Indian Tandoori Chicken

This was my first time venturing into the world of Indian cooking. What an easy, wonderful, tasty meal. I followed the recipe and some of the reviewers suggestions. I used non-fat yogurt and the food coloring. I did add the cilantro to the marinade, in addition to putting it on after. I marinated it for the 24 hours and it was PERFECT. Spicy and flavorful. I will be making this MANY times and hope to share it with all my friends. Updated: I make this about twice a month. I make 16 chicken thighs and freeze them for when I want some of this tasty meat. I also bake this at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.

This was the best, most flavorful chicken tandoori I have ever made. I used skinless breasts on the bone, marinated them for 24 hours, and broiled them for 10-12 minutes on each side.

This version is perfectly edible but pales, in MY opinion, when compared to Tandoori chicken generally available. I suspect that this may be the result of cooking at too low a temperature. A Tandoor is an Indian clay oven, where the temperatures regularly reach levels far hotter than the standard kitchen oven. I tried this recipe as specified and was disappointed, and I have given 3 stars as a result. I then cooked it at a much higher temperature, which resulted in a better consistency but dried it out too much. I finally slightly increased all the quantities of spices and yoghurt and cooked that on the highest heat I could, and found THAT would have rated 4.5 stars. So the spice combination is good, the principle is good, the cooking is not. I strongly reiterate that this is MY opinion. I also have a vague problem with using food colouring. By using Turmeric, you can get a good yellow colour without needing the artificiality of colouring, and tomato purée (or harissa if you like heat) can add a reddish tinge.

My husband is from Pakistan and he loved this recipe! It was VERY easy and delicious! As a matter of fact, it was the best Tandoori chicken I've had anywhere. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and they were very moist and tasty. For dessert, try Simmi's Kulfi recipe.

Excellent recipe! Used boneless skinless chicken thighs that I put on kabobs. Don't like food coloring? Use some colorful spices instead. I used some turmeric and some paprika to give it a brilliant orange color! The taste was the same.

Excellent and easy. I let the chicken breasts marinate for a day to give full flavor. I also left out the food colorings, and my guests laughed when we initially looked at the chicken..it was the craziest shade of pink/coral that I've ever seen. But it still looks like the chicken I'd get at my local Indian restaurant. Everyone loved it. I paired it with basmati rice, coconut-curry sauce, steamed vegetables, and naan. It really tasted authentic!

Thank you very much for this recipe! I marinaded it for 24 hours, scraped off all the marinade , and then cooked in my Romertopf clay pot for about 45 minutes at 480deg. The chicken came out perfect. I almost didn't add the food coloring, but I'm glad I did because the finished product looked exactly like what it looks like in restaurants. My husband declared it a success. I'll be making this again and again.

I woul prefer not to give this dish any star value because I was unable to follow the recipe as stated. As I made it I didn't like it, but I will try it again. Here's what went wrong: 1- Absolutely use the food colouring...unless you want to eat pink chicken. 2- Do use a grill. It was waaaay too cold to go outside and grill, so I did cooked the chicken with marinade in a pan (like a stir-fry). I am positive the grilled flavour is far superior. 3-I could not find garam masala. I'm sure I have seen it before, but just when i needed it I couldn't find it. So instead I used a tandoori paste along with all the other ingredients. Wasn't that great... I will definetly try this again.

This was great! I baked it in the oven at 350 for about an hour and a half. I was pressed for time, so I didn't remove the skin first. I wish I had because when you remove the skin after cooking, it takes away all the flavor! I will definitely make this again though. The dish went nicely with "Indian Dahl and Spinach" from this site. Thanks for the recipe!

I LOVED this recipe! And, it was SO very easy. I used chicken breasts AND thighs. Make sure you follow the instructions on marinating - I think this is key to making it super moist. Also, I baked mine, and made sure to keep draining off the chicken liquid that baked out. Then, at the end, I broiled the pieces just to make it more like they were grilled.... I love spicy foods, so I added quite a bit extra cayenne. But that's me - I wouldn't recommend if you don't like HOT HOT HOT. All in all, a great and super easy recipe! Loved it!

I thought this was pretty good! I used 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (close to 2 lbs), used onion powder instead of onion (due to allergy) and skipped the cilantro (accidently). I marinaded for about 18 hours in the fridge, then threw the whole thing, marinade and all, into a 350 oven for about 45 minutes (uncovered). The chicken came out juicy and bursting with flavor. Next time I try this (and there will most definitely be a next time) I'm going to cube the chicken and maybe cook it on the grill, kabob style. I agree with the others that said the grill might add a smoky flavor that would work great with this dish, but it was just too hot to grill today. I can't guarantee the taste is authentic (the onion allergy prevents me from eating this when I'm out), but I can say it's pretty darn good! Thanks!

