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Grilled Tandoori Chicken

Watch Chef John make easy tandoori-style chicken on the grill. See more

READY IN ABOUT 2½ hrs

Chef John's Tandoori Chicken

Read Reviews (9)

"Tandoori chicken gets its name from the clay oven it is traditionally cooked in, the Tandoor. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and an incredibly complex mix of spices, and then roasted in the extremely hot tandoor oven. Don't worry if you don't have a Tandoor clay oven sitting in the back yard; a grill will work just fine." — Chef John

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Original recipe makes 6 servings Change Servings

1/2 lime, juiced
1 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons tandoori masala powder

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

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Directions

Whisk lime juice, yogurt, tandoori powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour mixture into a resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
Remove chicken from the bag and transfer to a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Pat chicken pieces dry with more paper towels.
Grill chicken on the preheated grill with the lid open for 2 minutes. Close lid and continue to grill chicken for 6 minutes.
Turn chicken, close lid and grill until well-browned and meat is no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).

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PREP 5 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 2 hrs 20 mins

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Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jun 22, 2012

if you, like me, can't buy the tandoori masala powder : 1 tsp Garlic (Lasun) Powder 1 tsp ground Ginger (Adrak) 1 tsp Cloves (Lavang) Powder 1/2 tsp grated Nutmeg (Jaiphal) 1 tsp Mace Powder (Javitri) 11/2 tblsp Cumin (Jeera) Powder 2 tblsp ground Corriander (Dhania) 1 tsp Fenugreek (Methi) Powder 1 tsp ground Cinnamon (Tuj/Dalchini) 1 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper (Kalimirchi) 1 tsp ground brown Cardamom (Elaichi) Seeds 2 tsp Red Food colouring mix together and store in an air tight container.

—Phoghat

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Sep 04, 2012

We were hoping for something a little spicier or more intriguing. It was good but we were hoping for better. Bought the Tandoori masala powder from Amazon (I keep a wish list until I get enough for free shipping which helps). We did discover that plain yogurt in a marinade is just fine and we need not turn up our noses or our palates. So it was a good learning experience. Now if we can just find a really interesting use for the Tandoori Masala.

—bonnie53

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12 Ratings

Aug 21, 2012

It's all in the spice blend. I used Penzey's Spices tandoori mix with plain greek yogurt & key limes. http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyscurrytand.html?id=fyErmhgq Mix 1-2 TB. with 1 Cup plain yogurt and the juice of ½ lime or lemon. Pour over a cut-up skinless chicken, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Remove from marinade, bake 45 minutes uncovered at 325°, turning and basting every 15 minutes. If I cook this in my terra cotta CLAY roaster I bake it at 350 for 1 hour no basting. Moist & delicious!

—Vicki

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May 24, 2012

Love it, love it, love it!!! Just the right amount of flavoring without being over powering. I followed this recipe exactly although I did use vanilla yogurt. This recipe will certainly be used time and time again. Thank you for sharing.

—TheBritishBaker

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Nov 09, 2012

I cooked them in a oil-sprayed pan in the oven 335F for about an hr. I pour away the juice every 15mins so the chicken will look nicely baked and dried at the end. They taste good and easy to make. Oh, I marinated them for about 6 hours. Also, I oil spray the chicken surface lightly 10 mins before its out of the oven. Will be making this again for sure!

—kitman

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Jul 02, 2012

Loved this one! You can buy Tandoori power at My Spice Sage if you don't have an import store nearby.

—PSKITTY

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Jul 04, 2012

my family loved it, not to mention that spicy food not their favorite.

—amer

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May 05, 2013

We just finished dinner and I couldn't wait to write our review. This recipe is EXCELLENT. What a change from ol' boring grilled chicken. This will definitely become a grilling favorite!

—JCEVANSJR

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Nutrition

Calories
215 kcal
11%

Carbohydrates
1.9 g
< 1%

Cholesterol
94 mg
31%

Fat
11.1 g
17%

Fiber
0.7 g
3%

Protein
25.8 g
52%

Sodium
158 mg
6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Chef John's Tandoori Chicken

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 215
Calories from Fat: 100

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11.1g 17 %
Saturated Fat 3.1g 16 %
Cholesterol 94mg 31 %
Sodium 158mg 6 %
Potassium 267mg 7 %
Total Carbohydrates 1.9g < 1 %
Dietary Fiber 0.7g 3 %
Protein 25.8g 52 %
** Sugars 0.4g
Vitamin A 2 %
Vitamin C 5 %
Calcium 4 %
Iron 15 %
Thiamin 8 %
Niacin 88 %
Vitamin B6 23 %
Magnesium 10 %
Folate 6 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.