Description
A recipe for vibrant Indian Tandoori chicken legs, made at home on your charcoal grill, without any food colors!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3 skinless chicken leg quarters (approx. 0.75 -1 lb each) (see FAQs & Notes and Variations)
- 4-6 sprigs of cilantro, leaves and tender parts of stem, roughly chopped, for garnishing
- 1/2 small red onion, sliced, for garnishing
- 1/2 lemon cut into wedges, for serving
- tandoori naan or roti, for serving
- mint-yogurt chutney, for serving
The Marinade
- 3/4 cup unsweetened, plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp mustard oil or a neutral oil of your choice
- Juice of a 1/2 medium lemon
- 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder or as needed
- 1 tsp Tandoori Masala (I recommend Everest Tandoori Masala) (see FAQs & Notes)
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, make 3-4 slits across each of the chicken legs, about 1.5-2 inches apart. Set side until you’re ready to use.
- Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl.
- Using a whisk or a spatula, stir to combine all the ingredients well.
- Using your hands (you can wear gloves if you want), add the chicken to the mixed marinade and massage the marinade, ensuring it gets into the slits and the crevices.
- Make sure all the chicken legs are coated evenly.
- Cover and let it marinate on the counter for 30 minutes – 1 hour. If you have time, you can marinate in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours or overnight.
- While the chicken marinates, preheat the charcoal grill to about 400°F (200 °C).
- Place the marinated chicken leg quarters skin side up on the grill.
- Grill covered for 18-20 minutes.
- Flip the chicken legs to grill the other side.
- Continue cooking covered for another 18-20 minutes .
- Chicken is ready when the internal temperature of the chicken on a thermometer reads 165°F or 75°C.
- Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with cilantro leaves and sliced onions. Serve immediately with tandoori naan or roti, lemon wedges, green chilies and cooling mint-yogurt chutney.