Spicy Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks is a wonderful baked or grilled recipe using a homemade spice mix. Full of flavor and great for a dinner or to serve at a party!

Name: Spicy Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 - 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 8 chicken drumsticks, with skin; 1 cup or 280 ml Low fat plain yoghurt; 1 lemon or 2 limes; 3 Tablespoons Tandoori spice powder or paste; 1 tbsp paprika; 1 tbsp cayenne pepper; 2 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tbsp onion powder; 2 tbsp dried basil; 2 tbsp coriander; 2 tbsp cumin; 2 tbsp ginger; 2 tsp cinnamon

Spicy Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks has been a family favorite for many years.

It’s such an easy dish to prepare, whether it’s for a family dinner, a party, BBQ, picnic or buffet.

The flavors are simply sublime. Of course, a true Tandoori would be made in a Tandoori oven, but most of us don’t have one of those but we can recreate the flavors and textures right at home. The taste of the Tandoori is special in that it’s difficult to describe! You get a spicy flavor, yet it is not hot as in chili hot.

The tandoori spice, mixed with the yogurt and the tang of the lemon or lime is a great combination. The marinade keeps the chicken meat moist and succulent, and the chicken skin gives you a lovely crispy texture. All these things combined with a delicious light, fresh crispy salad will win over any dinner guest!

I recently served this dish to some friends who had never had Tandoori chicken before, so they didn’t know what to expect. For all the time they were eating the chicken, all they could do was say ‘mmmmmm’. They were left speechless! I often use this marinade for chicken wings too. They are great on a BBQ and adds lovely color to your table setting. So go ahead and enjoy this ever so simple dish!

For this recipe, I’ve listed chicken drumsticks. You can use any cut of a chicken, often, I will buy a whole chicken and cut it into quarters and marinade in a big bowl. If you’re catering for a party, then drumsticks are the easiest, and depending on what else you serve, you can estimate about 2 – 3 drumsticks per person if it is the main protein you’re offering.

In the photos, I’ve used chicken quarters, with the skin on and served with some of our lovely Cilantro and Lime Rice. The combination of the Tandoori flavor with the cilantro and lime flavored rice is really out of this world! You’ll also notice some corn with the meal. On this occasion, I used my Creamy Coconut Corn recipe to cook the corn. Oh my! What a delicious combination!

You can usually buy a ready-made Tandoori spice mix or paste in a jar, however, you will find that the flavor will vary between different brands, some not so spicy or punchy in flavor, so I’ve listed below the spice mix I always use. Once you make a batch, it will keep in an airtight container so you can have a supply readily available. You only need a few tablespoons of the spice mix for this Tandoori Chicken recipe, but I can guarantee you’ll be making this often so your batch of spice mix won’t be wasted!

If you want to try a store-branded Tandoori spice mix, we can recommend this one as the tastiest. I’ve tried many different brands of paste and dry spice mixes and this Pataks brand it by far the most flavorsome. It comes in the form of a paste which you simply add to the yogurt and lemon or lime juice. I occasionally use this paste, although it is much cheaper to make your own spice mix and keep in the cupboard.

So let’s get straight to the recipe and see how we make these delicious spicy tandoor drumsticks. Please enjoy!

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks (with skin)
1 cup or 280 ml Low-fat plain yogurt
1 lemon or 2 limes, juice only
3 Tablespoons Tandoori spice powder or paste

**** To make your own Tandoori Mix (can store in airtight container)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp coriander
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
(yields about 3/4 cup)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the chicken – Use a sharp knife and make 2 to 3 diagonal incisions in the thickest part of the meat, so the knife goes down to the bone. Make the incisions all around, not just on one side. This helps the meat cook evenly.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir in the yogurt, tandoori spices and squeeze the juice of half a lemon or 1 lime. Stir everything well so it is all combined. (Save the other half lemon/lime for serving)

3. Add the drumsticks and leave covered in the fridge for 1 -2 hours, (minimum 30 minutes). The longer you leave the meat to marinade, the stronger the flavor will be.

