Happiness is this tandoori style grilled chicken recipe at the table for dinner. Give this recipe a try the next time you need some new flavors at your table. It is so easy to make and tastes amazing for every bite.
This Tandoori Style Grilled Chicken recipe is: Low Carb and Gluten Free.
Why I Made These TANDOORI STYLE GRILLED CHICKEN LEGS
Before leaving for France, I was turned onto tandoori chicken at a restaurant in Cleveland. It was so good that I had to get it again. And again. There's just something about it which is addicting to my palate.
While we were living in France, I was playing around with different ways to make tandoori style chicken without an actual tandoori oven. Well, the grill is as close as I could come to the tandoori... so that's how this recipe was born.
Why this Tandoori Chicken Recipe is Great
I love this recipe because it tastes fantastic and uses such fresh, wonderful ingredients.
We're going to use greek yogurt as the base for the marinade and load it up with wonderful spices.
Keep in mind that it doesn't actually take 2 hours to make this recipe, but that is how long we are going to leave the legs in the marinade.
Here's a quick tip: If you want, load them into the marinade in the morning before leaving for work and they will be good to go when you get home! Or, toss them in the fridge the night before and they're ready when you wake up!
HOW TO MAKE TANDOORI STYLE GRILLED CHICKEN
It couldn't be easier to make tandoori style grilled chicken. Here are the steps:
- Combine greek yogurt, grated ginger, paprika, fresh garlic, ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne powder, salt and olive oil together in a large bowl.
- Place your chicken legs or thighs into the marinade, mix well to cover all the chicken.
- Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat your grill for 10 minutes on high heat.
- Cook the legs for 10 minutes on one side. Flip and repeat for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken legs when the interior temperature has reached a minimum of 165F. I recommend taking the temperature higher for this recipe to firm up the chicken more.
- Add to a platter or serving dish.
- Sprinkle with cilantro and a fresh squeeze of lime.
- The most important step: Enjoy!
TRY THESE CHICKEN DINNER RECIPES
If you love the look of my tandoori style grilled chicken, then you should definitely check out some of my other fantabulous chicken recipes:
The Best Damn Pesto Chicken Wings
Scrumptious Chicken Saltimbocca
Gluten Free Chicken Cordon Bleu
Cheese & Herb Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Fantastic Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
Tandoori Style Grilled Chicken
Whether you use thighs or legs, this recipe won't disappoint. We're going to use the grill in the place of a tandoori oven, but have no fear- it is going to be delicious! This is a low carb, keto and gluten free recipe.
Ingredients
- 10 Chicken Legs
- 1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, Grated
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic, Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ Teaspoon Cayenne
- 2 Teaspoons Coarse Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Tabelspoons Cilantro, Chopped
- 1 Lime, Cut in wedges
Instructions
- Measure out the dry spices, garlic and ginger.
- Combine with the plain yogurt and olive oil.
- Add in the chicken legs to the yogurt mixture. Coat well and allow to marinate for 2 hours.
- Turn your gas grill to high and allow to heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the marinated chicken to the grill and either spoon any remaining marinade over the chicken or discard.
- Cook for 10 minutes on one side. Flip and cook an additional 10 minutes or until the internal temperature of 175F is achieved.
- Remove from the grill and add to a platter with lime wedges and cilantro.
Notes
FOR THE BEST RESULTS:
For this recipe, you're going to want to take the temperature to 175F for one reason only: the texture of the chicken. The chicken leg will be cooked at 165F, but will be a bit stringy. Take it another 10 degrees (or even 15 degrees) to firm up the chicken a little bit.
Let the chicken marinate longer if possible. It's not necessary, but the flavors really penetrate the chicken.
My recommendation is to not add the cilantro to the chicken before it goes on the grill. It has a tendency to burn and lose all its flavor.
SUBSTITUTION AND ALTERNATE FLAVOR IDEAS:
If you don't want to use fresh garlic, go ahead and use some granulated garlic. I would add in about a tablespoon and see how it tastes.
I have made this recipe with chicken thighs with the skin on as well. It is really tasty. I tried it with chicken breasts and it was just okay. The fat from the skin really adds a lot of flavor.
If you want a RED or PINK color to the tandoori chicken, you need to add in some Kashmir chili powder. I don't have any and it tastes great with the cayenne, but lacks the distinct red color of traditional tandoori.
HOW TO SERVE AND STORE:
To reheat, either place back on a warm grill for 10 minutes or place on a rimmed baking sheet, cover with foil and reheat at 375F for 15 minutes. Reheating in a pan is not a pleasant experience with this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Yield
10Serving Size
gAmount Per Serving Calories 258Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 126mgSodium 538mgCarbohydrates 2.4gNet Carbohydrates 1.4gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 26.5g
This website provides approximate nutrition data and information for convenience and as a courtesy only.
Seth says
I tried this recipe last night. I found that it stuck to the grill a little more than I expected. I still gave it 5 stars though because of the awesome flavor. WOW. Good stuff.
Scott Groth says
Hi Seth:
Thanks, the flavor really is divine! You know, it also stuck to my grill. So I did a little digging and I found out the cause - it's the greek yogurt... If you've ever seen dried yogurt in a bowl, it looks like glue. Yogurt dries way faster on the grill. So I tried oiling the grate on the grill before putting the chicken. And bam - it didn't stick! Try it and let me know how it went!
Have a wonderful day!
Scott