In the event you can't find garam masala, I used a quick recipe from Allrecipes that works well. Whole spices are best, but this is easy and quick: 1T ground cumin 1 1/2 t each ground coriander, cardamom, black pepper 1 t ground cinnamon 1/2 t ground cloves 1/2 t ground nutmeg

Beautiful recipe! I grilled it, like the recipe says, and it came out perfect! To 'Ani', that is the most ignorant review I've ever read. There is nothing remotely hard to follow in this recipe. Even worse, the author gave you the alternate cooking method and YET you chose to do it your own way instead. Therefore, the only person to blame for your dissatisfaction, is yourself.

Yellow food coloring = turmeric Red food coloring = paprika For the life of me I just can't use food coloring as an ingredient. Every ingredient should contribute towards the flavor. I think you will find that paprika and turmeric are a welcome addition to Tandoori Chicken besides providing a nice color.

Five stars! Delicious & authentic. I used four large boneless skinless chicken breasts & marinated them for 24 hours prior to grilling them. I made the garam masala using the recipe found on this site, and I omitted the cilantro. Squeezed fresh lemon wedges over the meat after it finished grilling. We had nothing left over - even my kids loved this! Served it with couscous and asparagus for a tasty Sunday night dinner. Highly recommended.

Honestly I did a lot to deviate from the recipe because I was short on time and thought they would turn out horrible for sure, but they turned out FANTASTIC so I can only imagine what sticking to the recipe would taste like. I didn't have food coloring so I used paprika mixed with tomato paste for red and tumeric for yellow. I didn't have time to marinade them for a day so they sat for about 2 hours (still PLENTY flavorful) I was making a loooooooot of chicken and didn't have the time to grill so I stuck them in a pan, drizzle of oil, and popped them in the oven. Let me tell you, these were succulent, BURSTING with flavor, and perfection. Advice though: try to get some of the yogurt off before you cook because it sort of coagulates, but still lovely even if you don't.

Made this for my parents along with coconut rice & spinach salad. Baked my chicken (used thighs) in theoven at 400°, poured off the liquid, sprinkled with fresh cilantro & finished under the broiler. Used fat free yogurt too and left out the food coloring. Delicious. They loved it.

This had absolutely no flavor. I follow the directions exact. I will not try this again.

This was yummy! I did make a few slight changes based on prior reviews. I used a 2 lb. whole chicken that I broke down into pieces. The onion I grated. Same with the ginger. In place of the garam masala I used 2 tsp. of Tandoori Seasoning from Penzeys. I omitted the cayenne pepper, which I won't do the next time. It needs the spice and puch. I think 1/2 tsp. would be fine for our tastes. I also didn't use the food coloring or the cilantro. I grilled this on the BBQ (It was 35 degrees outside.) and it came out fantastic!!!! Served with saffron rice and fresh steamed asparagus. Nothing was left at the end of the meal. Compliments to the original poster, as this is definately a keeper!

This recipe tastes amazing and is simpler than it looks to make. I use prepackaged chicken thighs which are just the right moisture and thickness to grill up well. The flavors are subtle in the marinade but come through nicely when cooked. Be sure to use a higher grill temp to get the crispy outside texture. It makes the grill messy but is outstanding. It is also great for leftovers. Family favorite.

this was great! marinating is the key, i marinated for over 24 hours and then grilled the chicken. it was tender and juicy. served it with the indian style basmati rice on this website. perfect.

Very good! A friend recommended this to me because of my love of indian food, but I've never dared make it. I cut chicken breasts into small pieces and let it marinade for 24 hours. The color seems kind of scary before its cooked, but don't be alarmed. I put on skewers and put on BBQ, and the taste was delicious! Served with Samosas, Naan, rice, and cilantro chutney from a local farmers market. I'll definately make again.

Very good, I baked this instead of grilling and it turned out good. I put the pieces of chicken in a salad with onions, tomatoes and some ranch dressing -- similar to Cosi's Bombay salad. It tasted similar and very good.

This chicken came out phenomenal! I baked it in the oven on 450 for 30 minutes. I omitted the food coloring, too. It was tender and moist and bursting with flavor. I added extra cayenne because I like things spicy. Very enjoyable!

Very tasty.

This recipe is wonderful, but I found a way to leave the skin on. When putting the chicken in, to marinade, lift the skin and put the mixture under the skin as well as the outside. When you remove it from the grill, the chicken and the skin, both, have great taste!! Also, if you have a local city market, like we do in Kansas City, use Tandoori seasoning to give it the color and leave out the food coloring. It makes a huge differene.

