Tandoori Chicken is the accidental creation of a man named Kundan Lal Gujral. A restaurant worker in the Punjab region of what is present-day Pakistan, Kundan Lal fled to New Delhi After the Pakistan/India war of 1947 to open his restaurant Moti Mahal. Per timesofindia.indiatimes.com his recipe for chicken marinated in a blend of yogurt and spices gained worldwide fame around the 1960’s. Many famous people, amongst them President Nixon, President John F. Kennedy, and even Gandhi have been reported as diners at the original Moti Mahal. Some other popular recipes created by Kundan Laal include Butter Chicken and Daal Makhani.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Quick and easy recipe - This recipe requires nothing other than mixing and stirring a handful of ingredients together. It doesn’t get any better than this. Many options for cooking methods - Grill it outdoors, cook it in a grill pan, bake it or air fry it. Lots of menu pairing options - Pair the chicken with some kali masoor ki daal and basmati rice, or some Hyderabadi bagara baingan and mash ki daal with warm naan. Wonderful for meal prep - This is a great recipe for meal prep. Marinate it and freeze it in batches, defrost it in the fridge all day, and then cook it in just 20 minutes at dinner time. Great leftovers for the next day - Add leftover tandoori chicken to a salad, make it into a sandwich or a wrap with some cilantro mint chutney, or shred it and fill it in some puff pastry and pair it with some chicken corn soup.
Ingredient notes
Chicken - I use chicken tenderloins as they cook quickly and are a healthier option than many other cuts. Ginger and Garlic - These two ingredients add a delicious pungent flavor to the tandoori chicken recipe. Spices - The spices above combine to make a very balanced tandoori masala blend that has warm, spicy, citrusy, and sweet notes all in one. For the sake of keeping this recipe easy, I decided to stick to powdered spices for this recipe versus using whole spices. Lemon - A meat tenderizer and flavor enhancer, this is an essential ingredient for this tandoori marinade. Yogurt - Yogurt is another wonderful tenderizer that also helps provide moisture and keeps the tandoori chicken moist and juicy. Beet Root Powder - Since I’m opposed to red food dye, I like to add a little bit of beetroot powder to enhance the color of my tandoori chicken.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
Use bone-in chicken - Make this tandoori chicken recipe the traditional way and use bone-in chicken thighs or legs. You will need to cut diagonal slits in the chicken to help it marinate better and add about 15-20 minutes to your cooking time if you opt for this cut. Try the recipe with shrimp or fish - Try my tandoori shrimp with some extra large peeled shrimp or use this marinade on some meaty fish. Tilapia, Mahi Mahi, and Grouper are my 3 favorite varieties. Try the recipe with mustard oil - The peppery taste of mustard oil tastes just as delicious in this tandoori chicken recipe as it does in my bihari kabab recipe.
Step-by-step instructions
Expert Tips
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below. If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You.
