This low-carb tandoori chicken recipe is such a brilliant alternative to microwave curry dinners covered in high-sugar sauces and a great alternative even for processed chicken nuggets. You can make these as spicy or as tasty as you prefer.
Whether you serve them as an appetizer or a main dish, it's an amazing piece of deliciousness!
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Are there carbs in tandoori chicken?
Most store-bought or restaurant-made tandoori chicken are covered in pre-made sauces or marinades. These tandoori sauces often contain large amounts of added sugar, wheat, colorings, additives.
This easy homemade tandoori chicken recipe, however, is sugar-free, wheat-free, low carb and so easy to make AND only uses 3 ingredients.
Each serving only has 0.5g net carbs and so fits easily into your daily carb limit no matter whether you are low-carb, keto, or any other healthy way of eating that helps promote stable blood sugars.
Tandoori marinade
To make the curry marinade, mix the tandoori paste, natural unsweetened yogurt, and salt.
For best results, you can marinate the chicken meat for a few hours, but usually, I'm not that organized so I just mix it together then cook them immediately.
How to cook tandoori chicken
It only takes a few simple steps to create an amazing tasty chicken recipe for the barbecue or grill.
The best part? The chicken tandoori marinade only requires 3 simple ingredients, that you probably have in your fridge and pantry right now.
If you enjoy meal prepping to make weekdays a little less chaotic, cook a double batch to pack lunches for the following day. Check out what sides work best with this dish so you can add a little variety when servings it as leftovers.
How to cook in an air fryer
Using an air fryer to cook curry chicken bites is quick and easy.
- Preheat to 190C/375F.
- Spray the wire basket with cooking oil.
- Gently place each chicken piece into the oiled basket. Ensure there is plenty of space between them.
- Cook for 15 minutes, open the drawer and turn each piece.
- Cook for a further 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of pieces being cooked. Chicken must be completely cooked into the centre of each piece.
If you love using your air fryer, I have 101 keto air fryer recipes for you to choose from (chicken, pork, ground beef, salmon, vegetables, and even desserts). Discover how to use your air fryer plus FREE printable air fryer cooking cheat sheets.
Other low-carb curry recipes you may like:
Spicy and family-friendly curries are perfect for a delicious Friday curry night
You can use your Instant Pot to make a quick and tasty keto lamb curry or the spinach and coconut keto curry bowl is an easy one-pot wonder. Perfect for a quick and easy mid-week dinner.
Sides
If this chicken recipe is cooked on the BBQ in the summer, it is best served with a large leafy green salad with curry mayonnaise.
If you're cooking the tandoori chicken in the winter, it's best served with hot vegetables.
To make this a complete meal, why not serve with cauliflower rice? It's light and fluffy and incredibly filling when you make it with coconut cream.
How to make cauliflower rice
If you have never enjoyed cauliflower rice before, or you thought it was bland and made your kitchen a mess, just look at how easy it can be. And learn why coconut cream is the magic ingredient that turns smelly cauliflower into a firm family favorite.
Storage
Once the tandoori chicken has been cooked, keep it in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 3 days. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
If you have any leftovers, they are the perfect healthy protein for your kiddo's school lunch box. Children love these delicious chicken curry bites.
📖 Recipe
Low-carb tandoori chicken recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts each sliced into 4 pieces
- 65 ml (¼ cup) natural yoghurt unsweetened
- 2 tablespoon tandoori paste unsweetened
- ¼ teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the yoghurt, salt and tandoori paste.
- Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and cover with the tandoori yoghurt mixture and allow to marinade for a few hours, or it can equally be cooked immediately.
- Fry, bake, barbecue until cooked.
- Serve with mint raita (yoghurt, cucumber and mint) and plenty of vegetables.
Jules
Easy and delicious. Such a winner of a dinner. Rhyme intended.
Crystal H
I made it in the oven at 400F for 20 to 25 mins. It was so good. I made tumeric cauliflower rice as a side.
Catalina
The link redirects to a curry paste. That is not what you used, is it? Thanks
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Yes, that's what I use. It's so good as it has a wonderful mix of herbs and spices and you don't need to use much, unlike many curry sauces. Using a paste is a far more concentrated version.
Terry
Hey there Libby, Catalina’s right, the link is going to Pataks Mild Curry Paste, but the recipe says Tandoor Paste for the link wording, so the link might need updating. I cook this recipe often and thoroughly recommend Pataks Tandoori Paste having tried many other tandoori pastes and powders available in local Indian and spice shops and Pataks is by far the most flavoursome. Their Tandoori paste also has about quarter the carbs that the Mild Curry Paste has, plus you’ll get a much better more intense and more authentic tandoori flavour punch from their Tandoori paste.
A few other tips that really make it for me; put some deep cuts in the chicken breasts prior to marinading as it really helps the flavour get in quickly, especially if cooking straight away, but giving it anywhere between 30 mins and 2 hrs marinading does improve the paste/yoghurt flavour blend. Boneless Chicken thighs are also gorgeous in this recipe, the extra bit of fat and tender flesh really makes a lovely alternative. Lastly, tandoori really comes to life paired with mint chutneys. The Raita is one option but many supermarkets and for sure local Indian spice shops stock ready made jars of concentrated mixed chutney that can be mixed with Greek yoghurt and spread over the top (or as a dip) that especially when paired with Pataks Tandoori on the chicken is simply outstanding! Do try it 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Thank you for spotting this. I have amended the link to tandoori paste in the recipe. I agree it is the best out there. 🙂
Andi
Can you suggest a brand for "natural yoghurt unsweetened" all the yoghurts I'm finding have a lot of carbs and I've been searching like crazy!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I buy De Winkels which is less than 1% carbs but not much fat so I add coconut cream to it when serving with granola. Any natural unsweetened yoghurt is generally 4% or less carbs.
Terry
Andi, if you’re shopping in New Zealand I highly recommend Gopala natural yoghurts. They’re stocked in all the Countdowns and now most Pak n Saves. They’re really inexpensive compared to some of the other more commercial brands, and no added preservatives, just milk and live yoghurt culture. The flavours also better too imo. They have a few different thicknesses, Thick and Creamy is my fav for this recipe and the raita. Only thing to say is because they don’t add all the preservatives or thickeners commercial ones do, after first use a bit of the liquid in the culture can sometimes rise to the top (it’s completely normal) so if that happens just give the whole tub a complete stir to blend it and it will hold its consistency to end of use after that. If you’ve ever used EasyYo live culture packs to make yoghurt at home, it’s much the same experience and the flavour is also very similar. Great for natural probiotics too 🙂
Beryl
How long to bake in a moderate oven please? Do you turn them halfway through cooking?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I would bake them at 180C/350F for 15 minutes, turning once. I made them in my electric frying pan tonight with the lid on, and it was the most succulent chicken I have ever tasted. They were almost steamed.
Beryl
Thank you, I will try the oven, or maybe the frypan. Both sound awesome. Thanks so much for an easy, quick and yummy recipe. I am most grateful!
Eric
How's it tandoori chicken if it isn't made in a tandoor?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Because I use a tandoori paste.