Tandoori chicken is an Indian restaurant fave, but all-too-often equates to dry, overcooked chicken, tinted with red food colouring to bear an unnaturally vibrant hue.
Here, I bring you juicy, incredibly-flavourful spicy chicken drumsticks, charred in spots and irresistibly messy.  SERIOUSLY, seriously yummy.
The longer you marinate them, the more flavourful they’ll be – I recommend putting it together the night before, or at least in the morning before you plan to cook them.
I lift the skin gently and force the yogurt-spice mixture underneath (because yum, crispy chicken skin), but the more authentic way would be to remove the skin and create deep gashes in the meat before marinating. Â Your call.
Bake them until cooked through, then turn on the broiler for a few minutes to get that authentic, wonderful char you’d get in a super-hot tandoor oven.
Serve with basmati rice, this yogurt cucumber salad, and warm, homemade naan.
The Best Tandoori Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt 3.5% fat, or higher
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 3 lbs skin-on chicken drumsticks
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients except for chicken in a large bowl. Â Add chicken and rub the marinade all over to coat, gently working it under the skin of each drumstick. Â Let stand, covered, 1 hour at room temperature, or for up to 24 hours refrigerated.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Oil a wire cooling rack and place on top of baking sheet.  Arrange chicken on rack and bake for about 40 minutes, or until juices run clear.  Turn on broiler and broil until charred in spots, watching closely.
