Chicken Recipes: Best Indian Dishes with Tandoori, Butter Chicken, and More

When it comes to Indian food, chicken, a staple protein in millions of Indian households, cooked in hundreds of regional ways. Also known as poultry, it’s the backbone of some of India’s most loved meals—from street-side tandoori to Sunday family curries. You won’t find a single Indian household that doesn’t cook chicken at least once a week. It’s affordable, absorbs spices like a sponge, and works in everything from quick weeknight dinners to festive feasts.

Tandoori chicken, a fiery, yogurt-marinated dish cooked in a clay oven. Also known as tandoori murgh, it’s the reason so many people associate Indian food with bold color and smoky flavor. Then there’s butter chicken, a creamy, tomato-based curry that’s mild, rich, and universally loved. Also known as murgh makhani, it’s the dish that turned global palates into lifelong fans of Indian cuisine. These aren’t just recipes—they’re cultural icons. Tandoori chicken needs yogurt, spices, and acid to tenderize and color the meat. Butter chicken relies on a slow-simmered sauce, butter, and a touch of cream to balance heat with comfort. Both use the same base spices—cumin, coriander, turmeric—but transform chicken in completely different ways.

Why Chicken Works So Well in Indian Cooking

Chicken doesn’t overpower spices—it lets them shine. Unlike beef or lamb, it’s lean, cooks fast, and doesn’t need long braising. That’s why it’s perfect for marinades, grills, and quick curries. In North India, you’ll find it roasted in tandoors. In the South, it’s simmered in coconut-based gravies. In the East, it’s cooked with mustard oil and panch phoron. Even in vegan households, chicken is often the protein of choice for those who eat meat—because it’s versatile, not intimidating.

People often ask if sour cream can replace yogurt in chicken marinades. Yes—but only if you thin it out. Or why tandoori chicken turns orange? It’s not food coloring—it’s paprika, Kashmiri chili, and high heat working together. These aren’t secrets. They’re science, passed down through generations. And that’s what makes the recipes here so valuable: they’re not just instructions. They’re explanations.

Below, you’ll find real recipes, real questions, and real answers. Whether you’re trying to nail the perfect tandoori crust, understand why butter chicken dominates menus worldwide, or figure out how to marinate chicken without yogurt, everything you need is right here. No fluff. No guesswork. Just clear, tested ways to make chicken taste like it came from an Indian kitchen.