Air fryer recipe · Starters
Smoky Tandoori Chicken Legs
Charred, spice-soaked chicken legs that smell like a roadside dhaba straight from your air fryer.
- 45 minTotal time
- 200°CAir fryer
- 2Serves
- Non-vegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 230kcal
- 31.7 gprotein
- 13.7 gcarbs
- 6.2 gfat
- 3.0 gfibre
Per serving, about 2 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Chicken legs (skinless, slashed)4 pieces
- Thick hung curd3/4 cup
- Ginger-garlic paste2 tbsp
- Kashmiri red chilli powder1.5 tbsp
- Tandoori masala1 tbsp
- Lemon juice2 tbsp
Method
Score and pre-marinate
Make three deep diagonal slashes across each chicken leg right down to the bone so the spices can travel inside. Rub the legs with lemon juice, half the ginger-garlic paste and a pinch of salt, then let them sit for fifteen minutes while you build the main marinade.
Whisk the tandoori marinade
In a wide bowl beat the hung curd until smooth, then fold in the Kashmiri chilli powder, tandoori masala, remaining ginger-garlic paste and a teaspoon of salt. The curd must be thick and clinging, not runny, or it will slide off the chicken during cooking.
Coat and rest
Smother each leg in the marinade, pressing it deep into the slashes with your fingers. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours, though overnight gives the deepest colour and the most tender bite.
Preheat and arrange
Preheat the air fryer for four minutes and lightly brush the basket with oil so the skin-side does not stick. Lay the legs in a single layer with space between them, as crowding traps steam and you lose that prized char.
Air-fry to a charred finish
Air-fry the legs at 200C for 25 minutes, flipping them halfway and brushing with a little melted butter. They are done when the edges blacken slightly and the juices run clear at the bone.