Hubby and I loved this dish. Our five teens have regularly enjoyed food from other cultures since they were babes. I was surprised they collectively gave it a thumbs down. Chicken was moist and beautiful to look at. I followed recipe as written. Update = I whipped up an apricot dipping sauce for the leftover chicken since kids wouldn't eat it as is. Served it to them after school with rice and got rave reviews. The sweet sauce perfectly complimented the Tandoori chicken.

For some reason this didn't turn out for me. I followed the recipe but just didn't care for it.

My first time making tandoori chicken. It was easy to make and tasted great...my Indian in-laws didn't even know it was tandoori chicken though...they said there wasntenough spices.next timeiwill marinate longer (I only had a few hours this time). If marinating longer still doesn't work then I will increase the spices.

My husband loves spicy food and even he couldn't eat more than a couple of bites of this. I couldn't tell if there was any flavor or not.

Mmmm - everyone loved this. I didn't change a thing. I served it with a cucumber salad, jasmine rice, and naan bread from Trader Joe's.

This chicken is good, but I wouldn't call it tandoori chicken at all-it's missing that outer crust that makes it so distinctive. The marinade had great flavor though so if I'm in the mood for Indian-flavored chicken, this is the recipe I'll use.

Turmeric will give it a nice orange color without the food coloring. Thanks so much--we love this recipe.

This was fabulous--forget about the food coloring! Wish there had been leftovers...

Excellent! We made this for supper yesterday and I kept going back for more. I used only chicken thighs because they always come out so moist - even when grilled. Thanks for the recipe - I've been looking for a good Tandoori Chicken recipe for a long time.

Instead of yellow food coloring, Turmeric works great.

This was very, very good. I had to adjust down the cayenne pepper for my kids, but the garam marsala gives the yogurt great flavor. I broiled the chicken instead of grilling (after marinating for roughly 18 hours). I served this with basmati rice and curried cauliflower. Also, I did use a little food coloring paste (orange left over from decorating Halloween sugar cookies) but you could also probably get similar results from using paprika/tumeric.

Marinated overnight and used chicken breast (all I had in house) and broiled. Turned out great. The only change I would make to the recipe would be to use turmeric, and more cayenne for color and heat. I would also use more gara masla next time. and not use the dye's, though i followed the recipe as written and the color was very good with the dye's.

I made this recipe as written and used boneless skinless chicken thighs. The result was awesome, I will make this again. It went well with the 'Indian-Style Rice with Cashews, Raisins and Turmeric' recipe from this site.

Really good. Didn't need the food coloring...

Leave out the dyes! Extremely tasty.

The fact that red and yellow food colouring are used in place of "Tandoori Masala" should be enough to demote this dish of the title "Indian Tandoori Chicken". This is an offense to a classic Indian dish and my taste buds.

This was delicious, despite my changes.... My review is for those that likes to alter the recipe for whatever reason... Well first, I used turkey tenderloins ( just what I had in freezer), I didn't use any food coloring ( didn't want to add artificial stuff ), and I sauteed half in pan, and broiled the other half ( to compare the taste). My conclusions is...using turkey was just as tender ( I marinated for 24 hours), Flavor was great but didn't look authentic because no food coloring, I would use food coloring next time. Definitely try to grill it for the smokey flavor next time because sauteed version was good ( better than the broiled) because of the caramelization. But for true Tandoori flavor, grilled would be soooo much better. I will try it again.... Flavor was very good !

we used fresh lemon instead of lemon juice, the recipe was so delicious, especially when we let it marinate the full 24 hours.

Excellent!

We loved it. I didn't use the food coloring and I forgot to put on the cilantro garnish, but it was excellent.

This is great. Just like those tandooris that i ate at the indian restaurant...thanks...now i can make this at home.

I took my first bite and felt like Steve Martin in the Pink Panther the first time he tasted a Hamburger. The flavors don't mess around - Wow! Delicious. I did the same as another reviewer stated. I broiled for 10 -12 minutes on each side. Flavor is the name of the game here. The chicken is so juicy. Food doesn't have to be boring! I love this place. :)

Leave out the food colouring!

This was absolutely delicious. The food coloring makes it look exactly like in the restaurants. The long marinade in yogurt kept the chicken very moist. I will definately make this again.

I made this for my wife and it game out wonderfully. I let it marinate overnight and left out the food coloring. It grilled up nicely and I will definitely make it again. It seemed a shame to do away with the marinade at the end, though.

