Feast with Safiya

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shop
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shop
×
Home All Recipes

Easy Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Published: Nov 10, 2022 · Modified: Mar 6, 2024 by FeastwithSafiya · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

Spread the love
Recipe Card

Tandoori chicken has been my favorite childhood food and now I pass it on to my kids. Cooking tandoori chicken might sound like a daunting task. Try this easy oven-baked tandoori chicken recipe with delicious cilantro chutney. I promise it won't disappoint you!

Hands holding oven baked tandoori chicken drumsticks

My Pappa(father) used to bring tandoori chicken for us from a local store in our town in Gujarat. The combination of succulent, juicy, and absolutely tender Tandoori chicken with green chutney tasted out of this world delicious.

This isn't an authentic tandoori chicken recipe. This recipe is my quick and easy take on Tandoori chicken for busy days. There is nothing wrong with taking shortcuts to create authentic-tasting recipes to make your life easier ;).

Jump to:
  • What is Tandoori?
  • Ingredients for Baked Tandoori Chicken
  • How to Make Oven-Baked Tandoori Chicken?
  • How to Serve Baked Tandoori Chicken
  • How to Clean Chicken Drumstick
  • More Indian Chicken Recipes
  • Indian Curry Recipes
  • Easy Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken Recipe

What is Tandoori?

If you are searching for the term tandoori chicken, I am pretty sure you have tried tandoori food in a restaurant or a friend's place and now you are wanting to give it a go at home as well :). I am happy you stopped by. The term "tandoori" translates to "cooked in a tandoor" (Indian clay oven) in Hindi. Masala(spices) to season tandoori food is made from all common Indian spices used for daily cooking.

So basically, anything cooked in a clay tandoor oven is tandoori ;). Be it bread, vegetable, or meat. I guess I gave you enough to tickle your brain.

Headshot of baked tandoori chicken drumsticks with green cilantro chutney

Ingredients for Baked Tandoori Chicken

Literally, just five ingredients and you are ready to whip up some delicious and succulent tandoori chicken in your oven. you may choose to grill or cook on a stovetop. All good!

  • Chicken: I am using chicken drumsticks for this recipe because that's all I had on hand when I did the photoshoot for Tandoori chicken :). This recipe can be used with chicken breasts, thighs, leg quarters, wings, or chicken tenders. Cooking time may vary for bone-in and boneless chicken.
  • Tandoori Masala: I am using a tandoori spice blend created by me in collaboration with Rumi Spice. It is made with all clean ingredients. You may purchase my tandoori masala or use your favorite brand.
  • Lemon Juice or Yogurt: a combination of strained yogurt and lemon juice helps cook juicy tandoori chicken. Either yogurt or lemon juice is fine as well. At least use one of the ingredients though.
  • Oil: any neutral cooking oil is great for cooking and marinating the chicken.
  • Food coloring or Saffron: I am not a fan of food coloring. I like to add saffron if I have it on hand. You may use ¼ teaspoon of red food coloring if you like.

How to Make Oven-Baked Tandoori Chicken?

  • Clean and pat dry chicken with a paper towel. Combine chicken, tandoori masala, lemon juice, strained yogurt, and oil in a large prep bowl.
  • Massage the marinade on the chicken well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.
poultry and spices in a white bowl
Marinated tandoori chicken in a large pep bowl
Marinated drumsticks on a baking sheet.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. If you have a grill rack place it over a lined baking sheet.
  • Place marinated chicken over the rack. Leave about half an inch of space between each chicken piece.
  • Bake tandoori chicken for 30 minutes then turn the chicken pieces over. Brush it with oil or any leftover marinade you have in a bowl. Bake for another 15 minutes.

How to Serve Baked Tandoori Chicken

We love making quick and easy oven-baked tandoori chicken quite often for weekly meals. I like to serve it with a generous amount of cilantro chutney and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Serve it with plain basmati rice or naan and salad for a full meal.

baked chicken on a white platter

How to Clean Chicken Drumstick

  • Pull the skin down until you are at the end to remove the skin from each drumstick.
  • Trim all the excess fat if you like with kitchen scissors.
  • Make a small cut right around the ankle of a chicken drumstick, to pull out the rubbery tendon.
  • Remove Gamey Flavors & Smell: soak the cleaned drumsticks in salt and vinegar or lemon water for 10 minutes then rinse them well with cold water to eliminate the gamey smell.
  • Wash and clean the kitchen and sink surfaces with hot water and soap after rinsing the chicken. Wash your hands with soap after handling raw meat.

