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Baked Chicken pieces with lemon and parsley sauce on a cutting board.
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5 from 58 votes!

Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken cooked in the oven is so simple. It is also incredibly delicious! Great served hot or cold and a simple budget meal that everyone can enjoy!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Marinating1 hour
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Lunch and Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free
Recipe Category: Low Carb
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 215kcal
Author: Megan Ellam

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Tandoori Paste
  • 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
  • Zest and juice of half a lemon
  • 1 kg chicken drumsticks see notes

Instructions

CONVENTIONAL METHOD

  • Combine Tandoori paste, Greek yoghurt, zest and lemon juice in a large bowl until a smooth sauce.
  • Add the chicken to the tandoori sauce and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 1-2 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 200°C fan/220°C static/ 425°F.
  • Transfer chicken pieces to a baking tray, shake off any excess marinade. (see notes)
  • Bake 40-50 minutes, baste with the remaining marinade halfway through cooking time. Roast until an internal temperature of 75°C/165°F is reached. Serve with lemon juice, gremolata and a salsa or kachumber salad.

THERMAL METHOD

  • Place Tandoori paste, Greek yoghurt, zest and lemon juice into mixer; mix 15 sec/speed 5. Scrape into a large bowl.
  • Add the chicken to the tandoori sauce and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 1-2 hours or overnight. Follow from step 3 above.

Notes

INGREDIENTS
Tandoori Paste - I make my own Tandoori paste. It is simple to make, tastes great and has no nasties. 
Greek yoghurt - mixing yoghurt and the tandoori paste makes a perfectly tasty (and low-carb) tandoori sauce. I add lemon juice as some extra acid for balance and a meat tenderizer. The tandoori sauce is delicious as a dip or can be served as serving sauce as well. Use coconut yoghurt for a dairy free tandoori chicken.
Chicken - I use drumsticks, thigh cutlets or whole chicken when making tandoori chicken. You can use boneless breast or thigh fillets as well. When prepared this way it is called a chicken tikka or chicken tikka masala (in case you were wondering). Extra masala sauce can be used for serving or extra basting sauce.
STORING
The chicken murgh (tandoori) will store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, freeze in a ziplock bag baked or in the marinade.
WAYS TO USE TANDOORI MASALA PASTE
To make authentic chicken tandoori, use whole chicken or chicken cut into potions but still on the bone. Marinate and grill, bake, air fry, barbecue or if you are lucky enough cook in a tandoor oven.
To make chicken tikka masala use skinless chicken cut into cubes. Firstly, brown then cook in the sauce until tender and melts in your mouth.
Tandoori paste can be used with beef, lamb, pork, seafood and vegan and plant-based dishes. 
WAYS TO SERVE TANDOORI CHICKEN
Here are just some of my favourite ways to serve the tandoori chicken.
Tandoori Chicken Salad - serve cold or warm masala chicken with mixed leafy greens, chunky tomatoes, and diced avocados or guacamole.
Tandoori Chicken Wraps - oh hell yes! Add some shredded tandoori chicken to our keto tortillas or keto wraps with extra yoghurt (or tandoori sauce), mixed greens, and easy pickled onions.
Tandoori Chicken Kebabs - use diced chicken in place of pieces and thread onto skewers and marinate. Grill, bake, fry or barbecue until nicely charred and cooked through.
Serve with cauliflower rice, lemon gremolata or cilantro chimichurri. 
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SERVING SIZES
This recipe yields approximately 6 serves. The actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. 
SERVING SIZE BY WEIGHT
To calculate the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe by 6. The result will be the weight of one serving. 
NUTRITIONAL VALUES
Nutritional values shown are guidelines only. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on the brands and types of ingredients used. 
The recipe card instructions contain the most basic steps and ingredients list. If you have any queries, or questions or are unsure of substitutions, please scroll up to the blog post for more information.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serve | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 52IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg | Magnesium: 24mg | Net Carbs: 2g