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    Home » Recipes » Main Course

    Tandoori Chicken

    Published: Sep 10, 2015 · Modified: Aug 9, 2023 by Cinde LittleThis post may contain affiliate linksLeave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Tandoori Chicken is a recipe I've been making for years. When my son was young he called it Red Chicken and that's still what we call it.

    Contents show
    1 The Spice Cupboard
    2 A Canadian Celiac Podcast
    3 PIN for later...
    4 Cook Once, Eat Twice
    5 Dinner Club: An East Indian Menu
    6 What To Make with Saffron
    7 Tandoori Chicken
    7.1 Ingredients 1x2x3x
    7.1.1 MARINADE/SAUCE
    7.2 Instructions
    7.2.1 BARBECUE METHOD
    7.2.2 OVEN METHOD

    In this recipe the meat is tenderized by a spicy yogurt marinade that gets its' red colour from both the tomato paste and the spices. Some recipes use red food colouring to intensify the colour but I prefer to pass on artificial colouring and the result is red enough for me.

    Authentic tandoori chicken gets its' name from the tandoor oven it is traditionally cooked in. We cook it on the barbecue in the summer and in the oven all winter.

    The Spice Cupboard

    Indian cooking is all about the spices and if you need to expand your collection to cook East Indian food then do it. Recipes often call for spices by the tablespoon, not the teaspoon, so check your spice bottles before you cook. Cumin, chili powder and cayenne are fairly common;  ground coriander and garam masala may be new additions if you're just starting to explore Indian flavours. Saffron, considered the most expensive spice in the world, is used in small amounts but it's always worth it.

    A Canadian Celiac Podcast

    Thanks to follower Sue Jennett for sharing her photo of this recipe served with my Fragrant Saffron Rice on a turquoise placemat. It looks delicious and I love that hibiscus blossom.

    If you haven't heard Sue's podcast yet be sure to check it out, A Canadian Celiac Podcast.

    PIN for later...

    Gluten Free Tandoori Chicken made from scratch.

    This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase using these links your cost is the same, but I receive a few cents for every dollar spent. I appreciate your support for this website.

    Cook Once, Eat Twice

    I cook bone-in chicken thighs for an everyday dinner and when I'm planning ahead I make sure I have enough chicken for two meals. That means cooking the whole recipe and freezing half for another day. That's what I call Cook Once, Eat Twice.

    Other times I only cook half the chicken and freeze the other half. That way it marinates as it freezes and again as it thaws. There's no rhyme or reason but I'm always thinking about getting two meals for my effort.

    Dinner Club: An East Indian Menu

    This dish is definitely worthy of serving to company and can be a main course or one dish as part of an East Indian themed dinner. Here's my East Indian Menu for a Gourmet Dinner Club evening. For company I might cube up boneless chicken and thread it on skewers for an impressive presentation of an everyday favourite.

    East Indian Gourmet Dinner Club Menu
    An East Indian Menu - Gourmet Dinner Club

    This Tandoori Chicken recipe is adapted from an old cookbook by well-known and much loved Calgary cookbook author, Noorbanu Nimji. A Spicy Touch has many recipes I still enjoy and is still on my kitchen bookshelf.

    Let me know in the comments below how your chicken turned out.


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    What To Make with Saffron

    Click on the text on the image(s) to go to the recipe/blog post.

    A dish of fragrant Saffron Rice
    Fragrant Saffron Rice
    A paella pan filled with Paella with Seafood
    Seafood Paella
    Gluten Free Tandoori Chicken

    Tandoori Chicken

    Cinde Little
    When my son was young he named this Red Chicken. Some recipes call for red food colouring to enhance the colour but the tomato paste and chili powder make it the colour you see in the photo so there's no need to add dye to our food.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Marinating time 4 hours hrs
    Total Time 5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine East Indian
    Servings 6 people

    Ingredients
      

    • 12 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

    MARINADE/SAUCE

    • ¼ cup plain yogurt
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon chopped ginger root
    • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon chili powder (East Indian if you have it)
    • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
    • ½ teaspoon garam masala
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
    • 8 strands of saffron (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl. Pour over chicken and marinate 4 hours or overnight.

    BARBECUE METHOD

    • Grill chicken over low or medium heat until browned. Transfer upper rack and finish cooking over indirect heat to internal temperature is 165℉, 45-60 minutes for bone-in thighs.

    OVEN METHOD

    • Cook in 350°F oven for 45-60 minutes until cooked through.
    Keyword Tandoori Chicken
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Cinde Little, Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet

    Welcome! I’m Cinde, a foodie who loves teaching people to cook and have fun in the kitchen. I know you can learn to make the foods you miss and create a gluten free lifestyle you love.

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