Have you ever had Grilled Tandoori Chicken? It is moist, tender, and absolutely delectable. Once you try it, you’ll want to make it over and over again for your family and friends.
The first time I made this I was a young single woman, hosting friends for an after-work party. It was my way of giving myself an opportunity to try new recipes and cook for a crowd, two of my favorite things.
No one really knew what tandoori chicken was but they were all good sports, willing to try my experiments. This one was a huge hit with the gang, everyone loved it and asked for the recipe – always a good sign!
A tandoor oven is one of the main cooking tools in many cuisines. Traditionally made from clay or bricks and these days sometimes metal, it is a vertical cylindrical oven with the fire in the bottom and foods suspended over the heat. Kebabs, tikka dishes, and samosas are often cooked in tandoor ovens.
Flatbreads such as naan and roti are slapped against the walls of the oven giving them the blistering we love. Tandoori chicken, originally from India and Pakistan, is marinated in a seasoned yogurt mixture and usually has red food color added. I chose not to add it to mine, so instead of the brilliant red color you will find in restaurants, it is lightly colored yellow by the turmeric.
If you like spicier foods, feel free to add hot sauce to the marinade and pass it at the table. The chicken can take a lot of heat with the yogurt/cucumber sauce to balance and cool it.
Our own barbecues are the best commonly available option, adding the heat, charcoal flavor and smoke to the foods we cook. You just want to build a medium hot fire. The marinade can burn if the fire is too hot. Keep the chicken moving, flipping it often to keep it from getting too dark.
I hope you enjoy this Grilled Tandoori Chicken and consider making it when you need a change of pace from your ordinary chicken dinners. It is really easy to throw everything together and let it marinate in the refrigerator for up to a day. Then it comes together really quickly when it is time to eat! Be sure to check out the rest of the #ProgressiveEats recipes below!
Have a wonderful day!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!
Because we are moving, next week’s Chocolate Monday will drop on Sunday. We will be on the road to our new home and I won’t be able to be online so I’ll share the recipe a day early. See you again on Sunday!
Ingredients needed for Grilled Tandoori Chicken:
- Chicken & Marinade: Chicken, yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika, cardamom, salt, chipotle powder, lemons, saffron threads
- Yogurt Sauce: Yogurt, salt, mint leaves, cucumber, lemon zest
PRO Tip:
If you are using Greek yogurt, add a tablespoon or so of water to loosen the marinade and make it easier to spread over the chicken pieces. Pounding the boneless chicken pieces to an even thickness helps them all cook at the same rate.
PRO Tip:
You want to keep the chicken moving, flipping the pieces often to avoid burning the marinade that is on the chicken. When it is on the cooler side of the BBQ, spin the pieces occasionally so that both sides of the chicken are facing the hotter side.
How to make Grilled Tandoori Chicken:
- Place chicken in a container with a tight-fitting lid, in a bowl, whisk the yogurt with the rest of the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken making sure all surfaces are covered with the marinade; marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or up to overnight) turning occasionally
- While the chicken is marinating, make the yogurt sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and whisking until smooth; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, then taste and adjust seasonings
- Preheat your BBQ (either charcoal or gas) with a two heat zones and start the chicken, skin side down, on the hotter side; when you’ve got grill marks and the skin is golden, flipping often, and move the chicken to the cooler side to finish cooking
- Slice the chicken for serving and pass the yogurt sauce at the table
PRO Tip:
A two-tiered fire for grilling is when you have two zones of heat, one higher than the other giving you more control over your cooking. With charcoal, you light your coals and when they are ashy, move 2/3 of them to one side of the grill and 1/3 to the opposite side. With a gas grill, turn one burner on high or medium-high and the second one to medium-low. In each case you’ve got a hot area and a cooler area to cook with.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Box grater
- Chef’s knife
- Paring knife
- Cutting board
- Citrus reamer
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Charcoal grill
- Gas grill
- Indoor stovetop grill pan
Gluten-Free Tips:
This recipe is naturally gluten-free. Gluten can sometimes hide in ground spices, so be sure they are pure. Penzey’s is a good mail order source, and McCormick is easily found across the country in grocery stores. In both cases their products are well marked.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
I am hosting this month’s Progressive Eats party where we are celebrating the flavors of the summer. We have something for everyone, from appetizers and main courses, to side dishes and desserts. Make sure you check out the links below.
Summer Weekend Favorites
Cocktail
- Pineapple Mint Shrub Cocktail from Mother Would Know
Appetizer
- Punjabi Samosa from Spice Roots
Main Course
- Grilled Tandoori Chicken with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce (Gluten-Free) from The Heritage Cook (You are here)
Vegetable/Side Dish
- Summer Tomato Peach Panzanella from Pastry Chef Online
Desserts
- Vanilla Bean Bourbon Plum Bundt Cake from The Redhead Baker
- Chocolate Sheet Cake with Cocoa Icing from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Fresh Blueberry and Lemon Cream Pie from Creative Culinary
And now, here is my recipe for Grilled Tandoori Chicken with a lovely cucumber yogurt sauce, the perfect accompaniment!
