Easy Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken
This Yogurt Marinated Chicken is easy to prepare and comes together in just a few simple steps. The yogurt acts as a natural tenderizer, ensuring juicy, delicious chicken while the spices add depth and warmth to the overall flavor profile. It’s a great option for a weeknight dinner or a weekend barbecue.
In This Article
Nutritional Benefits
Chicken and Greek yoghurt are both excellent sources of protein, which is essential for muscle growth and repair, along with supporting a healthy immune system – amongst many other things. These ingredients also provide nutrients such as several B vitamins, vitamin A, potassium, calcium, selenium and zinc. The combination of these nutrients support optimal immune and nervous system function, the formation of red blood cells (need to carry oxygen around the body), and energy production.
Greek yoghurt does also contain a good amount of probiotic bacteria, which is beneficial for gut health. However, studies note that several strains of probiotics are sensitive to heat and can be damaged in the cooking process. That’s why I suggest serving the finished chicken with a little more yoghurt – so you can enjoy all the probiotic benefits.
Just note – the nutritional content will vary depending on the Greek yoghurt chosen.
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
This easy recipe needs nothing more than a few simple ingredients that can all be found at the grocery store. Sumac may be the only exception for some, but it can be omitted or replaced with lemon zest in need. While natural/plain yogurt, and low-fat yogurt will both work fine – a thick and luscious creamy Greek yogurt will give the best results. This will stick to the chicken more easily than thinner, watery fat free varieties will.
- Chicken thigh cutlet – This cut of chicken will be labelled differently depending on your location. Thigh cutlet is bone-in skin on vs chicken thigh that is boneless and skinless. See the substitutions and variations section if you would prefer to make this recipe with chicken thigh because the cooking time will vary.
- Plain Greek yogurt – adds so much flavor to the dish! It also adds creaminess and helps to tenderize the chicken. Be sure to use full-fat Greek yogurt to get the most tender chicken once it’s cooked.
- Fresh lemon juice – Also works to tenderize the chicken and adds a touch of acidity to balance out some of the other ingredients. Lime juice is also fine if preferred.
- Olive oil – helps to add moisture and flavour.
- Fresh garlic – just a small clove so as not to overpower the dish. Garlic powder is also fine if preferred.
- Spice mix – sumac, cumin, and smoked paprika bring a touch of citrus flavor (the sumac) while adding warmth, earthiness and smokiness to the marinade.
- Salt and black pepper – enhance taste of the other ingredients.
Try different seasoning blends to make this dish your own or just for something new each time you make it. Blends like dried basil and oregano will give you a Greek-inspired dish, while garam masala, turmeric, ginger and chilli will give you one with tandoori-inspired flavours. Both are great options but don’t be limited by them. Let your imagination and your tastebuds guide you.
How To Make This Yogurt Marinated Chicken Recipe
Active cooking time is relatively short for this dish. You’ll need a few minutes to mix all the marinade ingredients together and toss the chicken pieces through it. Then a few more to get the chicken in the oven and baste it halfway through. The rest of the time is for marinating and time in the oven. I suggest marinating the chicken before going to bed then it’s ready to go next day. If pressed for time you can cook this without marinating it. However, the chicken won’t be anywhere near as tender given the yogurt hasn’t had time to get to work on breaking down the proteins.
- In a large bowl mix together the Greek yogurt marinade ingredients and stir well to combine.
- Add the chicken thigh cutlets to the yogurt mixture and toss several times to ensure each cutlet is well coated.
- Cover the bowl with a wax wrap, or saran/cling/glad wrap and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour or two. Overnight is best if you have the time for it.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
- Place a cooling rack over a sheet pan or cookie sheet covered with baking/parchment paper. Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and arrange the thigh cutlets on the top of the rack in a single layer. Discard any leftover marinade.
- Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Open the oven briefly to brush each chicken piece with a little olive oil.
- Return to the oven to cook for another 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Timing is going to depend on the size of your thigh cutlets.
Serve Yogurt Marinated Chicken with a Greek salad or cooked vegetable side dishes like these Roasted Parmesan Brussels Sprouts or some delicious Polenta Chips. I also like to serve this with some extra yogurt on the side, or a big dollop of Tzatziki Sauce.
Substitutions And Variations
Add a little chili powder, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to add spice to the dish.
Cook this yogurt-marinated chicken on an outdoor grill for an easy summertime meal. Bring the chicken to room temperature then heat the grill/BBQ to a medium high heat. Cook the chicken for 10 minutes each side until golden then serve. Cook time will vary with this method so use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken for doneness.
To cook Yogurt Marinated Chicken in the air fryer – place the chicken in a single layer skin side up on air fryer trays or in the basket depending on your model. Cook for 20 minutes at 340ºF/170ºC then flip the chicken over and cook for another 10 minutes at the same temperature or until golden and the skin is crispy. It may need more or less time depending on your air fryer.
If using boneless skinless chicken thighs – add directly to a roasting pan rather than cooking on a rack. Cook for 15 minutes, then flip the chicken over and cook for another 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
Tips For Success With This Recipe
The longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will be. Overnight is ideal, but at least 2 hours is sufficient.
To ensure even cooking, avoid overcrowding the rack, grill or air fryer trays – whichever method you choose. Cook the chicken in batches if necessary.
After cooking, let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a juicier and more flavorful dish.
Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead
This is best enjoyed straight from the oven, but any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
The cooked chicken can also be frozen if preferred, but to do this, it’s best to cut the meat off the bone first. Store in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to two months. Freezing the chicken will affect the taste, particularly the taste of the marinade, so I don’t recommend doing this.
Marinating the chicken up to 24 hours in advance if you have the time will give you the best tasting chicken overall.
FAQ
Yogurt makes an excellent addition to marinades, as the lactic acid it contains tenderizes the meat by breaking down proteins. It also adds flavour and what results is juicer, more flavoursome chicken, that doesn’t dry out in the cooking process. Yogurt also helps soften more pungent ingredients like garlic, and melds together herbs and spices that are added to it too.
No! Doing so would wipe off a much of the flavour that the chicken took on in the marinating process. This recipe makes enough marinade for a thin coating of the chicken. As such, it bakes up well with a perfectly golden exterior. I would suggest not baking this with a very thick layer of marinade or the chicken skin may not crisp up.
You can either cook your yoghurt marinated chicken straight away or leave it to take on flavours for up to 24 hours. The longer it sits in the marinade the more intense the flavours and the juicer the chicken will be.
Yes. For a dairy-free version replace the Greek yogurt with plain coconut yoghurt. However, this will change the flavour profile of the dish.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!
Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Cooling Rack
- 1 Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken thigh cutlets (see note 1 and 2)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (plus a little more for basting)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1.5 tsp sumac
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- A few grinds of black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, spices, and the salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
- Add in the chicken thigh cutlets and toss several times to ensure each cutlet is well coated in the marinade.
- Cover with a wax wrap, or saran/cling/glad wrap and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour or two. Overnight is even better if you have the time for it (see note 3).
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃.
- Place a cooling rack over a sheet pan or cookie sheet covered with baking/parchment paper. Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and arrange the thigh cutlets on the top of the rack in a single layer. Discard any leftover marinade.
- Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Once the time is up, open the oven briefly to brush each chicken piece with a little olive oil.
- Return to the oven to cook for another 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Timing is going to depend on the size of your thigh cutlets.
- Serve with an extra dollop of yoghurt, and a Greek salad or cooked vegetable side dish.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY