This one pan tandoori chicken tikka recipe is an easy way to make juicy, smoky chicken tikka without a tandoor (clay oven). All you need is the stovetop, a nonstick pan, and 30 minutes of cooking time.
Paired with imli ki chutney, raita, and kachumber, next time you’re craving tikka, you don’t even have to leave home.
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If you have my homemade, small-batch tandoori masala on hand, all you need to do is add a couple of tablespoons of that in place of the individual spices. You guys, this is your next favorite weeknight recipe! So easy and makes for the best tandoori quesadillas, sandwiches, and salads the next day.
And if you like tandoori recipes, my extremely popular weeknight tandoori chicken curry is a must-try.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
⏲️Ready In: 40 minutes
👪Serves: 4
🍽 Calories and Protein: 252 kcal, 26g
📋 Main Ingredients: Chicken, yogurt, tandoori spices, ginger, and garlic.
📖 Dietary Notes: High-protein, low-carb.
⭐ Why You’ll Love It:
- Meal prep & freezer-friendly: Great for meal prep and as leftovers. You can add the marinade to the chicken, then refrigerate or freeze it uncooked in a zip-top bag. Uncooked chicken can stay in the fridge for up to 24 hours and in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Leftovers can be used for lunch. Tandoori chicken is perfect as protein for a salad or in a wrap the next day, similar to these chicken seekh kababs.
- Accessible: No tandoor or grill required.
- Quick: With just 30 minutes of cook time, it’s faster than delivery.
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Tandoori Chicken Ingredient Notes
Chicken: I used chicken leg quarters to mimic how it is served in restaurants and because they’re a juicier cut, but you can use chicken breast. You can also use drumsticks or boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which is what I often do on busy weeknights.
Have your butcher make “tikka marks,” as my butcher calls them. You can do it yourself by making 2-3 angled slits with a knife on the meaty part of the leg quarters. This is so that the chicken soaks in all the marinade.
Yogurt: Plain whole milk yogurt or Greek yogurt both work.
Paprika: I like to add paprika or Kashmiri chili powder, mostly to deepen the color.
Tomato paste: Optional, for added color. Leave it out if you don’t have any on hand.
Lime juice: For soft, juicy chicken.
Oil: To seal in juices and act as a carrier for extracting the flavor of ingredients such as garlic and spices.
Other Ways to Make this Tandoori Chicken Tikka Recipe
Bake: Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC. 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, flipping and basting it with oil at the 15-minute mark. Broil on high for 5 minutes to get some char on the meat.
Air fry: Follow your air fryer’s instructions manual. I air-fried my chicken pieces in 2-piece batches at 400ºF / 200ºC for 20 minutes, as I own a smaller model.
Outdoor Grill: You can use this same recipe and cook it on your outdoor grill. Place the chicken pieces on the heated grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and baste with oil, then let it cook for another 5 minutes. Do this every 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes in total. The internal temperature should reach 160ºF/ 71ºC. Then let it rest for about 5 minutes to lock in the juices and make the chicken juicier.
How to Cook Tandoori Chicken Tikka
Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick rundown.
Step 1: Make the marinade. Put all the marinade ingredients into a large bowl and whisk till well combined. Set aside.
Step 2: Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl of marinade and toss to coat completely, ensuring that the marinade reaches into the slits.
Step 3: Sear and cook the chicken. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and sear the chicken quarters over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Once browned, cover the pan and let the chicken cook through over medium-low heat for about 25 minutes.
Step 4: Dry out the moisture. Next, crank up the heat to medium-high and let the moisture dry out. The masala will stick to the chicken, and you will see oil rise to the top.
Step 6: Garnish and serve. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a drizzle of lime juice and serve immediately.
Pro Tips
- Restaurants usually add a lot of red food coloring to tandoori chicken recipes and tikkas. We'll keep it toxin-free by using tomato paste and either Kashmiri chili powder or Reshampatti red chili powder.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. To get a good sear on the chicken, space it out, or it will steam rather than sear. Use a large pan or work in batches.
Smoking the Tandoori Chicken
Optionally, once you’re done cooking the chicken, you can smoke it to achieve the same smokiness you’d get from barbecuing it.
To do this, simply take a small piece of coal and heat it until it is red-hot. You’ll see it turn ashy white with some red spots as it heats through. Once ready, place it in a small stainless steel container or a makeshift aluminum foil “bowl,” then set it in the middle of the pan of cooked chicken. Drizzle it with oil or butter/ghee. It will start to smoke. Cover it with the lid and let it smoke the chicken till the smoke dies down, about 5 minutes. Then remove the coal and the container. Finish off with the cilantro and lemon drizzle.
Tandoori Chicken Tikka FAQs
Yes, you can cook tandoori chicken in a pan on the stovetop. You can use a ceramic non-stick or cast-iron pan.
It takes around 30 minutes to cook bone-in tandoori chicken thighs on the stovetop and slightly less for chicken breast. The chicken is done cooking once it reaches 160ºF/71ºC. Letting it rest off the heat for a few minutes will bring it to 165ºF, after which the chicken is safe to consume. Cooking it longer can lead to dry chicken, especially chicken breast.
As explained above, there are multiple ways to get the signature red color in tandoori chicken without using food coloring. You can use tomato paste, Reshampatti red chili powder, Kashmiri chili powder, or paprika.
Yes, you can use chicken breast instead of thighs and legs. You will need to reduce the cooking time as chicken breast typically cooks faster.
You will know the tandoori chicken is cooked through when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF/74ºC, as measured with a food thermometer.
Yes, you can marinate the chicken overnight, but no longer than 24 hours, to avoid the meat becoming mushy and stringy.
At most Pakistani/Indian restaurants, they serve a cucumber-and-onion salad and chutneys with grilled items. You can make my kachumbar salad and imli ki chutney(tamarind chutney).
For a complete meal, add a side of tadka daal and some naan.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days.
More Easy Weeknight Dinners to Try
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One Pan Tandoori Chicken Tikka
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 2 tablespoons yogurt plain, whole milk
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika or Kasmiri chili powder for color
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste for color * See notes
- 2 tablespoons oil divided
- 1/2 lime or lemon juiced
Chicken
- 2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken leg quarters * See note
For the garnish
- cilantro
- lime wedges
- sliced onions
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 to the marinade 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 being careful as to not over crowd the pan. 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 moisture released from the chicken. Increase the heat to medium high and dry out the moisture. Once all the moisture has dried out, the masala will stick to the chicken and oil will rise to the top. The chicken is ready.
- Garnish with sliced onion rings, cilantro, and a drizzle of lime juice and serve immediately with green chutney, tamarind chutney, and or raita.
Notes
- You can use 4 leg quarters, 8 legs and thighs or 8-10 drumsticks.
- The time it takes to cook the chicken depends on the size of the pieces. Chicken should be cooked to 165°F/74°C to be safe to eat. Check by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken.
- Tomato paste gives the chicken a deep red color, but you can also use beetroot powder or red food coloring as well.
Zeeshan Shah says
I use this marinade for marinading boneless, skinless chicken thighs, drumsticks and breasts. Such an easy marinade!
Mariam says
Will definitely try this ❤️
Zeeshan says
🥰