Indian BBQ Tandoori Chicken Thighs
Marinated + grilled
- Time
- 55 min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
About this recipe
These tandoori chicken thighs are built for a home barbecue, not a restaurant tandoor. Thigh meat is forgiving over high heat, so you can get the smoky char and red Kashmiri colour without drying the chicken out. The yogurt tenderises, the mustard oil gives the familiar North Indian sharpness, and the final butter brush makes the edges glossy without turning the dish heavy.
The important detail is thickness. Boneless thighs cook evenly on a grill pan or outdoor barbecue, but they still need shallow cuts so the marinade seasons the middle. A short 30-minute rest works for weeknights, though overnight marination gives the deepest flavour. Keep the heat high enough that the yogurt catches and chars before the chicken overcooks.
Serve this with roti, jeera rice, sliced onions and a squeeze of lemon. Leftovers make excellent rolls the next day with mint chutney and crunchy cucumber. It is high in protein, naturally gluten-free, and stays firmly in the no-deep-fry style of the site.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4 servings.
Method
- 1Slash the chicken thighs lightly so the marinade can reach the centre without tearing the meat.
- 2Mix yogurt, ginger-garlic, chilli powder, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, lemon, mustard oil and salt into a smooth red marinade.
- 3Coat the chicken thoroughly, pushing marinade into the cuts, then chill for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- 4Heat a grill, barbecue, grill pan or air fryer until very hot; oil the grates lightly.
- 5Grill the chicken 6-8 minutes per side, brushing with butter near the end, until charred at the edges and cooked through.
- 6Rest 5 minutes, slice against the grain, and serve with onion rings, coriander, roti and lemon wedges.
