Deliciously spiced tandoori chicken with super-crispy skin and fruity, tangy mango chutney to go alongside.

Chicken tandoori is simply chicken marinated in yogurt, citrus, and spices, then grilled or broiled. The name comes from the cylindrical clay oven — or tandoor — in which the dish is traditionally prepared.

This is my favorite version: the chicken is deliciously spiced with super-crispy skin, and the mango chutney served alongside adds fruity, tangy flavor. The chicken is best marinated overnight but if you’re in a time crunch, a few hours will do just fine. Serve with Homemade Naan, Basmati Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruits and Almonds or a refreshing Cucumber Mint Salad. Kids love this one too!

What you’ll need to make Tandoori Chicken

How to make Tandoori Chicken

Begin by combining the spices in a small saucepan.

Toast for a few minutes until the spices are fragrant. This step really enhances the flavor.

Next, chop your fresh ginger and garlic. Both will go in a blender or food processor, but they won’t fully pulverize unless you give them a rough chop first.

Combine the toasted spices, ginger, garlic, yogurt, lime juice, lime zest, oil and salt in a mini food processor or blender.

Pulse until smooth.

Then, using a sharp knife, make slashes in the drumsticks. This increases the surface area of the chicken, so the marinade can penetrate the meat.

Place the drumsticks in a large bowl and pour the marinade over top.

Toss the drumsticks with the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and place an oven-proof rack over top. Arrange the marinated drumsticks on the rack, leaving a bit of space in between them.

Cook for 45 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked and the skin is quite crisp.

Finally, flash the chicken under the broiler for about 5 minutes, until the skin is super-crisp and a bit charred. Serve with mango chutney and lime wedges on the side.

My starting point for this recipe was this recipe from Food & Wine. In addition to changing the process a bit, I increased the garlic and ginger, added marinading time to boost flavor, added cayenne pepper for a little heat, provided a specific salt measurement, replaced the fat-free yogurt with whole milk yogurt, and replaced the lemon juice with lime juice and zest. I liked the Cilantro-Shallot relish in the original recipe (definitely worth a try) but enjoyed the chicken more with mango chutney.

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