Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken

4.93 from 54 votes

This Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken is a bold and flavorful Indian favorite made easy and mess-free. Chicken is marinated in yogurt, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and warming spices, then air-fried to perfection in just 15 minutes. It's juicy on the inside with a wonderful char on the outside!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Marination Time30

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: air fryer tandoori chicken

Diet: Gluten-free, Low Carb

Method: Air Fryer, Oven

Servings:

Author: Meeta Arora

Equipment

Ingredients

6 Chicken Drumsticks skin removed (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 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder adjust to taste
1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi) optional
1 teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
2 teaspoon Mustard Oil optional
1 tablespoon Lemon juice

US Customary - Metric

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 - yogurt, ginger, garlic, and all spices. Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between your palms and add to the marinade. Add the lemon juice, and if using, add the mustard oil. Mix it all well.
Add the 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).
Preheat the air fryer at 385°F. When ready to cook, remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator. Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Optionally, spray some cooking oil on the chicken.
Cook in the air fryer at 385°F for 10 minutes. Flip over the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. Check that the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken has reached 165°F. You can brush with a little melted butter if you like to make it restaurant-style.
Remove the tandoori chicken to a serving plate. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve with lemon wedges, sliced onion salad, and cilantro mint chutney.

Video

Notes

Chicken: I use chicken drumsticks, which is how Tandoori Chicken is traditionally made. You can also use chicken breasts or thighs.

Red Color: I highly recommend using Kashmiri red chili powder for this recipe, as it gives the chili its natural red color. You could also substitute Cayenne pepper or Paprika.

Oven Variation: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Then bake the chicken for 15 minutes. Turn and cook for another 5-10 minutes until it is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. Follow this with 3-5 minutes of broiling to get the charred marks.

Nutrition