This is tandoori roast chicken made easy!
Over the years, this tandoori roast chicken has been one of my family’s favourite Sunday night dinners. It is so easy to make and tastes amazing. The recipe calls for tandoori paste or tandoori masala. In my first cookbook, 'The Curry Guy', I featured my recipe, and have included that recipe below but a good quality commercially available brand will work just fine. You will find them at all good Asian grocers, online and also in many supermarkets.
This tandoori roast chicken recipe is from my cookbook 'The Curry Guy Easy' and it's exactly that... EASY!
About this recipe
Tandoori roast chicken recipes are many and some are quite difficult and lengthy. So you will find the tandoori roast chicken quite simple. You know that if a recipe is featured in 'The Curry Guy Easy' cookbook, then it is easy.
Simple as it may be, you will still find the tandoori roast chicken to be really delicious. You just don't need to do a lot of preparation to make tandoori roast chicken spectacular.
Working ahead
As with all of my tandoori roast chicken recipes, this tandoori chicken will benefit from a long cooking time.
So you can prepare the marinade a few days before cooking. If you do that, you might as well get that chicken prepared and in the marinade. You can do this up to 48 hours before cooking.
Then all you need to do is place the chicken in the oven and wait about an hour for some of the best tandoori roast chicken around.
What do you serve with tandoori roast chicken?
If you'd like to make your tandoori roast chicken into a feast, you've come to the right place. You could just go for a side of Basmati rice or mushroom fried rice.
If you'd like to make naans, why not try one of these? Instant naans, Peshwari naans, stove top naans, keema naans, garlic naans, tandoor naans (if you have a tandoor oven), or if you're cooking outdoors, karahi naans. Oh, and really easy but just as delicious are homemade chapatis.
You might also like to serve this tandoori roast chicken with a good and easy tarka dal or slowly simmered dal makhani.
Want to start your feast meal off right? How about fried shop bought poppadoms or if you're feeling ambitious, make your own poppadoms from scratch and serve them with coriander chutney, red onion chutney, and/or tamarind chutney.
Can this tandoori roast chicken be cooked on the barbecue?
You bet! This is one you will want to cook over indirect heat. Aim for the same cooking temperature as written in the recipe for the oven.
Doing this, you will get an amazing smoky flavour that is difficult to beat.
What is tandoori masala and tandoori masala paste?
You can purchase both of these at Asian shops and most are quite good though the quality does vary.
If you would like to make your own tandoori masala, you will get even better results with this recipe. Slowly roasting and then grinding the spices really brings out their amazing flavours.
Click here to make your own tandoori masala. If you want to make a paste, you will find a recipe for that here.
Don't waste the leftovers!
Once you have removed and served all the meat from the tandoori roast chicken, you can use the bones to make a delicious stock.
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 are interested in making some Indian restaurant classics, you could add the cooking stock to my base curry sauce recipe instead of water. Doing this will ensure your chicken curries better than you will find at most takeaways and restaurants.
Is tandoori roast chicken good for you?
It sure is! As with most tandoori chicken recipes, all of the skin is removed before marinating.
So it is much lighter than most roast chicken recipes but still just as delicious.
Can the tandoori roast chicken marinade be used in other ways?
If you enjoy this recipe, you might like to try the same marinade with different cuts of chicken or other meats. It is great used to make tandoori chicken tikka.
It is really good with lamb and beef.
Tandoori Roast Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 2.5kg (5lb 8oz) free-range chicken, skinned
- Melted butter, for basting Juice of 1–2 limes
- Salt
- FOR THE MARINADE
- 4 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 heaped tbsp tandoori paste or tandoori masala (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Make the marinade by mixing together all of the marinade ingredients. Rub about a quarter of the marinade inside the chicken.
- Make shallow incisions into the chicken breasts, legs and thighs and truss it tightly. (If you aren’t familiar with how to truss a chicken, no worries. Just tie the the legs together tightly with a piece of string. It won’t win you any awards for presentation but it will help the chicken cook evenly.)
- Rub the remaining marinade all over the chicken, ensuring that all of the incisions are covered in marinade. Allow to marinate for 3–48 hours. The longer the better.
- When ready to cook, pre-heat your oven to its highest setting. Once the oven is hot, place the chicken in a roasting pan and roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour, basting regularly with the melted butter and cooking juices.
- Your chicken is ready when the juices run clear when you prick the thigh with a knife. If using a meat thermometer, aim for 75oC/165oF.
- Squeeze over the lime juice and season with salt to serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 1058mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 10gProtein: 4g
Kevin | Keviniscooking says
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!
Laura Raab says
Is the chicken supposed to be skinned before marinating?
Greg Berg says
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.
Dan Toombs says
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
DANIELLE VEDMORE says
That colour! Mouth watering! x
Nick says
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.
Dan Toombs says
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
Nick says
Thanks for confirming!
Laura says
I do love a tasty curry! This Tandoori Roast looks so tasty and also healthy! Great post. Laura.
Dan Toombs says
Thank you Laura. 🙂
Dan
Nick says
why did you delete my question about whether you used food colouring?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Nick
I didn't. What was your question?
Thanks
Dan
Viswa says
I Love This Tasty Curry,Looks Mouth watering,I Cant Stop Water From My Mouth,Really Superb Curry,Lovely Photos...
Del says
Do you need to skin the chicken first as I would have thought the marinade wouldn't permeate the skin !
Dan Toombs says
Hi Del
Yes. Skin the chicken. It's better for you and you get a lot more flavour into the meat.
Dan
Daniel says
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.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Daniel
Not all nutritionists say that but if you want to leave the skin on, go for it! It's good.
Dan
sukka says
that chicken is so tasty
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Sukka. 🙂
Dan
Eva says
Oh dear god, help me here! This is looking soo tasty. I must try..
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Eva. 🙂
Dan
Conor says
This looks sooo good . Like really a meal this good looking should be illegal. Now I have to make something curry-infused...
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Conor. 🙂
Dan
handyman london says
very good website. Thank You very much
Dan Toombs says
Thank you. 🙂
Bernard Alvares says
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
Dan Toombs says
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
Bernard Alvares says
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
Dan Toombs says
Thank you very much Bernard! I'm really glad the recipe worked for you.
Dan
dlora says
Hi this looks delicious! I just wondered what you would reccomend to put with this to make a full meal?
Dan Toombs says
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
pavitra says
Amazing, I love roasted chicken. I tried it. Its delicious. Your recipes are superb. Thanks for sharing.
Dan Toombs says
Thank you very much Pavitra. 🙂
ian henderson says
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
Dan Toombs says
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
Ewa says
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
Dan Toombs says
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
jim Peterson says
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
Dan Toombs says
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