More Indian Chicken Recipes

  • Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes
  • Indian Chicken Curry Recipe
  • Easy Chicken and Potato Curry
  • Chicken Biryani Recipe

Indian Curry Recipes

  • Easy Indian Chicken and Potato Curry.
    Easy Indian Chicken and Potato Curry
  • moong dal lentil closeup shot
    Moong Dal Recipe | Indian Yellow Lentil
  • Pomfret fish curry
    Fish Curry Recipe | Indian Pomfret Curry
  • Creamy meatball curry recipe
    Meatball Curry | Indo-American Meatball Curry
People holding oven roasted tandoori chicken

Easy Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Safiya
Tandoori chicken is a popular Indian dish and one of my favorites. I often make it at home and it's always a hit. Try this east Tandoori chicken marinated in yogurt, spices, and herbs with Indian cilantro sauce.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Indian
Servings 6
Calories 225 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

  • Clean and pat dry chicken with a paper towel and transfer it to a large prep bowl. Set them aside. (see blog notes for cleaning chicken drumsticks)

Marinade the Chicken

  • Whisk strained yogurt with a fork in a medium prep bowl until smooth. Add tandoori masala, lemon juice, and oil to the yogurt and mix until well combined.
  • Massage the yogurt marinade on the chicken really well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. For the best taste, marinate the chicken for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Bake the Tandoori Chicken

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. If you have a grill rack place it over a lined baking sheet.
  • Place marinated chicken over the rack or lined baking sheet. Leave about half an inch of space between each chicken piece, it will help all sides of bone-in chicken cook evenly.
  • Bake tandoori chicken for 30 minutes then turn the chicken pieces over. Brush it with oil or any leftover marinade you have in a bowl. Bake for another 10 minutes.

Indian Cilantro Sauce for Tandoori Chicken

  • Combine all the listed cilantro sauce ingredients in a blender or a chopper. Blend until your desired consistency for a sauce.

Garnish and Serve

  • Transfer baked chicken to a serving platter. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve it warm with Indian cilantro chutney and a generous squeeze of lemon with basmati rice, naan, or salad.

Notes

Boneless Tandoori Chicken

  • Use 2-pound boneless chicken breast or tenders instead of 3-pound bone-in chicken.
  • Follow the same cleaning and marinating the tandoori chicken instruction from the recipe card.
  • Bake the boneless chicken for 10 minutes at 400 F then turn over the chicken and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 6g ,Calories: 225kcal ,Carbohydrates: 0.9g ,Protein: 22.8g ,Fat: 13.9g ,Saturated Fat: 2.6g ,Cholesterol: 68mg ,Sodium: 553mg ,Potassium: 189mg ,Sugar: 0.9g ,Calcium: 26mg ,Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is sourced from a third-party application and should be considered as approximate figures for reference purposes only.

Tried this Recipe?Mention @feastwithsafiya on Instagram
  • keema puff pastry headshot
    Keema Puff Pastry | Savory Meat Pastry
  • Salmon skewers on a platter
    Tandoori Salmon Skewers
  • " "
    30+ Easy Ramadan Recipes
  • Green, red, and brown food on a white platter
    Smashed Potato Chaat
  • Chicken, potatoes and red and green salad
    Indian Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes
  • oven baked mackerel with potatoes on a platter
    Oven Baked Mackerel with Red Pepper, Garlic and Potatoes
  • Salmon tikka with rice and green and salad
    Salmon Tikka | Fish Tikka Recipe
  • Lemon and tomato slices, fish and yogurt in a bowl
    Fish Biryani Recipe | Boneless Fish Biryani
 
12
Shares
 12    

More All Recipes

  • poached salmon in a creamy coconut lime Indian curry
    Salmon in Coconut Lime Indian Curry
  • Indian cauliflower dish with flatbread on a plate
    Aloo Matar Gobi | Cauliflower and Potato
  • Indian cucumber, onion and tomato salad
    Kachumber Salad-Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
  • Indian shrimp curry with turmeric rice in a bowl
    Easy Indian Shrimp Curry Recipe

Comments

  1. Shri says

    November 13, 2022 at 11:10 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing. The perfect blend of spice and tang! What a great show-stopping dish! You've outdone yourself Safiya! <3

    Reply
    • FeastwithSafiya says

      November 13, 2022 at 6:18 pm

      Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Shri! <3

5 from 1 vote

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

feastwithsafiya

Hey there! I'm Safiya, the creator of Feast with Safiya. I wear many hats – I'm a mom, food photographer, and recipe developer. I'm thrilled you're here to learn about me and try out my recipes.

Learn More

Popular Recipes

  • baked sweet potatoes with roasted chile and sour cream in a bowl
    Baked Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Green Chile

  • People holding oven roasted tandoori chicken
    Easy Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Footer

Info

Home

Recipe Index

Contact

Shop

Copyright Policy

Privacy Policy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

back to top

Copyright © 2025 Feast with Safiya. All Rights Reserved.

Website designed by Safiya

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.