Very good! I didn't add the food coloring as I'm not big on coloring my food. I also added some 1/2tsp ground turmeric, 1/2tsp paprika, 1tsp cumin. I used greek yogurt instead because I like that its less watery then normal yogurt. I marinated the chicken and then used cooked it following the tikka masala recipe for the sauce. Excellent!

We did not like this at all. I followed the directions and even marinated it overnight. The chicken was very dry and had a strange flavor. Seemed like the wrong balance of spices. We typically like Indian food but we won't try this one again.

Did not like this at all. Sorry

did not taste authentic to us... we did not like it

This was really good and was a huge hit at a dinner party. I doubled the marinade for about 4 lbs. of thighs, and it was plenty. Marinated for a bit over 24 hours and then cooked the chicken on the grill. It seemed like a lot of cayenne so I held back when doubling, but next time will use the full amount. The chicken came out tender and juicy and even skeptics who had never tried indian-style food before loved it. Served it with basmati rice and the Marrakesh Vegetable Curry from this site (which we love).

I have just started to experiment with Indian spices and cooking and I must say this recipe has so much flavor. The yogurt makes this chicken so moist and the Garam Masala spice is what makes this dish for me!

Its a good recipe, we ate it but it wasn't a favorite. I think the quality of your garam masala would greatly effect the finished dish.

This was great. I used the garam masala recipe & made my own. I could only find a huge pkg. @ my local grocery store. Definitely let it marinade for 24+ hours. My family thought it was great & my brother called it gourmet. I didn't use the food coloring. Wish I could've grilled it but it was cold (35) & windy. But it browned up nicely in the oven. Wasn't sure about cayenne pepper but wish I would've used it. I think it could use the extra kick. Otherwise really good. Thanks.

We loved this recipe! I was unable to find garam masala locally and used a recipe from this site to make it. My picky husband was pretty sure he'd hate this being that it had marinated overnight in yogurt and seasonings. But we BOTH thought it was wonderful! I used chicken breasts with rib bones and grilled after marinating overnight.

Delicious and easy, would definitely make it again. Like others, I skipped the food coloring, but the family complained that it didn't look right, although it tasted great. I marinated for 6 hours.

Having gotten tired of standard grilled chicken and having yogurt in my frig (for once in my life) I tried this dish and it has become one of our favorites. The flavor is fantastic. Slice it up and serve on a mediterranean buffet table and you have a wonderful party dish.

All I can say is WOW!. I've never written a review here but this recipe was so good, I just had to come here and say it. I followed everything to a 't' and it came out wonderful. The garama masala is expensive but well worth it for this dish. Can you post more indian recipe?

I marinated this for about 20 hours. The color is beautiful if you use the food coloring. I was rather disappointed with the flavor though! I thought with all the spices and letting it sit for so long it would have a lot more flavor. I served this with cholay and Basmati rice. I doubt I'll make it again.

Two words for this recipe: YUMMM ME!! I used 5 boneless skinless breasts, sliced in 2" strips, and used my tagine (moroccan cooker) on the stove top-low setting for 2.5 hrs. Wow, was it flavorful and better than any restaurant tandoori chicken that I've ever had! (I didn't have to marinate either.) I served it with garlic mashed yukon gold potatoes. Thanks for this recipe!!

I left out the cayenne pepper for the kids and used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Smelled heavenly on the grill and tasted just as good. This will be a regular in our house.

Really good, just enough zip. The kids and I love to have it on Indian night when mom is at work.

very close in flavor to authentic but not exact. The texture is good but if you're looking for restaurant style tandoor chicken best go to the restaurant this is not for you. I added more heat and spice to the recipe since it seemed a bit bland for my liking.

Didn't like this tandoori chicken as much as another one from this site, it was missing a sauce. Tried to boil the marinade but silly me can't do that to yogurt, it curdles.

I used boneless, skinless thighs. They turned out very moist but the taste was bland. With all the spices used, I had hoped there would be more flavor. I did omit the food coloring and add turmeric and paprika to give it the orange color.

Tasted pretty good, but next time I'd definitely skip the food coloring. What a mess! Unless you want to be wiping up playdoh fluorescent pink colored yogurt from everything in your kitchen, leave out the food coloring!! I marinated about 24 hours and grilled on a George Forman. It tasted good and was pretty mild.

Followed the recipe exactly and it was wonderful- just like the restaurant. I used my George Foreman grill because it was too cold outside and can't imagine it could taste any better.

FABULOUS, tasty, moist, and delicious! It is definitely some of the best grilled chicken we've ever made. I marinated for 48 hrs (on accident) and hubby and I were both completely impressed with this dish. Can't wait to make again!

