Special Tandoori Chicken

Grilled Tandoori chicken is Flavorful, spicy, smoky, and savory, with just the right amount of heat from hot chilies. Roasted in a hot oven to a succulent tenderness.

Tandoori Chicken is comfort food to me and has become one of my favorite dishes to make ever since i started cooking. The spices and flavors are reminiscent of the INDIAN cuisine I grew up with. Cumin, coriander seeds, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf, garlic, and chilies are just a few ingredients that reminds me of the way it used to be at my native.

Tandoori chicken is a dish prepared by roasting chicken marinated in yogurt and spices in a tandoor (cylindrical clay oven). Since we don't have a tandoor we will grill this in a microwave oven. It is originated from Mughlai cuisine. We have made this recipe with a few ingredients and managed to keep Indian traditions alive with its amazing taste. It is certainly one of the easiest, simplest and yummiest grilled chicken recipe. As a bonus for my readers, I have also attached recipes of green chutney and spicy onions which goes very well with this grilled chicken.

Supplies

For this awesome recipe, we will need the following ingredients.

1. Chicken legs(thigh +drumstick) (500 gms).
2. Salt.
3. Hung curd.
4. Turmeric powder.
5. Red Chili powder.
6. Kashmiri red chili powder.
7. Coriander-cumin powder.
8. Lemon /vinegar.
9. Garam masala powder.
10. Kasuri methi.
11. BBQ Tandoori paste.
12. Black pepper powder.
13. Chicken masala powder.
14. Ginger garlic paste.
15. Oil.
16. Food color red/orange.
17. Plain flour (All purpose Flour).
18. Coriander leaves.
19. Mint Leaves.
20. Chaat Masala.
21. Green chilies.
22. Garlic.
23. Ginger.

Nutrition Facts

• Total Fat 17.5 g
• Total. Carb. 4.6 g
• Sugar 1.5 g
• Protein 22.3 g

Step 1: Cutting Chicken

1. Take whole chicken legs and wash it properly.
2. The key to tandoori chicken is to use bone-in thighs and legs. This piece is recommended because they have enough fat to stay moist under the heat of the grill.
3. Cut deep slashes (to the bone) in 3-4 places on the leg/thigh pieces.
4. Just make 2-3 cuts if you are using separate drumsticks and thighs.
5. Make sure the cuts are deep and clean to the bone.
6. This particular step is important so that the flavor goes till inside the chicken and makes it more tasty and juicy.

Step 2: 1st Marination

1. After you made the cuts on the chicken. Take a big bowl.
2. Add 1 full cup of water in it.
3. Add salt (1 tablespoon) and 2 tablespoon of lemon juice.
4. Mix and add the chicken.
5. Keep this aside and let it Rest for 1-2 hours minimum.
6. This step will ensure that the chicken is juicy and soft.

Step 3: Prep for 2nd Marination

While our chicken is resting in salt lemon water we will prepare for 2nd marination.

1. Hung Curd : Take 3-4 tablespoon curd in a muslin cloth and hang it. The excess water will drip off. You can make Hung curd by placing the curd in a strainer and keeping it aside for 15-25 mins. Basically we need fresh thick curd.
2. Ginger Garlic Paste: Take 2-3 inches of ginger, 8-10 cloves of garlic. Add 2 tablespoon of water to make a paste kind of consistency. Grind it and make a paste.
3. Coriander Mint Chili Paste: Take handful of coriander leaves and handful of mint leaves. Chop them. Take a green chili. In a mixing jar add Coriander leaves, Mint leaves and green chili. Grind Make a fine paste.

Step 4: Final Marination

1. The chicken is soaked in salt water for about 1-2 hours now. Take out the chicken and keep it aside.
2. Take a big bowl. In the Bowl Add the Hung curd we prepared.
3. To that Add ginger garlic paste and coriander mint chili paste.
4. Add 3 tablespoon of lemon juice.
5. Now Add all the spices.
   1. Turmeric powder1/2 tablespoon.
   2. Chili powder 1 tablespoon.
   3. Kashmiri red chili powder 1tablespoon.
   4. Coriander cumin powder 1 tablespoon.
   5. Lemon juice/vinegar- 2 tablespoon.
   6. Garam masala powder 1tablespoon.
   7. Kasuri methi 1tablespoon.
   8. BBQ Tandoori paste 1-2 tablespoon.(Optional)
   9. Black pepper powder 1 tablespoon.
   10. Chicken masala 1 tablespoon.
   11. Ginger garlic paste 1-2 tablespoon.
   12. Add 2-3 tablespoon of butter or oil.
   13. Add a pinch of orange food color.
   14. Add plain flour(All purpose flour) 1-2 tablespoon.
6. Mix everything well And make a paste kind of consistency.
7. Add the chicken leg pieces and coat the masala to the chicken pieces very well.
8. Stuff the masala into the gashes as well.
9. Once well coated Keep this aside to rest for minimum 1 to 2 hours.

Step 5: Preparing Oven and Grill Stand

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes.
2. Apply butter/oil generously to the grill stand.
3. Place the marinated chicken leg pieces carefully.
4. Insert the masala into the gashes.
5. Apply butter.
6. Place the grill stand over a plate so that the oven doesn't get oily by the marination that will fall over while cooking.

Step 6: Grilling

1. Click micro + grill on your oven.
2. Place the grill stand in the preheated oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes Remove the stand from the oven and Apply butter and left over masala to the chicken and then flip the chicken pieces.
4. Apply the masala and butter to the other side.
5. Again place the stand inside the microwave and choose micro + grill option.
6. Set the time for 15 minutes.
7. Remove the chicken.
8. Apply some butter and flip the pieces and again apply butter.
9. Place the stand inside the microwave and choose grill option.
10. Set the timer for 10-15 minutes.
11. After 10 minutes Our grilled BBQ chicken is ready.

Step 7: Green Chutney

1. In a mixer/grinder/blender take half cup of coriander leaves and half cup of mint leaves.
2. Add 1-2 green chilies and 6-7 cloves of garlic.
3. Add 3 tablespoon of water and make a thin paste.
4. Add salt as per taste and 2 tablespoon of lemon juice.
5. Our green chutney is ready.

This Tandoori chicken goes very well with this chutney.

Step 8: Spicy and Tangy Onions (bonus Step)

1. Slice onions.
2. Soak the onion slices in ice cold water for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the sliced onions from the water and dry the onions completely.
4. Take a bowl and Add the onions.
5. Add chaat masala, salt and red chili powder and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
6. Mix everything well.
7. Our flavored onions are ready.

Step 9: Ready

Serve hot grilled tandoori BBQ chicken with some green chutney, lemon, green chilies and sliced spicy onions.

This is the best grilled Chicken Recipe I've ever tried. It is simple and very easy to make. The chicken is perfectly cooked and very juicy and yummy. I hope you like the recipe. Hope you enjoy eating it more than you enjoyed making it! It definitely tastes better than the one you find in restaurants. Do try this recipe and tell me in the comments how it was. I promise you are gonna love it. Also please follow me on Instagram @thelockdowncheff. Thank you for reading.