Easy Breezy Chicken Tandoori (v2)

This tandoori chicken recipe is a favorite one at our home! The reason it's named v2 is because I already have one tandoori chicken post on this blog - however I have been recently feeling that there is scope of improvement there. In particular chicken could be more moist while keeping the skin still crunchy.

The v1 was made when our oven did not have a broil function but now that we have a working broiler I thought I would give it a few tries and tada, there comes v2 - better and improved but still the same easy breezy!

After many attempts, this is the recipe I narrowed down on. The skin will be crispy with a slightly burnt taste (which I love so much!) while the inside is still very moist and juicy. I have had success with this recipe 3 times in a row, so I feel pretty confident calling this a blog-worthy recipe now :)
Do you enjoy Tandoori chicken at restaurants? Have you tried making tandoori chicken at home? If not but if you enjoy eating it out, I highly recommend giving it a try. Contrary to perceptions, it's a very straight-forward recipe with lowest run to run variation of most Indian recipes!

It's super easy to put together and once you get the formula down, making 2 or 10 or 20 take nearly the same amount of prep and cooking time - making it a perfect party or a large gathering dish. I made this for my little one's birthday we hosted at home this year and it was a smashing hit - everything gone within minutes and guests were still craving for more :)

This is also a good recipe if you are inviting spice sensitive friends for dinner. It's a good recipe to introduce someone to Indian food and it's spices without making it too hot so that tears run down their eyes while eating - we don't want anyone to cry eating this, do we? ;)

Another change I did in v2 is reduced the spice list and added pre-made spice mixes indtead. You can always buy tandoori mix sold at most Indian markets, but I find putting one together is quite easy and the variations are endless. This is another recipe which could greatly benefit from a good quality curry powder (such as Trader Joe's or Penzy's Maharaja blend) and garam masala powder.
So anyway, enough about the background, let's dig in!

Recipe:
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
5 pieces chicken drumsticks - skin on
1C yogurt
1Tbsp curry powder
1tsp garam masala
1tsp cumin powder
1/2tsp turmeric powder
1/4tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
1Tbsp paprika (for color)
2Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Recipe:
Beat yogurt lightly in a large pot. Add all the spices, 1Tbsp oil and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well.

Wash and clean the chicken pieces. Using a sharp knife, make deep gashes (3-4 a piece) to the chicken pieces and add the chicken to the yogurt pot and mix well making sure every piece is well coated with spiced yogurt.

Cover and leave in fridge for upto 2-4hrs to marinate. (this step is critical for a moist and a tasty tandoori taste)

When it's time to cook, take the chicken out. Preheat oven to 375F

Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and place chicken pieces gently. Drizzle remaining Tbsp olive oil over the pieces and sprinkle some salt & pepper.

Bake at 375F for 45-50mins until chicken is well cooked.

Then turn the broiler to high and broil for 5-10mins or until black-brown spots start to appear on the outside. Turn the heat off. Take off chicken from oven and cover with another foil and set aside for 15mins.

Serve with some sliced onion, lime wedges! Enjoy!

Comments