Tandoori Chicken Thighs (Oven and Air Fryer)

This is a simple and easy tandoori chicken thighs recipe using classic tandoori ingredients. In this recipe, I will share how to both oven bake and air fry your tandoori chicken, both methods of cooking come out excellently and will impress any guests. This is also an excellent dinner choice for the family too.

Why this recipe is a star?

• Easy and quick tandoori chicken thighs: This is an easy recipe with minimal chopping included! You can put this marinade together in a matter of minutes and it is still delicious even if you decide not to marinate overnight.
• Air fryer and oven baked tandoori chicken thighs: Most of us don’t have a tandoor at home so I am going to show you how to make air fryer tandoori chicken and tandoori chicken in the oven. Either cooking method will give you excellent results.

Other excellent appetizers are my chicken lollipops recipe or my lamb samosas.

What is tandoori chicken?

Note that tandoori chicken is chicken marinated in a spicy yoghurt marinade, with the vibrant red colour of the marinade stemming from the mild Kashmiri chilli powder that we use.

Therefore, don’t be alarmed that the chicken looks spicy, it is actually a really great Indian beginner friendly recipe for anyone who isn’t used to a lot of heat.

I paired this with a dill yoghurt sauce, which elevated the dish to the next level, but this is optional.

Tandoori chicken thighs ingredients?

• Chicken thighs: I used two as I was just making these for myself, but adjust based on however many people you are cooking for! You can use boneless or skinless, or both of those things can stay on the chicken.
• Spices and salt : 1 tsp of turmeric, 1 tsp of chilli powder (normal), 3 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp of coriander powder, 1 tsp of garam masala, half tsp of onion salt, half tsp of normal salt, 1 tsp of garlic powder and 1 tsp of methi (fenugreek leaves).
• Squeeze of lemon: This will help tenderize the chicken and adds a nice freshness to the chicken.
• 2 tbsp yoghurt: Very essential to tenderizing your chicken thighs. If you don’t want to use yoghurt though, you can try buttermilk or sour cream !
• 1 tsp oil: olive oil is fine for this.

 The dill yoghurt sauce at the bottom is simply just two tablespoons of yoghurt, freshly chopped dill, chopped garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice. It pairs perfectly with this tandoori chicken.

What to serve with tandoori chicken?

My dill yoghurt sauce is a perfect addition.

It’s also best served with rice.

Healthier grain choices might include bulgur wheat or quinoa.

How to make tandoori chicken at home, a step-by-step guide?

1. Marinate your chicken with all of the above ingredients and cover. You can marinate the chicken for up to six hours or overnight and a minimum of 30 minutes.
2. Once marinated remove the chicken and place them in your air fryer or oven.

Tandoori chicken thighs recipe in oven?

1. Pre-heat your oven to 250C.
2. While that is pre-heating, line your baking tray with baking paper. Drizzle a little bit of oil across your baking tray and carefully place your marinated chicken thighs on the baking tray.
3. Place the baking tray back into the oven for around 35 to 40 minutes and flip halfway through. In the last 5 minutes or so, flip back and allow the chicken to finish cooking.
4. Once finished cooking, let the thighs rest in the oven for around 10 to 15 minutes.

Tandoori chicken thighs in air fryer?

In my opinion, chicken thighs in the air fryer are way better and also a bit more convenient.

1. Line your air fryer with baking paper and carefully place your chicken thighs in the air fryer. I use the ninja foodi air fryer and I usually use the bake function and cook the chicken thighs at 160C for 30 minutes.
2. Once you’re 15 minutes in, flip the chicken halfway through and at the end of the timer, turn the temp up to 200C and cook for a further 3 minutes or so for a nice crisp.

How to store?

Cooked chicken will last in the fridge for three to four days.

If you want to freeze the tandoori chicken thighs, they will last in the freezer for around 3 months.

Variations and substitutions?

• Tandoori chicken marinade without yoghurt: Two ways you could go about this: skip the yoghurt entirely and marinate solely with the spices and other ingredients or alternatively, substitute it with something else! If you are just looking to be dairy free then use a plain vegan yoghurt (like the alpro plain yoghurt). If not, then you could consider using butter milk or sour cream.
• Alternative marinade: I intentionally made this recipe simple and accessible, keeping the chopping to a minimum but if you want more fresh ingredients in there you could add some chopped garlic (or fresh garlic paste) and fresh ginger paste.