Baked or Grilled Tandoori Chicken Legs

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Grilled Tandoori Chicken Legs bring Indian-inspired flavors to your backyard barbecue. Or they can even be baked. Just soak them in a simple marinade made with coconut milk and a blend of savory spices before you toss them on the grill or in the oven to end up with juicy and mouthwatering drumsticks that will disappear as soon as you set them on the table.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

Tandoori Chicken Legs on the Grill or in the Oven

My husband absolutely loves Indian food. When we lived in New Jersey, many of our Indian colleagues would take him to their favorite restaurants where he would dig into curries and butter chicken and naan, then follow it all up with Mango Lassis.

It was a good thing that his friends would take him to enjoy these dishes because, unfortunately for him, the richness and spices have always been a bit much for my tastebuds and stomach. But I didn’t want him to miss out too much, nor did I want to. Because I actually love the flavors of all of those ingredients and spices.

So I started experimenting with making some Indian-inspired dishes at home, where I could control the level of spice. So I could enjoy how delicious it was without overdoing it too much for what I can handle.

Like these Tandoori-style grilled chicken drumsticks. Tandoori chicken is typically marinated with a lot of spices, but it isn’t necessarily spicy. It’s just an explosion of the flavors from the warm and smoky spices like cinnamon and cumin and cardamom.

Why This Recipe Works

While the word “tandoori” often evokes thoughts of spicy Indian cuisine, it really refers to the method of cooking in a tandoor oven. Using the grill or cooking the chicken on a rack in the oven produces a similar result. It’s really all about the marinade.

This tandoori chicken legs recipe uses coconut milk as the base for the marinade as opposed to the traditional yogurt in order to make a dairy-free version with an extra infusion of flavor. The acid in the yogurt is supposed to help the flavors work their way through the meat. In order to have the acid, the marinade uses the juice of the lime instead of just the zest.

After a long soak, the heavily seasoned marinade permeates the meat and ensures moist and tender chicken legs that are bursting with flavors and spices, but definitely not blow-you-away hot. Whether you bake or grill these tandoori chicken drumsticks, your mind will be blown by how fabulous it tastes.

Ingredients

Make sure you check your spice cabinet to make sure you have all the spices you’ll need. Other than that, it’s just a few simple ingredients to make this gluten free, paleo-friendly, and keto recipe.

• Light coconut milk: You’ll need one can.
• Lime: Zest it first, then juice it because you’ll need both.
• Cilantro: Mince some for the marinade, then if you have extra you can use the leaves for garnish.
• Garlic: Finely mince it with a knife or crush it with a garlic press.
• Dried spices: You’ll use a mix of dried ground ginger, paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
• Chicken legs: Pick up one big package, about 3-4 pounds.

How to Bake or Grill Tandoori Chicken Legs

It’s really simple. Just check out the recipe card for all of the details.

Marinate the chicken drumsticks

Stir all of the ingredients except the chicken together in a bowl. Place the chicken legs in a plastic storage bag (or a bowl, though a plastic bag allows the marinade to coat the chicken better). Pour the coconut milk mixture over the drumsticks, seal the bag, and place in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.

Grilling chicken legs

If you are grilling, preheat your grill on medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, dry with paper towels, and place it on the grill. Grill over indirect medium heat for 40-50 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the meat reaches a temperature of 165°F.

Baking chicken drumsticks

If you are baking, preheat the oven to 450°F, and place a cooling rack on top of a cooking sheet. Remove the chicken from the marinade, dry with paper towels, and place it on the rack. Bake for 30 minutes, flip the legs, then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the meat reaches a temperature of 165°F.

Serve

Sprinkle with additional cilantro for garnish if desired. Enjoy right away!

What Can I Serve with Tandoori Chicken Legs?

5 from 3 votes

Baked or Grilled Tandoori Chicken Legs

A simple marinade filled with exotic flavors brings mild but flavorful Indian-inspired flair to your picnic with Baked or Grilled Tandoori Chicken Legs.

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Marinating Time 6 hrs

Total: 30 mins

Servings: 6

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Ingredients

• one 14 oz. can light coconut milk
• juice and zest of a lime
• 2 Tablespoons minced cilantro, plus additional for garnish, if desired
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3-4 pounds chicken legs

Instructions

• In a bowl, combine the coconut milk, lime zest and juice, cilantro, garlic, paprika, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper. Stir until well mixed.
• Transfer the marinade and chicken legs to a large plastic storage bag or a bowl and mix around until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.

For grilling the chicken:

• If you are grilling, preheat your grill to medium, remove the chicken from the marinade, dry with paper towels, and place on the grill. Grill over indirect medium heat for 40-50 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the meat reaches a temperature of 165°F.
• Sprinkle with additional cilantro for garnish if desired and serve immediately.

For baking the chicken:

• If you are baking, preheat the oven to 450°F, and place a cooling rack on top of a cooking sheet. Remove the chicken from the marinade, dry with paper towels, and place on the rack. Bake for 30 minutes, flip the legs, then bake for and additional 10-15 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the meat reaches a temperature of 165°F.
• Sprinkle with additional cilantro for garnish if desired and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Baked or Grilled Tandoori Chicken Legs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 345 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 10g50%

Cholesterol 120mg40%

Sodium 941mg39%

Potassium 315mg9%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 715IU14%

Vitamin C 0.6mg1%

Calcium 32mg3%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Keywords: tandoori chicken legs

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