Tandoori chicken is a very famous Indian dish, where chicken is basically marinated with a whole bunch of spices and yogurt and then grilled in a Tandoor to perfection. Tandoor is a large oven usually made up of clay and heat is produced from hot charcoal and that kind of adds a smoky flavour to the food when cooked in a tandoor. Since we do not have tandoor at home we will make this in an air fryer, the air fryer comes with a grill mode that gives perfect charred texture to the chicken.
We will also smoke the marinated chicken with a piece of charcoal for that smoky flavour. Wondering what to do if you do not have an air fryer? Don’t worry I will be sharing tips on how to make it without air fryer. Serve tandoori chicken as a starter with mint chutney, lemon wedges and onions and it tastes delicious!
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:
- 4 chicken legs
- 1.5 tsp red chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- 4 tsp thick yogurt
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- Juice of 1 whole lemon
- 1 tsp kasuri methi
- A pinch of orange food colour
- 2 tsp oil
- A piece of charcoal
- 1 tsp ghee
MARINATING THE CHICKEN
In a bowl add 4 chicken legs, all of the spices( coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric), lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, yogurt, kasuri methi, a pinch of orange food colour , oil and mix everything. For the smoky flavour, heat a small piece of charcoal place it in aluminium foil and then place it in the bowl. Add a few drops of oil/ghee and once it starts to smoke cover with a lid and let the chicken marinate for a couple of hours. If you have time I suggest you go for overnight marination because it is always best to marinate overnight. The chicken turns out more tender and juicy.
AIR FRYING THE TANDOORI CHICKEN
After the marination, place the chicken in the air fryer basket. Now set the mode to grill and grill the chicken for 30 to 40 minutes at 200 degree celsius. Flip the sides after 15 minutes to let chicken cook on both sides. Although 30 minutes should be enough for the chicken to be cooked properly but every air fryer behaves differently so keep a close eye to avoid burning.
ALTERNATIVE TO AIR FRYING
If you do not have an air fryer you can still make Tandoori chicken. You can either bake this in the oven and the settings remain the same as in the air fryer or the other option is to steam the chicken in a pot until it is cooked thoroughly. Once done roast directly on flame for a couple of minutes for that charred effect.
HOW TO FREEZE TANDOORI CHICKEN
After applying the marinade to the chicken just store it in ziplock bags and freeze it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to cook remove it out of the freezer 12 hours in advance and thaw it. Then cook as usual. This stays good in the freezer for about a month.
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TANDOORI CHICKEN
Tandoori chicken is a very famous Indian dish, where chicken is marinated with a whole bunch of spices and yogurt and then grilled in a Tandoor to perfection. Tandoor is a large oven usually made up of clay and heat is produced from hot charcoal and that kind of adds a smoky flavour to the food when cooked in a tandoor. Since we do not have tandoor at home we will make this in an air fryer, the air fryer comes with a grill mode that gives perfect charred texture to the chicken. We will also smoke the marinated chicken with a piece of charcoal for that smoky flavour. Wondering what to do if you do not have an air fryer? Don't worry I will be sharing tips on how to make it without air fryer. Tandoori chicken is usually served as a starter with mint chutney, lemon wedges and onions and it tastes delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs
- 1.5 tsp red chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- 4 tsp thick yogurt
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- Juice of 1 whole lemon
- 1 tsp kasuri methi
- A pinch of orange food colour
- 2 tsp oil
- A piece of charcoal
- 1 tsp ghee
Instructions
In a bowl add 4 chicken legs, all of the spices( coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric), lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, yogurt, kasuri methi, a pinch of orange food colour, oil and mix everything.
For the smoky flavour, heat a small piece of charcoal place it in aluminium foil and then place it in the bowl.. Add a few drops of oil/ghee and once it starts to smoke cover with a lid and let the chicken marinate for a couple of hours. If you have time marinate in refrigerator overnight( do not keep it in the refrigerator when you are smoking it with charcoal)
Place the chicken in the air fryer basket, set the mode to grill and grill the chicken for 30 to 40 minutes at 200 degree celsius. You should be flipping sides after 15 minutes to ensure both the sides are cooked well.
And that's it you will have beautifully charred tandoori chicken. Serve with mint chutney and enjoy!