Grilled Tandoori Chicken with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce (Gluten-Free)
Grilled Tandoori Chicken is a great change of pace for ordinary chicken dinners - packed with flavor! Marinated in a seasoned yogurt sauce then cooked over a charcoal fire, you get bursts of spices in every bite.
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken breasts, lightly pounded to even the thickness (leave the skin on to protect while cooking)
Marinade
- 1 cup (227g) plain yogurt
- 1 medium onion, peeled and grated
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
- 1 tsp chipotle powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Pinch saffron threads, crushed, optional
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup (227g) plain yogurt *
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 6 to 8 fresh mint leaves, very finely minced
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, grated, and squeezed to remove as much liquid as possible
- 1/2 tsp fine lemon zest
- * If using Greek yogurt, add 1 tbsp water, or as needed
Instructions
- Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a very large resealable plastic bag or container with a tight-fitting lid.
- Marinate the Chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt with all the marinade ingredients. When smooth, pour over the chicken. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Massage chicken to make sure the marinade completely coats all the pieces. Marinate for a minimum of 4 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally. The recipe can be made to this point up to a day ahead.
- Make the Yogurt Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, salt, mint, squeezed cucumber, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Will hold in the refrigerator up to a week.
- Cook the Chicken: Drain the chicken, discarding the marinade, and patting excess off each chicken breast.
- Build a 2-tiered charcoal fire in your charcoal barbecue (pile most of the coals on one side of the grill) or heat one side of a gas grill on High. Barbecue chicken pieces approximately 13 to 18 minutes or until tender, starting them on the hot side of the grill to sear and get grill marks, and then finishing them on the cooler side of the grill. Turn frequently to avoid burning and achieve even cooking.
- Serve, passing the cucumber yogurt sauce at the table. You can also cook the chicken in advance and serve at room temperature if you prefer. Store chicken in the refrigerator.
- Note: Frequent turning of the chicken pieces helps prevent burning. If the fire starts to flame up, cover with the lid to extinguish. Try not to spray charcoal with water – that often puts the fire out entirely and makes cooking difficult. If needed, you can always finish the chicken in the oven.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
Adapted from a recipe in the Ship to Shore Cookbook II.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free. Gluten can sometimes hide in ground spices, so be sure they are pure. Penzey's is a good online source as well as their storefronts, and McCormick is easily found across the country in grocery stores. In both cases their products are well marked.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 312Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 960mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 45g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.
This recipe is part of our monthly progressive dinner party, Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a progressive dinner party where each course is held at a different home. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to follow me on social media so you never miss a post:
Create a New Tradition Today!
Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases without any additional cost to you. This page may contain affiliate links. This post was first shared in Aug 2017. The article was updated in 2023.
motherwouldknow
Just reading the list of spices for your tandoori rub makes me wish I could make this chicken and cucumber yogurt sauce right now!! I haven’t made tandoori meat at home, but the cucumber yogurt sauce is similar to one I make frequently. What a perfect way to grill on a summer eve. Thanks so much for hosting this month’s Progressive Eats.
Jane Bonacci
It was my pleasure to host and I hope you give the tandoori a try. It is so easy and packed with flavor!
Barb | Creative Culinary
I’ve not made Tandoori Chicken at home but now I need to. Truth is I love that cucumber yogurt sauce, any excuse to have something to put it on works for me!
I love the information on cooking on the side without the flame; I’ve found it makes such a huge difference with chicken which is so often overcooked and dry. Sounds yummy; yogurt and cukes now on my shopping list!
Jane Bonacci
I love that sauce too – it is so great with so many foods. Indirect grilling is the key to the best grilling results! Hope you enjoy!!
Jenni
Oh! First the samosas from Anshie and now this tandoori chicken from you?! I am in heaven! Indian food is my hands-down favorite. I am pretty sure I see a Progressive Eats-inspired menu at our house very soon, Jane!
Jane Bonacci
Glad we could give you your favorite flavors in this dinner Jenni, LOL. This is one of my favorite recipes and I’ve made it for years. Everyone loves it and I hope you and The Beloved do as well!
Ansh Dhar
I just can’t get over the fact that it is already Labor day! Summer is so short here in Colorado. Love that Tandoori grilled chicken and the fact that you didn’t use food coloring. It is only used in restaurants here in the US. Traditionally the red color comes from Kashmiri red chilies. A variety that is less fiery but imparts color.
Jane Bonacci
How interesting Anshie, I figured it wouldn’t be from fake coloring originally, but didn’t know what would provide the color. Your samosas are the perfect prelude to the tandoor chicken – great choice!!
Liz Berg
I love using yogurt as a marinade! Your chicken looks so tender and scrumptious, Jane! Thanks for hosting this fun, holiday event!!!
Jane Bonacci
What a fun meal we all came up with! The chicken is super tender thanks to the yogurt and tasty! 🙂
jamiemid
We love Indian food here, so everyone will like this. It’s hard to believe summer is ending, but in another month or so, the scorching days of summer will be at an end, and we will be digging out the winter coats and buying a snow thrower. I think this wonderful recipe will be just as good then. Thanks for sharing this one!