Tandoori Chicken is a classic North Indian dish known for its bold flavors and smoky aroma. This recipe uses a cast iron grill pan to recreate the traditional tandoor oven experience right at home—perfect for juicy, charred chicken with authentic taste.
🧄 Marinade is Key
The secret to truly flavorful tandoori chicken lies in the marination. Boneless or bone-in chicken is soaked in a spiced yogurt base infused with:
- Lemon juice
- Garam masala
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Turmeric
- Garlic and ginger paste
For best results, marinate the chicken for at least 6 hours, or up to 12 hours for deeper flavor.
🍳 How to Cook Tandoori Chicken on a Grill Pan
Using a cast iron grill pan gives the chicken a smoky, caramelized crust without an outdoor grill.
- Preheat your grill pan on high heat.
- Sear the chicken to get those signature grill marks and smoky flavor.
- Lower to medium heat and cook until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
- Internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C).
Cast iron retains heat beautifully, ensuring even cooking and a delicious charred finish.
🔥 Oven-Baked Option
No grill pan? No problem. You can also make oven-baked tandoori chicken:
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Place marinated chicken on a wire rack over a baking tray.
- Bake for 25–35 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- For extra char, broil on high for 2–3 minutes at the end.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
Serve your tandoori chicken hot with:
Warm naan or rice
Lemon wedges
Sliced onions
Cucumber salad
Mint-coriander chutney
Tandoori Chicken
Course: Main, AppetizersCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Medium2
servings10
minutes20
minutes940
kcal30
minutesMarination is the key to a good Tandoori chicken recipe. Marinade the chicken for at least 6 hours.
Ingredients
500 grams chicken breasts
1/2 cup hung yogurt/curd
1 Tbsp ginger paste
1 Tbsp garlic paste
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp amchur
1 tsp black salt
2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
2 Tbsp Cold pressed Mustard oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Instructions
- Clean and rinse the chicken breasts.Chicken thighs or legs can also be used for this recipe but this will change the cooking time on pan. The chicken needs to be without skin
- Make small incisions on the meat, this will make the chicken absorb the flavors from the marinade better and deeper.
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except chicken to prepare the marinade
- Now place the chicken in this marinade and ensure that it covers the chicken well
- Set this aside in a closed container in a refrigerator for at least 6 hrs.
- Heat 3 Tbsp of cooking oil in a cast iron grill pan on medium heat
- Place the chicken on it and cover the pan with a lid , this will cook the chicken while not losing the moisture too quickly.
- Cook for 5 minutes on each side and the repeat the process once more. In total 20 minutes of cooking is required for the chicken to be fully cooked
- When the chicken is cooked , turn up the heat and char the marinade on the chicken to get a charred grilled look.
- Serve the chicken with onion pickle, fresh cucumbers and mint coriander chutney
Recipe Video
