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picture of grilled tandoori chicken on a plate with sliced green onions
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4.67 from 3 votes

Grilled Tandoori Chicken

Delicious spicy red tandoori grilled chicken like your favorite Indian food takeout at home.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Marinating Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: chicken, grilled chicken, grilled recipes, Indian food chicken, Indian food recipes, main dish, spicy chicken, tandoori
Servings: 4
Calories: 129kcal
Author: Courtney O'Dell

Ingredients

  • Chicken thighs and drumsticks
  • 1 ¼ cup of Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons of Ginger sliced
  • 6 cloves of Garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice
  • 1 tablespoon of Salt
  • 2 tablespoon of Chili Powder
  • 1 teaspoon of Turmeric
  • 3 tablespoons of Annatto powder of Kashmiri Chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon of Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of Coriander
  • 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
  • 1 tablespoon of Black Pepper

Instructions

  • Pat chicken dry and trim off the fat and skin.
  • Once the skin is removed, take your knife and score the chicken in a cross-hatch pattern. This helps get the marinade on more surface area and will improve the browning of the chicken when you cook it. 
  • In a glass container large enough to accommodate all of the chicken, plus the yogurt, lemon juice, and all the spices. 
  • Peel your ginger with a spoon and grind it with your garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle. Add the ginger and garlic paste to your marinade. 
  • Combine all the ingredients thoroughly. If you think your marinade is a little thick, add a bit more lemon juice or water. 
  • Add the chicken to the marinade and make sure it is completely coated on all sides. I keep the chicken in the same container I mixed the marinade in. Marinade the chicken for at least 30-45 minutes, but if you have time, marinate it overnight. 
  • Light your grill, and bring it to temperature. 
  • I like to cook chicken between 400-450o degrees. The high heat in our Kamado-style grill really mimics the traditional Tandoor oven really well. Turn regularly to get dark grill marks on all sides of your chicken. Cook your chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165o. 
  • Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165o, remove it from the grill and let rest for 5-7 minutes before cutting or serving. 
  • Enjoy it while it’s hot, or cold from a picnic basket.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 1812mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g