Hyderabadi lal chicken

Name: Hyderabadi lal chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2.2 lbs chicken; 1 tsp salt (or to taste); 1 tsp red chili powder (Cayenne pepper to taste); 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (or paprika); 1/4 tsp red food color (optional); 1 tbsp ginger paste; 1 tbsp garlic paste; 1 cup fried onions (store bought or 1 large onion fried ); 1 tbsp coriander powder; 2 tbsp tomato paste (or 2 tomato puree); 2 tbsp red chili sauce; 2 tbsp green chili sauce; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 3 green chilies; A few cilantro leaves; 6 cashews ( or dried coconut); 6 almonds; 3 green cardamom; 1/2 cup yogurt; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 2 tsp cumin seeds; 10 curry leaves; 2-3 green chilies (optional)

by Saba Ahmad on Feb 21, 2024 (updated Oct 3, 2026)

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4.67 from 3 reviews

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Hyderabadi lal chicken is all over social media, and I’m not going to lie, the hype is real. This chicken stew has unique flavors yet is easy to make, and I didn’t believe my eyes when my 12-year-old ate it and came back for a second serving. If you have any picky eaters in your family, make this Hyderabadi lal chicken, which you can put together in 30 minutes.

What is Hyderabadi Lal Chicken?

The dish has always intrigued me, and after extensive research, I finally settled on this recipe. Adapting it to suit our preferences, I was pleased to discover that it’s now my kids’ favorite Indian curry. Despite its unusual color, it’s delicious and guaranteed to leave you licking your fingers.

Ingredients for Hyderabadi red chicken

Chicken
I used one whole chicken, and after removing the skin and cleaning it, I was left with 2.2 lbs. I prefer using bone-in chicken as it gives the best flavors.

Spices
I used salt, red chili, turmeric, coriander powder, and Kashmiri chili. Kashmiri chili is only for color.

Sauces For this hyderabadi lal chicken you’ll need green chili sauce, red chili sauce and also soy sauce. You can get green and red cili sauce easily from any South Asian grocery store.

Fried onions
1 large onion, thinly sliced and browned, or you can use store-bought fried onions as well. I used 1 cup of store bought fried onions.

Tomato sauce
I used 2 tbsp of tomato sauce but you can also use puree of two fresh tomatoes.

Green sauce
To make the green sauce, I used cilantro, cashews, almonds, green cardamom, and yogurt. Put everything in a blender to make a green sauce.

Marinate the chicken
Add all of the spices, green sauce, fried onion, and red sauce to your chicken, and let it marinate for about 30 minutes. You can also do this step in advance and marinate overnight. If you are in a rush, then you can also cook it right away.

Tempering or Baghar
Tempering is a common technique used to enhance the flavor of a dish by adding whole or ground spices to hot oil or ghee. This technique is also known as “tadka” or “chaunk”. In this recipe, I used fresh curry leaves and cumin seeds for tempering. Also, in this recipe, tempering is done when the cooking process starts, not at the end, as we usually do.

How to serve chicken?

Hyderabadi chicken is a flavorful and aromatic dish that pairs perfectly with various accompaniments. Whether you prefer the simplicity of freshly made roti or the indulgence of naan, both options complement the dish wonderfully. Additionally, serving the dish with fragrant white rice or Pulao can further enhance the dining experience, offering a delightful and satisfying meal. If you are hosting then pair up with my Instant Pot Dal, Chicken 65, Easy butter chicken, and Baked Chicken to make it a feast which everyone is going to love.

How to store chicken?

You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days or even freeze them for easy meal planning. This is a perfect dish to be marinated in advance for your busy schedule. Once ready to cook, take it out of the fridge, and it takes only 25 minutes if you already have everything marinated.