Delicious! Served with Saffron Rice. Too much food coloring--looked like a Christmas joke!

This was just ok. It was a lot of work for just ok, so I probably won't make it again.

I cut the cayenne in half because I was concerned that it would be too spicy, but I should have left it in! I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and put on kabobs, then served them over basmati rice with a little saffron, and Raita and Naan on the side. An additional sauce (such as the cilantro sauce I've had at some Indian restaurants) would have been a nice addition.

Very good! Tandoori chicken, because of the way it is traditionally baked (in big clay ovens), is not eaten with sauce so don't let that comment turn you off from trying this marvelous recipe.

the search for a home tandoori marinade goes on: this was not "It"...authentic it might be, but i want it to taste like the tandoori chicken we used to get at our Balti takeaway place in England...the flavour of this marinade was far too mellow, altho the chicken was nice and moist...so the search continues

tasted good, but it seemed like a lot of preparation and planning for a simple tasting dish. - I left out the food coloring also. Thanks!!

This chicken was hot pink. My geusts really enjoyed it, I was hoping for something more spectacular, I think. I'll try it again without the color and with a few more spices.

I just made this recipe for my family and it was a hit, even for my teenage kid who does not like anything spicy. I reduced the cayenne pepper to only 1/2 teaspoons. I also used greek yogurt. Broiled it in the oven, with door slightly open, at about 15 minutes each side. Served this with rice and cucumber raita.

Just what I was looking for a marinade. Ended up grilling direct medium heat for a few minutes and then over indirect heat for about 30 minutes. Served with rice and dal maharani. Yum!

I loved this. So did my family.

This was very good. I followed the exact recipe. I only gave it four stars as it is not truly Tandoori chicken unless you cook it in a Tandoor over. This is as close as you get to the real thing without investing hundreds of dollars on a special cooker. We had several people over for an Indian dinner and this was everyone's favorite dish.

Very good

Oh my GOD!! This is so delicious. It has so much flavor. I used all thighs and marinated for about 24 hours. It looked and tasted authentic. My husband was super impressed. I will definitely make this for guests sometime!!

Wow did this turn out great. Made it exactly as written.

thanks.i think it need little more spice.....but not bad.

Everyone loved the flavor. I did make 2 substitutions. Dairy allergy requires soy yogurt, which seemed to work fine (I just used one plain 8 oz serving) and I added 1/2 t turmeric and 1/4 t. paprika instead of the yellow and red food coloring. (Also allergy problems)Next time I might try saffron for a deeper yellow color.

Wasn't sure I'd like this as much as the Americanized versions at first but it was delicious and very authentic tasting. The chicken was incredibly moist. Will definitely make again.

This was a great tandoori recipe, and the flavor was subtle but wonderful. If you really want spicy, kick up the cayenne. I scraped off the marinade and baked at 450 for 30 minutes ( I had 3 lbs of chicken). Then I broiled for 10 minutes for the grilled effect. Really would be best on the grill as others had commented. This will be my go to recipe this summer when I'm looking for a grilled chicken dish that can stand on its own without sauce.

left out the coloring!

Great recipe! Very easy to make. I followed the recipe as written, but omitted the food coloring since the thought of dyed meat sort of weirded me out. Anyway, I served it with saffron rice and everyone loved it, even my 3-year-old.

I thought this was the best tandoori chicken I've ever had. Hubby and 11 year old thought it was pretty darn good too. 14 year old said "too spicy". Bah, what does he know?! I marinated for about 36 hours. Grilled thin chicken breasts on my George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Grill. PERFECTION! Made it with the Indian Style Basmati Rice and Naan from this site.

This was super easy and flavorful! I only had time to marinate for 4-5 hours, so I can't wait to try it after letting it sit for 24 hours! I also baked mine, but I think grilling would be ideal.

I made this with 2 teaspoons of annatto/achiote seeds instead of the food coloring, and a few substitutions of necessity. It turned out great!

Mmmm - everyone loved this. I didn't change a thing. I served it with a cucumber salad, jasmine rice, and naan bread from Trader Joe's.

5 Stars! I don't have a grill, so I cooked chicken pieces in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, after marinating them for 24 hours. Tastes just like from an Indian restaurant...except no Tandoor/roasted flavor. So next time I'm going to cook on a grill. I miss the smoky grilled facet of the dish. I also used the garam masala recipe on Allrecipes, which tastes authentic to this non-Indian. A plus.

This was good. I was hoping it would have more flavor since I marinated it for over 24 hours; However, it was still tasty. We baked it at 450 for 20 minutes then lowered to 350 for another 10. As a side dish I made basmati rice to try and have the whole Indian thing continue.