Tandoori Chicken made in the Air Fryer, a flavor packed spicy dish from the Indian subcontinent popular all over the world. Chicken is marinated in yogurt, ginger, garlic, spices and lemon juice, then grilled in the air fryer or oven.
As you will see in the recipe video, Tandoori Chicken is ridiculously easy to make, but is still one of the best chicken dishes you will ever have! This is also a low carb or keto friendly dish, so you can enjoy it guilt free.
At any Indian restaurant, Tandoori Chicken is always on the menu. You might also see bright red colored tandoori chicken in the buffets. Okay, I kind of dislike that bright red color in the restaurants because I know it is added food coloring. However when making Tandoori Chicken at home, I can add the right ingredients and get the color naturally with spices.
Tandoori Chicken is definitely a crowd pleaser, so make it for your next get together or party. I use the oven to make this when I need to make a large quantity. But the air fryer is perfect, when I am just making for two and I don't have to heat up the entire kitchen.
What is Tandoori Chicken?
Tandoori Chicken gets it's name from the tandoor, cylindrical clay oven, that it is traditionally cooked in. The chicken is added to skewers and put in the hot tandoor. With the high temperature in the tandoor, the chicken is cooked nicely and chars on the outside.
It was interesting that Tandoori Chicken came to the USA in 1960's. A recipe for it was printed in the Los Angeles Times in 1962.
You can also make this recipe for a party with wings. Check out my Tandoori Chicken Wings recipe.
For vegetarian alternatives, check my Tandoori Gobi, Paneer Tikka and Tandoori Aloo Tikka Recipe.
Preparing Tandoori Chicken in Air Fryer
Let's start with gathering all the ingredients. The main step is to prepare the marinade. The yogurt marinade helps to make the chicken tender. We want the marinade to be relatively thick, so that it sticks well to the chicken and does not drip much when we cook. Mix the ingredients for the marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. You can store marinated chicken in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
I use chicken drumsticks, which is how Tandoori Chicken is traditionally made. You can use chicken breasts too.
Another tip is to use kashmiri red chili powder for this recipe, as it gives the natural red color. When you eat in restaurants, they usually add food coloring to get the bright red color. So here is our natural substitute to get the perfect color to the tandoori chicken. You could use Cayenne pepper or Paprika to get the desired red color too.
I use a grill pan to make this in my Philips Air Fryer. However you can make this in the air fryer basket if you don't have a grill pan. I just find the cleanup easier with the grill pan.
Just 15 minutes to cook this spicy chicken in the air fryer. I do not preheat the air fryer and it works perfectly!
Enjoy Tandoori Chicken as an appetizer or as a main dish with a side salad. You can have it with green chutney or a mild yogurt based dip.
Check out other delicious air fryer recipe -
Tandoori Chicken - Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 5 Chicken Drumsticks de-skinned (about 1.6 lbs)
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 2 tablespoon Cilantro leaves to garnish
- 4 Lemon wedges
For Marinade
- ¼ cup Yogurt thick
- 1 tablespoon Garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon Ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne or Red Chili powder Kashmiri chili powder preferred
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
- 1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi) (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
Instructions
- Make 3-4 slits on each drumstick.
- Mix together all ingredients for the marinade.
- Apply evenly to chicken drumsticks and let them marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator (you can keep it refrigerated for up to 10 hours).
- Remove marinated chicken from refrigerator when ready to cook. Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer pan or basket. Baste with some cooking oil.
- Cook in air fryer at 360°F for 10 mins. Flip over the chicken, and baste with oil. Then cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove on a serving plate. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges and sliced onion.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes spicy Tandoori Chicken. Adjust red chili powder to your taste.
- If you have, use kashmiri red chili powder for this recipe, as it gives the natural red color. You could use Cayenne pepper or Paprika as a substitute too.
- Oven Variation: Preheat oven at 450 F. Then bake the chicken for 15 minutes. Turn and cook for another 5-10 minutes until it is cooked. Follow this by 3-5 minutes of broiling to get the charred marks.
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Dipti says
Awesome and quick recipe , chicken is marinated will be making it tomorrow can’t wait to eat it 👌🏻. Thanks for sharing this recipe !
Piping Pot Curry says
Hi Dipti - So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Dez says
Making this for the second time tonight. It’s delicious and so easy. Thanks for the recipe!
Meeta Arora says
Hey Dez - Glad to hear you enjoyed the tandoori chicken. Thank you for sharing back your review!
Rishi says
Hey Meeta
The recipie was awesome
My wife is indisposed and was looking to make something exciting for my daughter
Turned out exceedingly well
Thanks
Meeta Arora says
Hey Rishi - So happy to hear that you all enjoyed the Tandoori Chicken. Thank you for sharing back your review!
Sneha says
Hi, is it the juice from 1 lime? Or 1 tbsp?
Meeta Arora says
Hey Sneha - Add 1 tbsp. I have updated in the recipe as well. Hope you enjoy it!
Vandana Rao says
Awesome recipe.. My kids love tandoori chicken and will be making this for them tomorrow. What can I serve along with this??
Meeta Arora says
Thank you Vandana. How about raita with some pulao or lemon rice to go along with the tandoori chicken. A vegetable side dish with the chicken could be good too.
Gail J Morris says
Hi, this recipe looks really good. I'd like to use what I have on hand. My shopping area has limited ethnic supplies available. I have fenugreek seeds can they be ground and used in place of the leaves? and can I mash fresh garlic for the garlic paste? Thanks for the recipe!
Piping Pot Curry says
Hey Gail - Thank you. I would suggest to skip the fenugreek leaves, and it will still work. And fresh mashed or minced garlic is perfect. Hope you enjoy it!
Gail J Morris says
Thank you!
Hema says
Hi loved your recipe in Air fryer. Could you tell me the model of the air fryer would like to order the same. Thank you.
Piping Pot Curry says
Hello Hema - I have the Philips original air fryer. This one is perfect when cooking for 2-3. If cooking for more, then they also have a larger size air fryer. Here is the link (aff) - https://amzn.to/2sImpXE
kiara says
Going to try this recipe next! Have you made the oven variation? I'll be making that one since I don't have an air fryer.
Piping Pot Curry says
Hey Kiara - It has been a while since I made this in the oven, as the air fryer can cook the perfect quantity for us. However it should work, the marinade will remain the same. You can line a baking tray with foil and cook in it or on a rack on top of it. This is a good one, and I will plan to do a detailed recipe for the oven soon.
kiara says
Thanks 🙂 I'll definitely let you know how it turns out. Loving all your recipes so far!
Koty says
This tandoori chicken is restaurant quality! Another amazing recipe
Piping Pot Curry says
Hey Koty - Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed it 🙂
Neha says
Hi Meeta! Any thoughts on timing for using this marinade on paneer?
Piping Pot Curry says
Hey Neha - I would start with 5 minutes, then turn and add 3 minutes depending on how much it is cooked. Let me know if you try it!