Tandoori chicken is named from the bell-shaped tandoor clay oven used to create naan, or Indian flatbread. 

Skinless thighs and legs are marinated in a tenderising mixture of yoghurt, lemon juice, and spices, and the meat is cut to the bone in various places to allow the marinade to enter and the chicken to cook faster.

The crimson colour of the chicken comes from either a lot of spicy pepper or the addition of red food colouring. 
 

We're not huge on food dyes, so we omitted it, but if you want your chicken to be bright red, add a dab of red food dye to the marinade. 

To cook tandoori chicken, you don't need a tandoor oven! (Thank god). You can grill it (charcoal preferable) or just broil it in the oven. 
 

The trick to tandoori chicken is to use bone-in thighs and legs (yay! one of our favourite cuts), which have enough fat to keep them moist under the grill's heat. We discourage using chicken breasts in this recipe because they will dry out quickly. Skinless parts should be used. But if you have extra skins (we bought our pieces skin-on), soak them in the marinade and slowly cook them until crispy. It's even better than bacon.

Chicken Tandoori preparation: 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 tablespoon sweet (not hot) paprika

1 cup plain yogurt (can sub buttermilk)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon salt

4 whole chicken leg quarters (drumsticks and thighs), skinless, bone-in.

1.Heat the oil in a tiny pan over medium heat, then add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, garam masala, and paprika. Stir often for about 2-3 minutes, or until the spices are fragrant. Wait to totally cool.

2.Lemon juice, ginger, garlic, and spices are whisked into yoghurt. The yoghurt should be whisked with the cooled spice-oil combination before adding the lemon juice, garlic, salt, and ginger.

3.Chicken should be slashed fully, marinated, and chilled. Cut 3 to 4 deep (to the bone) cuts across the leg/thigh sections. If you are using separate drumsticks and thighs, just make 2-3 cuts. Apply the marinade to the chicken, cover, and chill for no more than eight hours and no more than six hours. 
4.Grill preparation: Set up your grill so that one side will be very hot from direct heat and the other side will be cooler from indirect heat. If you're using charcoal, make sure there aren't any coals on one side of the grill so that there are hot and cool sides. Just turn on half of the burners if you're using a gas grill. To clean the grill grates, use tongs with a paper towel wet with vegetable oil. 

5.Take the chicken out of the marinade and shake off any extra, then set it on the hot side of the grill. The coating should be thin and even, not gloppy. Place the covered chicken pieces on the grill's hot side. Before checking, cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn the chicken so that both sides are golden (perhaps even a little burned).

6.Chicken should be moved to the cool side of the grill, covered, and cooked. Depending on the size of the chicken and the grill's temperature, cook under a cover for at least 20 minutes and possibly up to 40 minutes (or more). When the chicken's fluids flow clean, it is finished.

Before serving, let it sit for at least five minutes. It tastes fantastic cold the next day or even at room temperature. Serve with Indian flatbread (naan) or rice prepared in the way of India, along with raita made with yoghurt on the side.

Enjoy your yummy tandoori chicken at home.