4. Switch your grill on to medium heat and place the drumsticks on your grill rack. If you want to bake in the oven, place the chicken pieces on a grill rack, with a little water in the tray to allow the steam to keep the chicken moist and bake at 400 F / 200 C for approximately 20 minutes (depends how thick your chicken is). If you want a charred effect on the skin after baking, pop it under a very hot grill for a minute or so until the skin turns darker.

Top tip! – Pour some hot water into the bottom of your grill tray (under the rack). This will make life much easier when it comes to washing your tray as the fat and juices will not burn onto the tray. The steam from the water will also keep your meat moist whilst grilling.

5. Your drumsticks will be ready when the skin crisps up and turns slightly black and charred. Don’t forget to turn the drumsticks over when one side is done! Also, where you have made the incisions, check the juices are running clear from the bone area, and the chicken will be ready. See photo below

Once ready, serve with the other half lemon or lime (in wedges).
The chicken should be crispy on the outside with moist, juicy meat. This really is a delicious dish and can be eaten hot or cold.
Serve with a side salad of your choice, such as rocket leaves, cucumber, tomatoes and apple with a sprinkling of chopped coriander/cilantro, such as our Simple Refreshing Salad recipe.

I also served the tandoori chicken with some delicious warm couscous.

Garlic Baby Potatoes also matches well and incredibly quick and easy to make.

We’d love to hear from you and what you thought of our spicy tandoori drumsticks recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Here are some more lovely recipes for you to enjoy!

Mint and Lime Yogurt Chicken

Meat Lovers Kebabs

Kebabs With Attitude

Cheats Malaysian Chicken and Potato Curry

Yield: 3 - 4

Spicy Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks

Tandoori Chicken is a wonderful baked or grilled recipe using a homemade spice mix. Full of flavor and great for a dinner or to serve at a party!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

8 chicken drumsticks, with skin
1 cup or 280 ml Low fat plain yoghurt
1 lemon or 2 limes
3 Tablespoons Tandoori spice powder or paste

To make your own Tandoori Mix (can store in air tight container)

1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp coriander
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Prepare the chicken - Use a sharp knife and make 2 to 3 diagonal incisions in the thickest part of theIn a mixing bowl, stir in the yoghurt, tandoori spices and squeeze the juice of half a lemon or 1 lime. Stir everything well so it is all combined. (Save the other half lemon / lime for serving)
Add the drumsticks and leave covered in the fridge for 1 -2 hours, (minimum 30 minutes). The longer you leave the meat to marinade, the stronger the flavour will be.
Switch your grill on to a medium heat and place the drumsticks on your grill rack.If you want to bake in the oven, place the chicken pieces on a grill rack, with a little water in the tray to allow the steam to keep the chicken moist and bake at 400 F / 200 C for approximately 20 minutes (depends how thick your chicken is). If you want a charred effect on the skin after baking, pop it under a very hot grill for a minute or so until the skin turns darker.
Your drumsticks will be ready when the skin crisps up, and turns slightly black and charred. Don't forget to turn the drumsticks over when one side is done! Also, where you have made the incisions, check the juices are running clear from the bone area, and the chicken will be ready.
Once ready, serve with the other half lemon or lime (in wedges).

Notes

The chicken should be crispy on the outside with moist, juicy meat. This really is a delicious dish and can be eaten hot or cold.

Serve with a side salad of rocket leaves, cucumber, tomatoes and apple with a sprinkling of chopped coriander / cilantro.

I also served the chicken with some delicious warm couscous.

Baked / Jacket potato also matches well.

Recommended Products

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Pack of 1 - Patak's Tandoori Marinade/Paste (Ginger & Garlic) - Mild (11 Ounces)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 227 Total Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 118mg Sodium: 992mg Carbohydrates: 11g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 3g Protein: 25g