This One Pan Tandoori Chicken recipe gives you juicy, succulent, smoky-flavored chicken without the need for the tandoor (clay oven)! All you need is the stovetop, a nonstick skillet/pan, and 30 minutes of cooking time.
Why you’ll love this tandoori chicken recipe
Leftovers can be used for lunch. Tandoori chicken is perfect as protein for a salad lunch or wrap (affiliate link) the next day.
It can be prepped ahead and refrigerated/frozen for future meals. Uncooked chicken can stay up to 24 hours in the fridge and frozen for up to six months.
How to get the signature red color
Restaurants usually add a lot of red food coloring to tandoori chicken and tikkas. We’ll keep it toxin-free with beetroot powder. I have also purchased plant-based food coloring at Whole Foods.
How to cook tandoori chicken on the stovetop
Make the marinade. Put all the marinade ingredients into a large bowl and whisk till well combined. Set aside.
Pat the chicken pieces. Dry the chicken pieces thoroughly with a paper towel and cut slits( 1-3 diagonally depending on the size of the chicken) into the flesh for better absorption of the marinade.
Massage the marinade into the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl of marinade and toss to coat completely. Ensure the marinade gets into the slits
Marinate. Ideally, for juicy chicken, the marination time is 4 hours to overnight, but you can skip that if short on time. Using thighs and legs helps in this regard as well.
Sear and cook the chicken. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil and sear the chicken pieces on high heat for about 3 minutes on both sides. Once browned, cover the pan and let the pieces cook through on medium-low heat, about 25 minutes. The chicken will release water, but we are going to dry it out once the chicken pieces are cooked through.
Dry out the water. Next, crank up the heat and dry out the moisture from the pan. The masala will stick to the chicken pieces, and you will see oil rise to the top.
Smoke the chicken. This is an optional step, but it will give a more authentic taste and will be similar to restaurant-style tandoori chicken. Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Garnish and serve. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a drizzle of lime juice and serve immediately.
Other ways to make the tandoori chicken
Bake: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the chicken pieces on an oven-safe rack placed in a sheet pan. You can line the sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup. Cook the chicken for 30 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes to get some char on the meat.
Air fry: Follow your air fryer’s instructions. I air-fried my chicken pieces in 2-piece batches at 400ºF / 200ºC for 20 minutes, as I own a smaller model.
Tandoori Chicken sides
Salads and chutneys. At most restaurants, a salad of sliced onions, cucumbers, and lemon wedges usually accompanies grilled items. Or make some kachumbar.
Chutneys. Raita (a mixture of green chutney and yogurt) and tamarind chutney are also served.
Daal. Serve with daal and make it a well-rounded meal.
Rice. White, brown, or cauliflower rice.
Naan. Look for gluten-free naan/flatbread (not always the healthiest option, but now available at most Indian grocery stores).
If you like easy chicken recipes, you’ll love my
If you try this recipe, I’d appreciate it so much if you would rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! And let me know in the comments how it worked out for you. I love hearing feedback and the recipe rating helps others find this recipe!
One Pan Tandoori Chicken Tikka
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika for color
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon beetroot powder or 6 drops red food coloring for color
- 1 tablespoons oil plus 1 tablespoon for pan
- 1/2 lime juiced
Chicken
- 2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken legs and thighs about 8 pieces
For the garnish
- cilantro for garnish
- 1/2 lime juiced for drizzling on cooked chicken
- lime wedges
- sliced onions
For smoking
- 1 small piece of charcoal
- small piece of foil
- oil or butter to drizzle
Instructions
- Put all the marinade ingredients into a large bowl and whisk till well combined. Set aside.
- Dry the chicken pieces thoroughly with a paper towel and cut slits( 1-3 diagonally depending on the size of the chicken) into the flesh for better absorption of the marinade. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat completely. Ensure the marinade gets into the slits by massaging it in. Set aside.
- Heat a large pan and once hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Next, add the chicken pieces in one layer. On high heat, sear the chicken for 4 minutes on one side and then flip to sear the other side for another 4 minutes Lower the heat to medium low and cover the pan and let the chicken cook through, about 25 minutes.
- Uncover the pan. There will be water released from the chicken. Increase the heat to medium high and dry out the moisture. Once all the water has dried out, the masala will stick to the chicken and oil will rise to the top. The chicken is ready to eat.
- Make an inverted tent with a small piece of foil and place it in the center of the pan with the cooked tandoori chicken. Heat up a small piece of coal on direct flame. Once heated through, gently pick up the charcoal and lay it in the foil. Drizzle oil on the coal to get it smoking. Cover the pan and let the chicken smoke for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with sliced onion rings, cilantro, and a drizzle of lime juice and serve immediately with green chutney, tamarind chutney, and or raita.
Notes
- The amount of time it takes to cook the chicken will depend on the size of the pieces. My pieces took longer but if you get the regular 12 piece cut chicken usually found in desi stores, it won’t take as long. Chicken should be cooked to 165°F/ 74°C internal temperature to be safe to eat. Check by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken.
- Try to make this recipe with chicken thighs and legs as they are juicier than breast meat.
- You can use plant based red coloring or beet root powder for that signature red color found in restaurants. Play with the amount. I prefer a more natural color so have used a small amount but you can increase it by 1/4 teaspoon increments to get your desired depth of color.
Will definitely try this ❤️
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