Grilled Tandoori Chicken

Grilled Tandoori Chicken - marinade recipe and grill technique

Sometimes the best meat is the cheapest meat.

If you want pulled pork, do you need to use pork tenderloin? Of course not. A cheep pork shoulder or butt is the perfect cut of meat to create tender pulled pork on a bun.

If you are making beef stew should you get the most expensive cut of beef? Now way, a nice marbled chuck roast is what is needed.

Making tandoori chicken…… should you get boneless skinless chicken breast. Nope. Instead, get chicken drumsticks and you will not be disappointed.

Tandoori chicken is an amazingly simple way to make grilled chicken drumsticks. All that is required is about 5 minutes to make the marinade a couple hours prior to grilling time. Make the marinade, mix it with the chicken, wait a couple hours, grill and that is all!

Some recipes use annatto seed, red chili pepper or paprika to give the red colour, but that deep red seen on a lot of tandoori chicken is, many times, food colouring.If you do not care whether it is red or not then simply omit it from the recipe.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken

Grilled Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks
5 from 1 vote
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Tandoori chicken is easy to make with only 5-10 minutes of prep. Tandoori chicken is typically deep red in colour and full of Indian spice and flavour! Easy instructions for how to grill chicken drumsticks.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Marinating Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 16 drumsticks

Ingredients

  • 16 chicken drumsticks
  • 2 cups yogurt
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 inch ginger peeled
  • 2 tbsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • red food colouring (optional)

Instructions

  • Prepare the tandoori marinade by blending everything except the yogurt, food colouring and chicken in a food processor. Process until a smooth paste is formed. Blend in the yogurt and a few drops of red food colouring.
  • Mix the marinade in with the chicken drumsticks and marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
  • Cook using indirect grilling on grill set to medium heat for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 175-180F.
  • Move the chicken to be over the heat and use direct grilling for a couple minutes per side to crisp up the skin.

Tandoori chicken is easy to make with only 5-10 minutes of prep. Tandoori chicken is typically deep red in colour and full of Indian spice and flavour! Easy instructions for how to grill chicken drumsticks.

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Grilled Tandoori Chicken - marinade recipe and grill technique

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19 comments

  • 5 stars
    This stuff is awesome.we grilled it over the fire. squeezed lime juice over and genrous shake of salt. Delicious. It kina blackened in that expensive restaurant blackened chicken sorta way and it was sooo good. Definitely a must in my recipes

    • Reply
  • Do you use Skinless drumsticks, or leave skin on?

    • Reply
    • I usually leave the skin on, but I have done it sometimes with the skin off and it works great that way as well.

      • Reply
  • I am looking to try my hand at Tandoori chicken (and this one looks wonderfully simple, thank you for being clear and concise) but I have a question about the yogurt. Is there a particular kind I should use? If it is a kind that is easily obtainable (existing at grocery stores or a not too uncommon specialty shop, for example), that would be great.
    Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

    • Reply
    • I would just use a plain yogurt. Not flavoured (i.e. french vanilla, etc). Just a simple, plain 2% yogurt found in any supermarket should do the trick.

      • Reply
    • I would just use a plain yogurt. Not flavoured (i.e. french vanilla, etc). Just a simple, plain 2% yogurt found in any supermarket should do the trick. I would also marinate the chicken overnight rather than just the two hours recommended in the recipe.

      • Reply
  • Very unique yet simple method of preparation…!!
    great job!!!

    • Reply
  • Sounds good and love that it looks simple to make!

    Want to come add it to our March @IndianFoodPalooza…would love to have it be a part of the foods we’re sharing.

    http://www.creative-culinary.com/mumbai-sandwich-and-indianfoodpalooza

    • Reply
  • These sound so flavorful…great recipe…thanks!

    • Reply
  • Oh my, that looks to die for. What a lovely marinade 🙂

    • Reply
  • I concur….cheap meat can be the best meat. just needs some love.

    • Reply
  • Steve this looks fantastic!! The grill really makes the tandoori chicken look beautiful with it’s slight char and grill marks. That is the one dish I have to do in the oven and it never looks this good!! Well done!

    • Reply
  • Love tandoori and this one seems not to stick to the grill.

    • Reply
  • Those drumsticks look amazing! I love tandoori chicken and this looks like a great recipe. Thanks for sharing.

    • Reply
  • HAD to pin this one, those look incredible.

    • Reply
  • This just looks so darn good, Steve. Chicken drumsticks are perfect for grilling and that spice rub does a great job of dressing them up.

    • Reply
  • Oooh I just love the spices!

    • Reply
  • Hi Steve, These look great and sound tasty. On my to try list for sure.

    Regina

    • Reply
  • Great recipe! and wallet friendly too! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    • Reply

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