Delicious whole roast tandoori style chicken.
My Latest and Favourite Tandoori Chicken Recipes are in my New Hardbound Cookbook!
I developed this recipe to demonstrate how having a jar of homemade tandoori paste on hand is a deliciously good idea. I made the marinade for this tandoori style chicken in seconds.
I like to marinate the bird for at least 48 hours. You could of course marinate it for as few as three hours but the longer marinating time makes a big difference.
Boil the carcass when you are finished with some onions, carrot and your favourite spices for a very tasty chicken stock that can be made into soups or added to your chicken curries. It is simply too good to waste.
If you love tandoori chicken, you owe it to yourself to try this recipe. You’ll love it. I promise.
Making the simple marinade.
All marinated and ready for the oven.
Dig in. This one is perfect for that next curry feast!
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- 1 x free range 2.5kl chicken (skinned)
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon garlic and ginger paste
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon tandoori paste (more or less to taste)
- Juice of one or two limes
- Make the marinade by mixing all of the marinade ingredients. Rub some of the marinade inside the chicken.
- Make shallow incisions into the chicken breasts, legs and thighs a and truss it.
- Rub the remaining marinade all over the chicken ensuring that all of the incisions are covered in marinade. Allow to marinate for three to 48 hours.
- When ready to cook, pre-heat your oven to it’s highest setting. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and place in the oven for 40 minutes to an hour. Your chicken is ready when the juices run clear when you prick the thigh with a knife.
Thanks for this one and as I read more, had to go into two other recipes for the entire recipe. So first make the Tandoori masala, then the Tandoori Masala Paste and then on to the Tandoori chicken right? You’re the Indian spice mix King!
Is the chicken supposed to be skinned before marinating?
Good looking chicken. My oven can get fairly hot 550 so I am looking for some advice. Should I cook at that temperature or maybe take it to 475 or 500? Thanks for all your great curry recipes.
Hi Greg
Thank you very much. I often cook whole chicken in a very hot tandoori or wood oven so you can definitely cook it at the heat. That said, keep an eye on it. If this skin begins to burn, cover it will foil and/or cook your oven down. I find smaller chickens easier to cook evenly though I usually go large.
Thanks
Dan
That colour! Mouth watering! x
Hi. Great looking chicken. I often cook tandoori chicken, but can I ask, have you used food colouring in the recipe for this particular chicken. I like trying new recipes for tandoori chicken, and there is no way I can get anywhere near this colour using yours.
Hi Nick
I just found the question you thought I had deleted. Sorry for the late reply. I used my homemade tandoori past in this recipe which does have red food colouring in it. It is just for appearance. The food colouring has absolutely no flavour and is not necessary. Hope this helps.
Dan
Thanks for confirming!
I do love a tasty curry! This Tandoori Roast looks so tasty and also healthy! Great post. Laura.
Thank you Laura. 🙂
Dan
why did you delete my question about whether you used food colouring?
Hi Nick
I didn’t. What was your question?
Thanks
Dan
I Love This Tasty Curry,Looks Mouth watering,I Cant Stop Water From My Mouth,Really Superb Curry,Lovely Photos…
Do you need to skin the chicken first as I would have thought the marinade wouldn’t permeate the skin !
Hi Del
Yes. Skin the chicken. It’s better for you and you get a lot more flavour into the meat.
Dan
The skin keeps the moisture in and you can rub marinade under the skin.
I see no point in removing the skin when all nutritionists are telling people to consume more meat fats now days.
Hi Daniel
Not all nutritionists say that but if you want to leave the skin on, go for it! It’s good.
Dan
that chicken is so tasty
Thanks Sukka. 🙂
Dan
Oh dear god, help me here! This is looking soo tasty. I must try..
Thanks Eva. 🙂
Dan
This looks sooo good . Like really a meal this good looking should be illegal. Now I have to make something curry-infused…
Thanks Conor. 🙂
Dan
very good website. Thank You very much
Thank you. 🙂
Hi Dan,
Have tried your Lamb Curry which turned out just fab. Was looking for a roasted tandoori chicken recipe when I came across your recipe which like all great recipes is simple in its ingredients as well as execution. I have just one question namely, you instruct “to pre-heat the oven to it’s highest setting”. Could you please elaborate in terms of oven temperature.
Thank you for your time in responding to my enquiry.
Cheers
Bernard
Hi Bernard
Thank you for getting in touch. I say ‘to its highest setting’ because it usually isn’t a problem with most conventional ovens. I cook a lot of roasts in my wood burning oven and also tandoor which get a lot hotter. If you aim for about 230c that should do the trick.
Thanks,
Dan
Hi Dan,
Thanks for your quick response. I did try this recipe at the max setting 550 F for 45 minutes and I have to say that this recipe rocked.. There was a slight charring on the top but this is a signature of all tandoori chicken recipes. All in all a great recipe and a true time saver. Thank you.
Bernard
Thank you very much Bernard! I’m really glad the recipe worked for you.
Dan
Hi this looks delicious! I just wondered what you would reccomend to put with this to make a full meal?
Hi Dlora
Roast potatoes, salad, pretty much anything. Think of it as a Sunday dinner roast. You can use the veggie recipes from my site or just steam some up.
Thanks,
Dan
Amazing, I love roasted chicken. I tried it. Its delicious. Your recipes are superb. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you very much Pavitra. 🙂
Hi Dan I was one of the first to pre order your book and have enjoyed the recipes. But I find in some of your recipes that you use pre cooked lamb or chicken. I feel that I am making the same curry twice and have no room in my freezer for base sauce or pre cooked meat. I am making your tandoori chicken again tonight it’s fantastic
Hi Ian
Thank you very much for purchasing my book. The recipes you are referring to are the classic curry house recipes. It is done for speed but you could definitely adjust the recipes to taste. You can even add raw meat and let it cook longer. Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Dan
I’m making it tomorrow !!!! Will be done on Monday. Can’t wait.
Btw. Are you British? As I read it was British who first created curry and then it went to India and so one. If you are , then this well cooking must be in your blood
Hi Ewa
Thanks for getting in touch. Hope you enjoy the recipe. I’m originally from the US but have lived in the UK for 25 years. I’m now British. 🙂 The curries we get here in the UK at curry houses were developed here. Curries, however did come from Indian.
Dan
Can a roast chicken recipe, be converted to be cooked in a tandoori? Should veggies , potatoes, carrots, etc., be cooked in the tandoori, along with meat or chicken? Should/could you line the tandoori with metal foil?
Thanks, Dan. I really appreciate any help,
jim
Hi Jim
I often cook this recipe in my tandoor. You can cook almost everything in a tandoor from meat to veg to breads. No need to line with foil.
Thanks,
Dan