Baked Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks

This is a simple dish but requires marination by planning 1-2 days ahead. Typically, Tandoori style chicken will have yogurt and various Indian spices in the marinade. I came up with this recipe that is yogurt-free and requires no substitute such as plant-based yogurts. I’ve also removed all the usual Indian spices from this recipe and minimized it to include only the ingredients that can still provide the look and desired flavor of Tandoori chicken.

Serve with rice and/or naan, along with a condiment of dairy-free yogurt, or simply on its own as a good protein snack on the go.

Yield: approx. 15 drumsticks

Difficulty Level: Low

Total Time: 1-2 days with marination

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Marination: 24-48 hours

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

4 pounds small chicken drumsticks

⅓ cup oil

Cooking oil spray

Juice of half fresh lemon (1 ½ tablespoons)

4-6 garlic cloves, grated or minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated or minced

1 tablespoon white vinegar

2 teaspoons cumin powder

1 ¾ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons kashmiri mirchi

1 ½ teaspoons annatto

1 teaspoon amchoor

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon citric acid

½ bunch roughly chopped mint

Instructions

1. Remove skin from drumsticks with paper towel. Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry and set aside.

2. Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl that will hold the chicken during marination.

3. Add the chicken and mix until completely coated in the marination mixture.

4. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight. Can leave max 2 days if desired, but overnight works great too.

5. Bring chicken to room temperature 20 minutes prior to baking.

6. Heat oven to 400F.

7. Line a large a baking tray with parchment paper.

8. Place one drumstick at a time on the baking sheet. Ensure there is some marination juice coating the chicken when placing on tray, but do not pour the extra marination juice over the chicken, as this won’t give the desired outcome once cooked.

9. Spray cooking oil over chicken, to keep from drying out.

10. Bake for 40 minutes.

11. Turn each chicken leg over once at the end of this cooking time. Spray cooking spray over chicken.

12. Bake another 10 mins until juice on baking tray is re-absorbed into chicken.

13. Remove from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. To keep from drying out cover lightly with parchment paper during this time.