Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori Chicken features juicy, marinated pieces infused with yogurt, lemon, and warm garam masala, with a gentle kick of cayenne. Grilled until lightly charred and smoky, it’s brightened with cilantro and lemon for a vibrant finish. Ideal for a backyard cookout or a festive family meal.
- Prep25 mins
- Cook20 mins
- Serves4
- DifficultyMedium
- 1
Assemble all the ingredients.
- 2
Remove and discard the skin from the chicken pieces.
- 3
Cut slits in the meat and place the chicken in a shallow dish.
- 4
Season the chicken on both sides with lemon juice and salt, and let it sit for 20 minutes.
- 5
In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, onion, garlic, garam masala, ginger, and cayenne pepper until smooth, then stir in the food coloring.
- 6
Spread the yogurt mixture over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours (longer is better).
- 7
When ready to cook, preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
- 8
Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the remaining marinade.
- 9
Cook the chicken on the preheated grill until it is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
- 10
An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should show 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- 11
Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.
- Calories 253.2 kcal Moderate
- Protein 40.87 g Good Source
- Carbs 11.51 g Moderate
- Total Fat 5.45 g Moderate
- Saturated Fat 0.78 g Low Source
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source
- Cholesterol 127.25 mg High
- Sodium 406.27 mg Moderate
- Fiber 1.98 g Low Source
- Sugar 7.47 g Moderate
- Added Sugar 0.04 g Low Source
- Calcium 154.84 mg Moderate
- Iron 0.14 mg Low Source
- Potassium 246.71 mg Low Source
- Vitamin A 14.56 mcg_rae Low Source
- Vitamin C 12.57 mg Moderate
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Citrus 🍊
- Milk 🥛
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
- Food Dyes 🎨
About This Recipe
Tandoori Chicken is an Indian dinner recipe made with 12 ingredients. It takes about 45 mins, serves 4, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Cayenne Pepper, Fresh Cilantro, Fresh Ginger, and Garam Masala. Each serving provides about 253.2 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Tandoori Chicken?
- It is an Indian recipe made with 12 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch.
- What is Tandoori Chicken made of?
- The main ingredients are Cayenne Pepper, Fresh Cilantro, Fresh Ginger, Garam Masala, Lemon. The full list of 12 is above.
- What goes well with Tandoori Chicken?
- Explore these Indian side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Tandoori Chicken?
- About 45 mins in total: 25 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 253.2 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Tandoori Chicken easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 12 ingredients and 11 steps.
How easyChef Pro Scores This Recipe
easyChef Pro gives every recipe a health score from 0 to 100, built from more than 30 nutritional parameters including nutrient density, energy density and glycemic impact. It calculates rather than estimates, so the same recipe returns the same score every time.
The number is traceable. You can see exactly which nutrient moved it, so a dish scoring 78 might show fiber pushing it up while sodium pulls it down, alongside the NOVA processing level of each ingredient.
Your health goal changes the calculation itself, not just a filter. easyChef Pro applies clinically derived weighting across six health dimensions, which is why the same dish can score well for one goal and poorly for another.
Swap an ingredient or change the serving size and that math changes with it. Scoring your own version is the only way to see what your kitchen actually produces.
Modified this recipe?
Changing ingredients or serving sizes changes the nutrition profile. Score your own version with easyChef Pro to see how it compares.