What to Avoid When Marinating Tandoori Chicken

Getting tandoori chicken right isn’t just about the spices. It’s about what you don’t put in the marinade. Too many people focus on adding more ingredients, thinking more flavor equals better results. But the truth? A few simple mistakes can ruin the texture, the color, and the taste before the chicken even hits the grill.

Don’t use too much oil

Oil might seem like a good idea-it helps the spices stick, right? But too much oil creates a greasy barrier that stops the yogurt from doing its job. Yogurt is the real hero in tandoori chicken. It tenderizes the meat, helps the spices penetrate, and gives that signature tang. When you drown it in oil, the yogurt can’t cling to the chicken properly. You end up with a slick, uneven coating that burns on the grill instead of caramelizing. Stick to one or two tablespoons of oil max. Use it to help blend the spices, not to coat the chicken.

Avoid dairy-free substitutes

Coconut yogurt, almond yogurt, oat yogurt-they sound like smart swaps if you’re avoiding dairy. But they don’t work here. Real yogurt, preferably full-fat plain yogurt, has the right balance of lactic acid and proteins to break down the muscle fibers in chicken. Plant-based yogurts lack that acidity and tenderness power. They also don’t hold up to heat the same way. The result? Tough, dry chicken with a weird, slightly sour aftertaste. If you’re lactose intolerant, try lactose-free plain yogurt instead. It behaves just like regular yogurt and still gives you that authentic texture.

Never skip the acid

Yogurt is the acid, but if you’re trying to cut back on it thinking it’s too tangy, you’re making a mistake. The acid in yogurt is what breaks down the proteins gently over time. Without it, your chicken stays chewy. Lemon juice or vinegar can help, but they’re too harsh on their own. Use them as a boost, not a replacement. A squeeze of lemon in the marinade? Fine. Replacing yogurt with vinegar? That’s how you end up with rubbery chicken that tastes like pickles. Stick to yogurt as the base. Let the lemon juice play a supporting role.

Don’t marinate for too long

You’ve heard ‘the longer, the better.’ That’s not true here. Marinating chicken for more than 24 hours, especially with yogurt and lemon, starts to break down the meat too much. It turns mushy. You want tender, not falling-apart. For bone-in chicken pieces, 12 hours is ideal. For boneless, 6 to 8 hours is enough. If you marinate overnight, keep it in the fridge, not at room temperature. Heat speeds up the breakdown-and you don’t want your chicken turning into chicken soup before you cook it.

Avoid sugar in the marinade

Sugar sounds harmless. It caramelizes, right? But in tandoori chicken, sugar burns fast. The high heat of a tandoor or grill turns brown sugar or honey into black char before the chicken even cooks through. That bitter, burnt taste ruins the whole dish. Traditional tandoori marinades don’t include sugar. If you want a touch of sweetness, brush a little honey on the chicken during the last two minutes of cooking. That’s when it’s safe. Adding it to the marinade? That’s asking for disaster.

Don’t use pre-ground spices without checking freshness

Spices are the soul of tandoori chicken. But if your paprika is two years old and your cumin smells like dust, you’re wasting your time. Old spices don’t release their oils. They give color but no flavor. Buy whole spices and grind them yourself. Or if you buy pre-ground, check the date. If the container’s been sitting in your pantry since 2022, toss it. Fresh ground cumin, coriander, and Kashmiri red chili powder make all the difference. You’ll smell the difference the moment you mix them with yogurt-bright, earthy, sharp. Stale spices? Just a dull, flat smell.

Don’t add water to thin the marinade

If your marinade looks too thick, don’t reach for the water. Water dilutes the flavor and weakens the yogurt’s tenderizing power. It also makes the chicken steam instead of roast. If the mixture is too thick, add a splash of yogurt-not water. You want the marinade to coat the chicken like a thick paste, not a runny sauce. Think of it like pancake batter: thick enough to cling, not to drip.

Avoid metal bowls

Marinating in a metal bowl? Bad idea. The acid in the yogurt reacts with aluminum or stainless steel over time. It can give the chicken a metallic taste and even change the color of the marinade. Use glass, ceramic, or food-grade plastic containers. I’ve seen people use stainless steel bowls because they’re convenient. But after 12 hours, the chicken takes on a weird grayish tint and a faint tinny flavor. It’s subtle, but enough to ruin the dish. Stick to non-reactive containers. It’s a small step that makes a big difference.

Don’t skip the salt

Some people think salt makes chicken dry. That’s a myth. Salt doesn’t dry out meat-it helps it retain moisture. The key is timing. Add salt to the marinade, but don’t overdo it. One teaspoon per pound of chicken is enough. Salt draws out moisture at first, then helps the meat reabsorb it with flavor. Skip the salt, and your chicken tastes bland, even if the spices are perfect. Salt is what ties everything together.

Don’t marinate at room temperature

It’s tempting to leave the chicken out on the counter to ‘marinate faster.’ Don’t. Bacteria grow quickly between 4°C and 60°C. Chicken is especially risky. Even in a cool kitchen, leaving it out for more than two hours is unsafe. Always marinate in the fridge. If you forget and leave it out overnight, throw it away. No second chances. Food safety isn’t optional-it’s what keeps your tandoori chicken delicious and not dangerous.

Don’t reuse the marinade

That leftover marinade? Don’t pour it over the cooked chicken. Don’t even think about using it as a sauce. Raw chicken juices in the marinade carry harmful bacteria. Boiling it won’t make it safe enough for reuse unless you’re making a reduction for a sauce, and even then, you need to boil it for at least five minutes and strain it. Most people don’t do that. So just make extra marinade and set aside a portion before adding the chicken. That way, you have clean sauce for serving.

What to do instead

Start with 500g of bone-in chicken thighs. They stay juicier than breast meat. Mix 1 cup full-fat plain yogurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp ginger paste, and 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Coat the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours. Grill on high heat for 10-12 minutes per side. Serve with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon. No sugar. No water. No metal bowl. Just pure, smoky, tender tandoori chicken.

Final tip: Taste before you cook

Before you put the chicken on the grill, dip a finger in the marinade and taste it. It should be tangy, earthy, and slightly spicy-not salty, not sweet, not bland. If it tastes off, adjust before adding the chicken. It’s the easiest way to catch a mistake before it’s too late. Good tandoori chicken isn’t about complexity. It’s about getting the basics right and avoiding the things that ruin it.