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, aromatic spices and lime juice, then grilled in the air fryer or oven.
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 the family and I don’t have to heat up the entire kitchen.
Table of Contents
What is Tandoori Chicken?
Tandoori Chicken gets its name from Tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven 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 the 1960s. 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 Recipes.
Is Tandoori Chicken Healthy?
Tandoori Chicken is a high-protein, low-carb, low-fat dish. Hence it is a healthy choice for meat eaters.
It is usually made in a tandoori (clay oven) or in the oven or air fryer by home cooks. This means minimal oil is used in roasting the chicken.
Ingredients
Chicken Drumsticks: Use skinless chicken legs. Pat dry to avoid excess liquid in the marinade.
For the Tandoori Marinade: The marinade for Tandoori Chicken Wings includes basic ingredients such as yogurt, ginger, garlic, aromatic Indian spices, and lime juice.
This marinade is super flavorful, and the addition of Kashmiri red chili powder gives the chicken a gorgeous red color.
The lime juice gives this chicken dish a tangy flavor that will keep your family coming back for more.
Use my homemade garam masala to get the best flavor.
I recommend to use full-fat plain yogurt for the marinade.
How to make Tandoori Chicken in Air Fryer
- The first step is to prepare the chicken legs. Pat dry and make 3-4 slits on each of the chicken drumsticks.
- Then 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, coat the chicken with the marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. You can store marinated chicken in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Remove marinated chicken from refrigerator when ready to cook. Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Brush or spray some cooking oil.
- Cook in air fryer at 360°F for 10 mins. Flip over the chicken, and brush some oil. Then cook for another 5 minutes.
- Check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at 165°F using a digital thermometer.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving plate. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges, sliced onions and mint chutney.
Oven Method
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.
Pro-Tips
- I use chicken drumsticks, which is how Tandoori Chicken is traditionally made. You can use chicken breasts or thighs too.
- Pat dry the chicken before using. This helps to remove any extra liquids and keeps the marinade thick.
- 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 if you don’t have kashmiri chili powder.
- The authentic flavors are enhanced by using the perfect Garam masala. I like to use my homemade Garam Masala.
- The addition of fenugreek leaves is optional, but it adds a unique flavor and aroma to the dish.
- Don’t overcook the chicken as it becomes dry. Use a meat thermometer to check doneness when internal temperature reaches at 165°F.
How to Serve?
Serve thus Tandoori Chicken as an appetizer with mint cilantro chutney and authentic Indian onion salad.
They also pair well with Turmeric Rice and Kachumber salad or Cucumber Raita.
How to Store & Reheat?
You can store any leftover tandoori chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay good till 3 days.
To reheat, transfer to the air fryer and heat for 3-4 minutes at 350°F.
Any leftovers can be added to the the tikka masala sauce for a delicious curry too!
Common Questions
Marinating the chicken helps to keep it moist and tender once cooked. Marinate the chicken with yogurt and all the warming spices. Make sure to not overcook the chicken, as otherwise it becomes dry. You can use a meat digital thermometer to check when it is done.
Yes, it is okay to cook chicken with a yogurt marinade in the air fryer.
At many restaurants, they add red food color to get the bright red colored tandoori chicken. However you can get that color naturally by using kashmiri red chili powder, which is what we use in this recipe.
Check out other delicious air fryer recipe –
- Kurkuri Bhindi (Crispy Okra)
- Stuffed Eggplant
- Tandoori Gobi
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts
- Chilli Chicken
- Chicken 65
Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Drumsticks , de-skinned (about 2 lbs)
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 2 tablespoon Cilantro leaves, to garnish
- 4 Lemon wedges
For Marinade
- 1/3 cup Yogurt, thick
- 1 tablespoon Garlic , paste
- 1 tablespoon Ginger , paste
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 1/2 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
- Pat dry the chicken drumsticks with a paper towel. Remove the skin. Make 3-4 slits on the thick part of each drumstick.
- In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients for the marinade. Add chicken to the marinade.
- Coat chicken drumsticks well with the marinade and let them rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator (you can keep it refrigerated for up to 24 hours).
- Remove marinated chicken from refrigerator when ready to cook. Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray cooking oil on the chicken.
- Cook in air fryer at 360°F for 10 mins. Flip over the chicken, and lightly spray with oil. Then cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove on a serving plate. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges, sliced onion and cilantro mint chutney.
Video
Notes
- I use chicken drumsticks, which is how Tandoori Chicken is traditionally made. You can use chicken breasts or thighs too.
- I highly recommend to 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.
Awesome and quick recipe , chicken is marinated will be making it tomorrow can’t wait to eat it 👌🏻. Thanks for sharing this recipe !
Hi Dipti – So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Making this for the second time tonight. It’s delicious and so easy. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Dez – Glad to hear you enjoyed the tandoori chicken. Thank you for sharing back your review!
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
Hey Rishi – So happy to hear that you all enjoyed the Tandoori Chicken. Thank you for sharing back your review!
Hi, is it the juice from 1 lime? Or 1 tbsp?
Hey Sneha – Add 1 tbsp. I have updated in the recipe as well. Hope you enjoy it!
Awesome recipe.. My kids love tandoori chicken and will be making this for them tomorrow. What can I serve along with this??
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.
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!
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!
Thank you!
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.
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
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.
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.
Thanks 🙂 I’ll definitely let you know how it turns out. Loving all your recipes so far!
This tandoori chicken is restaurant quality! Another amazing recipe
Hey Koty – Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed it 🙂
Hi Meeta! Any thoughts on timing for using this marinade on paneer?
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!