Indian Chicken Recipes: Best Ways to Cook Tender, Flavorful Chicken Dishes

When you think of Indian chicken recipes, a broad category of flavorful, spice-driven dishes centered around chicken, often using yogurt, turmeric, cumin, and chili. Also known as chicken curry or tandoori chicken, these dishes are the backbone of home cooking across India—quick to make, deeply satisfying, and built to last. What makes them different from other grilled or fried chicken? It’s not just heat or spice. It’s how the chicken is treated before it hits the pan or tandoor. A good Indian chicken recipe starts with a marinade—usually yogurt mixed with garlic, ginger, and ground spices—that tenderizes the meat and locks in flavor. The yogurt doesn’t just soften; it creates a protective layer that keeps the chicken moist even under high heat.

You’ll find tandoori chicken, a classic dish where chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices, then cooked in a clay oven at very high temperatures. Also known as tandoori style chicken, it’s the reason so many people crave charred edges and juicy interiors. Then there’s chicken curry, a rich, saucy dish where raw chicken is seared and simmered slowly with tomatoes, onions, and a blend of whole and ground spices. Also known as Indian chicken stew, it’s the kind of meal that fills the whole house with smell and leaves everyone asking for seconds. These aren’t just recipes—they’re techniques. Searing before simmering. Marinating overnight. Using whole spices toasted in oil to unlock their oils. Skipping these steps? You’ll get plain chicken in sauce. Do them right? You get something that tastes like it came from a roadside dhaba in Punjab or a family kitchen in Kerala.

What you’ll find in the collection below isn’t just a list of recipes. It’s a guide to the real tricks behind the dishes you love. Why does tandoori chicken taste so much better when it’s cooked in a tandoor? What happens if you skip searing the chicken in curry? How do you keep it from drying out? You’ll see answers to these questions—and more. No fluff. No theory. Just what works, tested in real kitchens, with real ingredients, by real cooks. Whether you’re new to Indian food or you’ve been making butter chicken for years, there’s something here that’ll make your next chicken dish better than the last.