How to Make an Outdoor Tandoori Oven at Home

Turn the terracotta flower pot on its side. Cut the bottom off the pot using the angle grinder. Set the bottom piece aside to use as a lid on the tandoori oven.

Pour sand in the bottom of the non-galvanized trash can, about 8 inches deep. Smooth it out with your hands. Set bricks on the sand, forming a tightly packed brick layer. Cut bricks with the tile saw as needed to fill in small spaces.

Set the terracotta pot rim-side down onto the bricks. Center it on the bricks so that none of the terracotta pot touches the trash can.

Cut a 3-inch hole in the side of the trash can with the hole saw. Cut a matching hole in the terracotta pot and align the holes. Insert the 3-inch pipe so that it creates a vent from the inside of the pot to the outside of the trash can.

Fill the space between the terracotta pot and the inside of the trash can with sand. Leave 2 to 3 inches of the terracotta pot sticking up above the sand. This will insulate the tandoori oven and keep the heat in.

Light a fire in the bottom of the oven, using wood kindling or charcoal. Place the lid on the oven while the fire burns down. When the coals are white and the terracotta is hot, remove the lid to place the food in. Set long skewers threaded with marinated meat and vegetables inside the oven so the tips of the skewers rest in the coals and the food is suspended in the center of the oven.