piece of dough into a ball.
- 6
Place the dough balls on a piece of parchment paper, and cover them with a kitchen towel. Let the dough proof for 15 more minutes at room temperature.
- 7
Roll out each dough ball on a clean, dry surface, using a rolling pin to roll outward from the center instead of back and forth to form an oval-ish shape, roughly 8×5 inches (20×13 centimeters).
- 8
Gently press a few pieces of parsley onto the top of the dough.
- 9
Dampen your hands with water to pick up the raw naan. Flip the dough over and use your fingers to pat the backside of the dough with more water. Don’t skip this step; it makes the dough stick to the hot pan and helps form bubbles.
- 10
Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking, at least five minutes.
- 11
Use damp hands to pick up the naan, and place it in the skillet water-side down. Cook for 30-60 seconds, until bubbles form and the backside is deeply brown.
- 12
Flip the dough and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for another 30 seconds.
- 13
Serve hot with a drizzle of butter and flaky salt.
For the Mint-Coriander Chutney
- 1
Blend the cilantro, mint, chili, yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth. Adjust the thickness by adding more water as needed.
- 2
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Garnishes
- 1
Thinly slice red onion.
- 2
Chop cilantro.
- 3
Cut lemon and lime wedges.
For Plating
- 1
Arrange the chicken and naan on a plate.
- 2
Spoon the chutney into a bowl.
- 3
Add the onions, cilantro, and lemon to the plate.
- 4
Finish with a squeeze of citrus.
⏤ Chef's Notes
*Adjust the ingredient amounts in the recipe instructions accordingly if doubling or tripling the recipe.Storage:– Store leftover tandoori chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Keep the naan and chutney in separate containers. The naan will keep fresh at room temperature for one to two days, and the chutney will keep in the refrigerator for up to three to four days.– Freeze leftover chicken in a freezer-safe container for up to two to three months. Naan can also be frozen for up to two to three months, stacked in a freezer-safe container or sealable bag with parchment paper between each piece. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.– To reheat, warm the chicken in a skillet over medium heat or in the oven at 350°F (175°C) just until heated through. Reheat naan in a hot pan or wrapped in foil in the oven until warmed through and soft. Stir the chutney to redistribute the ingredients before serving, adding a splash of water or lemon juice as needed to loosen it back up.
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