Traditional tandoori chicken is made in a clay oven, but this version of the classic Indian chicken dinner is baked on a sheet pan with Indian spiced vegetables for a complete meal any night of the week.
Sheet Pan Tandoori Chicken
Chicken dinner ideas that are full of flavor but easy to make are definitely my idea of weeknight success.
It’s what I call my dinner flavor jam. Minus the literal jam.
This 30-minute chicken and vegetables recipe comes to you from the New York Times Best Seller Skinnytaste One & Done Cookbook, written by my friend Gina of the blog Skinnytaste. This is Gina’s third cookbook, and home cooks everywhere are applauding and thanking it every time they use it.
Each of the recipes are family favorites made healthy and they’re Weight Watchers friendly. They’re all cooked in either a skillet, in the slow cooker, in the Instant Pot, in the air fryer, or on a sheet pan in the oven, just like this easy, all-in-one sheet pan tandoori chicken dinner.
What is Tandoori Chicken?
We didn’t eat much Indian-style food growing up, so when I had my first meal at an Indian restaurant I had to ask my friend, what is tandoori style? It’s simply the method of cooking directly over charcoal in a ceramic walled tandoor oven where the heat can reach smoky hot temperatures, similar but different than a pizza oven.
But with this tandoori chicken and vegetables recipe, you don’t need a tandoor oven to make it. Instead, a hot oven and sheet pan will do.
see more: 31 Winter Winner Chicken Dinner Ideas To Make Now
What’s in This Tandoori Chicken and Vegetables?
This Indian chicken dish has three main components: the tandoori chicken itself, the veggies that are roasted alongside the meat, and the creamy yogurt sauce that’s dolloped on before serving.
To make this tandoori chicken and vegetables recipe, you’ll need:
- Plain yogurt
- Lemon juice
- Onion
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Chicken thighs
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Olive oil
- Fresh cilantro
see more: 31 Days of Sheet Pan Dinners
In addition to fresh garlic and ginger, dry spices give the chicken its signature Indian flavor. What is tandoori spice mix? It’s a simple mix of the classic Indian spices:
- Garam masala
- Turmeric
- Cayenne pepper
- Paprika
- Kosher salt
Garam masala is the warming flavor that comes from toasted spices (coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, cloves) and varies upon region. These days it can readily be found in nearly every grocery store, or here’s how to make garam masala at home.
see more: 20 One-Pot Wonder Meals—They’re What’s for Dinner
How to Make Tandoori Chicken in the Oven
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are marinated in yogurt to tenderize and flavor each bite. Marinating chicken in yogurt adds enzymes and just enough acid to break down the protein in chicken without making it tough. Like buttermilk, it’s what creates a tender and flavorful bite.
Unlike traditional tandoori chicken, there’s no red dye in this recipe. Instead, paprika adds the classic color. Tandoori chicken isn’t spicy either, even though the oddly fluorescent red color may make you think so.
To make this meal complete, veggies are roasted right alongside the chicken. Carrots and cauliflower get a dusting with the garam masala spice mixture that caramelizes as the veggies roast.
The chicken and vegetables are served with a garlicky yogurt sauce for dipping. I doubled this part when I made it because it isn’t something to skimp on.
see more: 20 Easy Healthy Cauliflower Recipes to Make for Dinner Tonight
Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead?
Most likely, yes. However, you may want to cut them down a little thinner depending on the original thickness of the breasts.
Can I Use Other Veggies in This Dish?
Absolutely! This Indian baked chicken and vegetables recipe calls for rainbow carrots and cauliflower, but you’re welcome to use whatever veggies you have on hand.
More vegetables that pair well with this Indian chicken dish are:
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Zucchini
- Squashes (like butternut or acorn)
- Brussels sprouts
see more: 20 Chicken Dinner Ideas You Can Make On The Sheet Pan
Tips for Making Tandoori Chicken in the Oven
You can get away with marinating the chicken for as little as an hour, but it’s also okay to leave it in the fridge overnight. Don’t let the chicken sit in the marinade longer than that, otherwise it’ll become tough and chewy.
Gina recommends using full-fat whole yogurt rather than Greek yogurt so the sauce doesn’t separate or become watery.
Also note that using freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh ginger makes a big difference in this recipe. You need those fresh flavors to balance out the spices in this dish!
More Easy Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
- Indian Butter Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon Rosemary Butter
- 30-Minute Chicken Parmesan
- One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats
Easy Tandoori Chicken and Vegetables
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- ¼ cup whole-milk yogurt , (not Greek)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic , pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs , trimmed of fat (3 ½ ounces each)
- Olive oil spray
For the Vegetables:
- 1 ½ pounds rainbow carrots , halved and cut lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 cups medium cauliflower florets , (about 1 whole head)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Yogurt Sauce:
- ½ cup whole-milk yogurt , (not Greek)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic , pressed or minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro , plus more for garnish
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, smoked paprika, and salt. Place the chicken thighs in a gallon freezer bag with the marinade and refrigerate for 1 hour up to overnight.
