My family’s favorite Tandoori Chicken Thighs are marinated in Greek yogurt, olive oil, and a medley of bold garam masala spices! This chicken tandoori is oven-baked to tender and juicy perfection in just 30 minutes, so it’s perfect for weeknights. With all that flavor and such easy steps, this has quickly become my favorite Indian chicken recipe!
This is one of those recipes that has it all! Tandoori chicken thighs are one of my favorite Indian dishes to make for so many reasons: they’re tender, super flavorful, and easy as can be. After marinating the thighs, you just toss them on a baking sheet and let them cook for half an hour. Oh, and the best part? Even my little picky eaters love these baked chicken thighs. That’s a huge win for me!
What’s in this Baked Tandoori Chicken Thighs recipe?
If you love Indian cuisine as much as I do, you’re going to dream about this baked chicken recipe, which only requires a few simple ingredients.
- Chicken Thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this Tandoori recipe because they’re much juicier, and the skin gets nice and crispy in the oven. You can swap for boneless/skinless if you’d like, just note that the cooking time will decrease slightly.
- Greek Yogurt: Use full-fat, plain Greek yogurt for the tandoori chicken marinade. The lactic acid in yogurt slowly breaks down proteins and tenderizes the meat!
- Spices: Garam masala, paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, chili flakes, and salt create the most incredibly rich Indian chicken flavor.
Can I make this recipe with chicken breasts?
I really like to make this easy chicken Tandoori recipe with thighs because they come out so tasty and tender, but you can make this with chicken breasts if you prefer. You will need to reduce the cooking time slightly if you use breasts.
To check if they’re fully cooked, I recommend using an instant-read meat thermometer! Insert it into the thickest part of the thighs, and make sure it reaches 165°F.
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How to Store and Reheat
These tandoori chicken thighs are best served right out of the oven, but if you have leftovers they will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can enjoy them cold, shredded on top of a salad, or reheated in the oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. When reheating, I recommend covering the chicken thighs with foil so the skin doesn’t burn.
How to Freeze
Allow the cooked chicken thighs to fully cool to room temperature prior to freezing. Store in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Let thighs defrost in the fridge prior to reheating.
Notes and Tips
- Chicken thighs can marinate in the spiced yogurt for up to 24 hours. I recommend throwing them in the fridge to marinate in the morning, so they’re ready to cook when you get home.
- I love crispy skin on my Tandoori thighs, so I like to broil them in the oven for just a minute or so after they’re done baking.
- Like it spicy? Me too! Sprinkle in some extra chili flakes to add more heat.
- Or, if you’re making this dish for more sensitive palates, cut back on the chili flakes or omit them entirely.
- Let the chicken thighs rest for at least 10 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute. When you cut the chicken too early, you end up drying it out.
Top Reader Review
“Bomb dot com! Complexity and evolution of flavor from front to back! I love these. And this is a relatively simple recipe for Tandoori chicken I think.” – Zane
“This recipe worked perfectly for our family! I was amazed at the simplicity and how close the result was to a real tandoor style. Easily done on a weekday evening with a bit of planning. We liked the suggested salt level. Thank you Becky!” — Nandini
Tandoori Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼- ½ teaspoon chili flakes depending on desired spice level
- 1½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Chopped fresh cilantro optional, for serving
- Lime wedges optional, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, olive oil, and all of the spices.¼ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 2 teaspoons ground paprika, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- Rub the yogurt marinade over the chicken thighs and place them in a bowl. Cover and leave to marinate for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to overnight.1½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Once well-marinated, preheat oven to 425°F. Spread the marinated chicken thighs skin side up in an 8×8-inch parchment- or foil-lined pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F.
- If you would like to crisp up your chicken even further, turn on the broiler and broil the chicken for 1-2 minutes, or until it has reached desired crispiness.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before enjoying sprinkled with cilantro and fresh lime juice.Chopped fresh cilantro, Lime wedges
Notes
How to Make Tandoori Chicken Thighs Step by Step
Make the Yogurt Marinade: In a small bowl, stir together ¼ cup of full-fat plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, 2 teaspoons of ground paprika, ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon of ground cumin, ½ teaspoon of ground coriander, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ¼- ½ teaspoon of chili flakes
Marinate the Chicken: Place 1½ pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in the yogurt marinade, and rub to coat. Cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to overnight (8 hours is preferable, in my opinion).
Bake the Chicken Thighs: Spread the marinated chicken thighs skin side up in a prepared baking dish (lined with parchment paper). Roast at 425°F for 30-35 minutes, or until fully cooked through. For crispier skin, broil at the end of cook time for another 1-2 minutes.
Serve: Let the tandoori chicken thighs rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with rice and fresh naan!
More Easy Chicken Thigh Recipes We Love
- Honey Mustard Chicken Skillet
- Lemon Butter Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Florentine
- Huli Huli Chicken
- Moroccan Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Cajun Butter Chicken Thighs
- If you’re in the mood for something unique and delicious, I hope you give this Yum Yum Chicken a try!
could I use boneless and skinless chicken thighs instead?
Absolutely! They may take a bit longer to cook, though!
Boneless/skinless will take less time
I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs and added some fresh lemon juice to the marinade (only because I didn’t quite have 2 hours for the full marinade. It was SPECTACULAR!! And very easy. It will definitely be added to our rotation on a regular basis. (I served it with coconut mango dal and the combination was perfect). Thank you for a wonderful and easy recipe!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Julie!
Julie M, what was the time and temp you did for the boneless skinless thighs? Thanks!
Definitely reduce the salt by at least half.
I added almost double the yogurt after tasting and it was still too salty. Ruined the flavour a bit
Thanks for sharing what worked for you, AC! Sorry to hear this wasn’t quite to your tastes!
2 teaspoons of salt! Did you mean 1/2 teaspoon?
I followed your recipe but it was too salty and couldn’t be eaten.
This recipe is great but you only need half the salt! I made it as written and it was very salty. If you remove the skin the meat was ok. I didn’t have time to marinate the thighs but it still turned out great! I will definitely make this again.
Hi Dana, make sure you are using kosher salt, not table salt! Table salt will make this dish much saltier!
Very tasty recipe!