Tandoori Chicken: The Spicy, Smoky Indian Grill Classic

When you think of tandoori chicken, a vibrant red, smoky-spiced grilled chicken dish cooked in a clay oven called a tandoor. Also known as tandoori murgh, it’s one of the most recognizable Indian dishes worldwide—not because it’s the spiciest, but because it’s juicy, bold, and impossible to ignore. This isn’t just grilled chicken with red food coloring. Real tandoori chicken relies on three things: yogurt to tenderize, a blend of spices like cumin, coriander, and Kashmiri chili for color and heat, and acid—usually lemon juice or vinegar—to help the marinade cling and penetrate. Skip any one, and you’re not making tandoori chicken. You’re making red chicken.

The magic happens in the marinade. Yogurt doesn’t just add tang—it breaks down the chicken’s fibers so it stays tender even when blasted with high heat. The spices aren’t just for flavor; Kashmiri chili gives that signature red without burning your tongue, while garam masala adds depth. And the tandoor? It’s not just a fancy oven. It’s a clay oven that hits over 480°C, searing the outside while keeping the inside moist. Most homes today use a grill or oven, but the goal stays the same: charred edges, juicy meat, and that unmistakable smoky aroma. If your chicken tastes bland or dry, the problem isn’t the cooking method—it’s the marinade. Too little yogurt? Too much salt? Not enough time? You’ll know the moment you bite into it.

People often confuse tandoori chicken with butter chicken, but they’re cousins, not twins. Tandoori is dry, smoky, and spicy. Butter chicken is creamy, saucy, and mild—it’s what happens when you take leftover tandoori chicken and simmer it in a tomato-butter sauce. One is a grill, the other is a stew. Both are iconic. But only one starts with a 12-hour yogurt bath.

What you’ll find below are real posts from home cooks and chefs who’ve tested every step: how long to marinate, why vinegar beats lemon for firm paneer (yes, it matters here too), which spices make the color pop without artificial dyes, and why some people skip garlic and still get perfect results. There’s no fluff. No generic recipes. Just the details that make tandoori chicken taste like it came straight from a Delhi street stall—or your own grill.