Making Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken is so quick and tastes sensational. Tender, juicy chicken with a charred crispy-smoky exterior, this is authentic Tandoori chicken that cooks in record time. Serve with salad, flatbread and pilau rice for an Indian style feast!!
½tspbeet root powder or couple drops red food color(optional)
For the Chicken
8chicken drumsticks, with skin or skinless as preferred
4chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
fresh cilantro(coriander) to serve
Instructions
Make the marinade
Heat the oil or ghee in a saucepan and add all the spices. Stir over medium heat for a couple of minutes or until the spices turn fragrant. Set aside to cool.
Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic and ginger in a bowl or a lidded pyrex dish. Stir in the spice mixture, salt and food coloring, if using.
2 tsp salt, 1 cup (250g) plain yogurt, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, ½ tsp beet root powder or couple drops red food color
Marinate the chicken
Make a few slashes on the thickest part of the chicken legs and thighs using a sharp knife to allow the marinade to infuse more deeply. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
8 chicken drumsticks, 4 chicken thighs
Add the chicken to the marinade, turning so that is covered all over. Leave for a minimum of 30 minutes or a maximum of 6 hours in the fridge.
Air fry the chicken
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F / 200°C. Mist the basket with oil and place the chicken in it, spaced slightly apart (you will need to cook in batches unless you own a Ninja Foodi DualZone Air Fryer). Discard any leftover marinade.
Air fry for 8 minutes, turn the chicken over and cook for a further 8 minutes or until the chicken is at least 165°F / 75°C. You can cook it for longer until the chicken is slightly charred. Rest the chicken for five minutes before serving. Season, to taste.
salt and freshly ground pepper
Serving suggestions
Serve your tandoori chicken with pilau rice, naan bread, a quick cucumber, onion and tomato salad, cilantro and some cooling yogurt.
fresh cilantro
Video
Notes
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days, I even think that tandoori chicken tastes even better the next day! Reheat in the air fryer for a few minutes at 350°F / 180°C, shaking the basket a few times.
Leftover tandoori chicken can be used to make a wonderful Tikka Masala curry – take a look at my recipe here.
Keep your Tandoori chicken on the healthier side by using skinless chicken legs and thighs. You can also skip the step of heating the spices and simply add them directly into the marinade.
Use a spray bottle to limit how much oil you use but avoid using low calorie cooking sprays as they can damage your air fryer.