- When ready to cook, adjust an oven rack in the center and another 4-6 inches from the broiler. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a large rimmed sheet pan with oil.
For the Vegtables:
- In a large bowl or on a plate, toss the carrots and cauliflower with olive oil. Sprinkle with the garam masala, salt, and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Spread the vegetables onto the pan. Remove the chicken from the marinade, scrape off the excess, and nestle the chicken thighs in with the vegetables. Lightly spray with oil.
- Roast on the center rack until the vegetables are tender adn the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
For the Yogurt Sauce:
- In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cilantro, and salt.
- Switch the oven to broil. Move the pan to the higher rack and broil until the chicken and vegetable are slightly charred, about 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with the chipped cilantro and serve with the yogurt sauce on the side.
Notes
- This tandoori chicken recipe calls for cauliflower and carrots as the main vegetables, but feel free to experiment and try other variations too.
Nutrition
More Favorite Chicken Dinners to Make Now
- Crispy Smoked Paprika Chicken
- 30-Minute Caprese Chicken Recipe
- Easy Chicken Breasts With Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Potato Chip Crusted Chicken Breasts Recipe
- 30-Minute Creamy Mushroom And Leek Chicken Breasts
See more of Gina’s recipes on her recipe blog Skinnytaste and purchase the Skinnytaste One and Done Cookbook here.
We send good emails. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more FoodieCrush inspiration.
As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There are affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
This was crazy amazing. Added a bit more veggies and was still amazing
Hi Heidi,
I made this meal tonight and it was really delicious. I’ve now learned the secret to roasting ; putting the pans( I always make more!) in at 425 first, then under the broiler at the end was the perfect thing to do! My veggies were cooked first ( carrots always take longer) then the broiling charred everything beautifully. I’m a pretty confident cook, but thank you Heidi for teaching me something new! I also made jasmine rice and put a bit of Patak’s curry paste ,chopped cilantro and a Tbsp of “ Better than bouillon “ chicken paste in the water and it was delicious with the meal. I forgot to take a picture,but it looked company worthy and so , so yummy! Thanks
Happy you enjoyed Susan!
Quick and easy with great flavors. Subbed out the carrots for zucchini. A definite repeat.
We are socially isolating and all I have is Greek yogurt…will this recipe still work?
Definitely!
this was delicious. We used frozen broccoli and it worked great
Always good to be able to prep from the freezer! Thanks Jenny.
I made this tonight. It was sooo delicious! The Indian spices were not overpowering, just right. I loved the yogurt sauce that goes with it. Yumm! I would totally make this again. Winner Winner!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Sarah!
This is one of my favorite recipes that I have made several times! I want to include it in a round-up blog post with some of my family’s favorite recipes. Are you okay if I use one of your images from this post?
Sure, that’s fine!
This was so much fun to make and it had amazing flavor. We decided to do it straight from this recipe (cut up as chunks of chicken breast though so slightly different cook times) and paired it with basmati rice, roasted vegetables (broccoli and rainbow carrots), grilled pineapple, and the raita yogurt dipping sauce from this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing this! It’s a new family favorite :)
That sounds amazing! So glad it was a hit. Thank you Kait!
Tandoori chicken with vegetables! A great twist to Indian recipe. Waiting for more such easy & tasty recipes.
Oh my, that looks absolutely amazing. I am going to make this as soon as it cools down a little more.
Really great dish, thank you for sharing it, nice to have the flavors of classic Indian food in an easy to handle sheet pan and also a great way to add these flavors to the most bland of vegetables like cauliflower
Wow! My copy of SkinnyTaste arrived today. Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you Christi!! I hope you love it!
How would this recipe work with chicken breasts?
You may want to cut them down a little thinner depending on the original thickness. Enjoy, Barbara!
great dish, thank you for sharing it, nice to have the flavors of classic Indian food in an easy to handle sheet pan and also a great way to add these flavors to the most bland of vegetables like cauliflower
Thank you so much, Sabrina!
This looks so delicious. I love easy dinners. I need this in my life!
Me too, Kelly!! Enjoy!
So vibrant and full of flavours ! Thank you !
Thank you!!
Oh my goodness, I’m legit drooling, this looks so amazing Heidi! I love Gina’s new book, I’ve been cooking my way through it. I somehow missed this one so I cannot wait to add it to list!
Thank you so much for linking to the carne asada fries I made from the Skinnytaste One and Done cookbook, I really appreciate that (and oh my goodness were they delicious).
Hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season
Phi
Thank you so much, Phi! I am glad we are on the same cooking page! I appreciate your comment.
Isn’t Tandoori Chicken cooked in a Tandoori which is Clay Oven. Hence the name Tandoori Chicken. Surly this is (by the same definition” Sheet Pan Chicken?
Just an evil comment. :-))).