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Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken


Recipe from Shiza Shahid

Tandoori Chicken

The karahi cut was made for sharing — quite literally. Back home, cutting the chicken into 16 smaller pieces instead of the usual 8 is the go-to for dishes served family style. More surface area means more room for the spices and marinade to do their thing. It means more flavor, more crispy edges.

This recipe leans into all of that. The key is to leave it marinating for 24–48 hours! A high-broil finish leads to golden, crackly, perfectly-charred chicken that is just as good on a weeknight as the centerpiece of a celebration.


Ask your butcher for a karahi cut, or grab the cleaver yourself — either way, this is worth it.

Servings

6-8

What You'll Need

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (drumsticks, thighs, and breasts)

  • 1 cup Greek yogurt

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon ground turmeric

  • 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chile powder

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon anise seeds, ground

  • 1 small pod black cardamom, ground

  • 2 lemons, 1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges

  • ¼ cup ghee, melted

  • ½ cup cilantro, leaves picked and coarsely chopped

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, yogurt, garlic, ginger, salt, black pepper, turmeric, Kashmiri chile powder, cumin, anise seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Toss to coat the chicken well. Cover or transfer to an airtight container and marinate in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours.

Step 2

An hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and leave it on the counter to take the chill off.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a half-sheet pan with the melted ghee.

Step 4

Spread the chicken in an even layer on the pan and transfer to the oven. Cook until the chicken starts to form a crust, the juices are running clear, and the internal temperature is between 150° and 155°F, about 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan and turning the chicken over halfway through.

Step 5

Turn the broiler on high and continue cooking until the skin edges start to char and the chicken is a crusty brown, anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes depending on your broiler. Make sure the internal temperature does not exceed 160°F, as the chicken will continue cooking as it rests.

Step 6

Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest before transferring it to a platter along with all the juices. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing.

Shiza Shahid

Shiza Shahid

Shiza is a self-taught home cook and host extraordinaire. With over a decade of experience bringing people together, her hosting style is raw, vulnerable, and cathartic. She believes in the power of gathering so much that she cofounded Our Place to enable others to cook and eat together.

Recipes from Dinner at Our Place Cookbook

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