Air Fryer Reference
Tandoori Chicken
protein · fresh
- Temperature
- 375 °F
- 191 °C
- Total time
- 25 min
- A single layer of 4–6 bone-in pieces fills a standard basket and serves 2–3; cook in batches rather than crowding so the marinade chars instead of steaming
- Flip at
- 13 min
- flip once
- Internal temp
- 175 °F
- 79 °C
Doneness
Done when the yogurt marinade has charred into a deep red-orange crust with blackened edges and the thickest part reads 175 °F (79 °C) at the bone — bone-in dark meat is most tender taken past the 165 °F safe minimum, where the connective tissue softens and the meat pulls cleanly off the bone. Flip once at the halfway mark so both sides char, and slash each piece to the bone before marinating so the heat and spice reach the centre. The juices should run clear.
Oil & seasoning
Brush or spray the marinated pieces lightly with oil before cooking — a little oil helps the yogurt crust char into the signature blackened edges instead of drying out.
Season with: Classic tandoori: yogurt with ginger-garlic, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, Kashmiri chili and lemon (the red colour comes from Kashmiri chili, not food dye)., Extra-spicy: a chili-heavy marinade with extra cayenne and green chili for serious heat., Chicken tikka: the same marinade on boneless cubes threaded on skewers for quicker-cooking bites., With mint-yogurt chutney: served alongside a cooling mint-coriander-yogurt dip and lemon wedges..
Watch out for
- Marinate at least 1 hour — overnight for the best flavour and most tender meat — since the yogurt's acidity needs time to penetrate and tenderize.
- Slash each piece to the bone before marinating so the marinade and heat reach the centre and it cooks evenly.
- Cook bone-in dark meat to 175 °F (79 °C), not just the 165 °F minimum — the extra heat melts the connective tissue so the meat turns tender and pulls off the bone.
- Keep the pieces in a single layer and flip once; crowding steams the marinade instead of charring it into the signature crust.