Grilled Tandoori Chicken
Grilled tandoori chicken is a twist on the traditional Indian roasted chicken recipe. These grilled chicken thighs are juicy, flavorful, and easy to make!


Typically, tandoori chicken is cooked in a tandoor clay oven (the same you would use to make naan). But since most people don’t own one, this version cooks over a charcoal grill. You can use a gas grill, too, but charcoal will give it a little more characteristic flavor.
The simplicity and deliciousness of this grilled chicken thigh recipe will totally have your family hooked! You won’t ever need take out again after you make this recipe!
How to make Grilled Tandoori Chicken
For the full set of directions, make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Combine all the ingredients for the marinade.
- Coat the chicken in the marinade and place in an air tight container in the fridge.
- Marinate for between 2 and 8 hours.
- Grill chicken over medium heat for 7 minutes per side, or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 F degrees.
- Enjoy!
Storage Information
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
How do I serve this to my family?
We love this tandoori chicken recipe! It is a great grilling recipe to love all summer long. Oh, and the kids gives it their seal of approval as well – anything you can dip is a gold star! Try dipping this in homemade cucumber raita!
Make this a complete meal by serving it with homemade sourdough naan, easy jeera rice (or Indian Lemon Rice like pictured), and a simple mango lassi.
How spicy is tandoori chicken?
This grilled Indian chicken isn’t overly spicy. It has lots of flavor, but it doesn’t have a lot of heat. The chicken marinates in yogurt mixed with Garam Masala (affiliate link) and a host of other spices.
The flavors are good, but not overly intense for kids. And pairing it with the cooling dip helps, too!
If you want some heat to it, add in 1 teaspoon of chili powder.
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Grilled Tandoori Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric (affiliate link)
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- In a large ziplock bag, combine all the ingredients for the marinade.
- Seal, smooth to mix the marinade and coat the chicken evenly and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
- Grill chicken 7 minutes per side, or until cooked through to 165 F degrees. Enjoy!
Hang in there, dear… this too shall pass….
I've been through a few moves, four of them intercontinental and I can testify moving is not fun. But, it's always for the better, and things will improve
one day your kids will be 18 and getting ready to leave home, and all of a sudden all these struggles will have a tone of nice nostalgia to them… easy to say, hard to go through
Loved the recipe, my kind of chicken, spicy.., tasty
Beautiful! I don't know how anyone can have a blog when they have children. It's work enough for me and I'm retired! I'm really glad you didn't include red food coloring in your tandoori!