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People holding oven roasted tandoori chicken

Easy Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken Recipe

4.50 from 2 votes
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.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Indian
Calories: 225

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb chicken drumsticks (bone-in) , or 2 lb boneless chicken breast or chicken tenders
Yogurt Marinade
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 2-3 Tablespoons tandoori masala
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice , freshly squeezed
  • 2 Tablespoons oil (vegetable, avocado, or olive oil)
  • Salt , to taste (if tandoori masala is not already salted)
For Baking
  • Aluminum foil or parchment paper
  • Oil , for brushing (about 1–2 tbsp)

Method
 

  1. 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
  1. 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.
  2. 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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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
  1. Combine all the listed cilantro sauce ingredients in a blender or a chopper. Blend until your desired consistency for a sauce.
Garnish and Serve
  1. 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 6gCalories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 0.9gProtein: 22.8gFat: 13.9gSaturated Fat: 2.6gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 553mgPotassium: 189mgSugar: 0.9gCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
Disclaimer

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

Notes

Boneless Tandoori Chicken

  • Bake the boneless chicken at 400°F for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces, then continue baking for another 10–12 minutes, or until fully cooked and lightly charred at the edges.

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