Yogurt marinated chicken is juicy, tender, and very flavorful. Combine it with citrus, garlic, and your favorite herbs and spices to create the best-tasting chicken you’ve ever had. This marinade works great on any cut of chicken but, it’s especially great on chicken breast because it locks in the moisture and helps all of those delicious flavorings stick.
Which yogurt is best?
Through my recipe testing, I have found that plain, whole milk yogurt works best as a marinade. You can use Greek yogurt if that’s what you have on hand. I wouldn’t run to the grocery store for just one ingredient! Just thin it out with a few tablespoons of water or lemon juice to get it to the consistency of plain yogurt.
Does yogurt work on turkey?
Yes!! I made a yogurt and Za’atar marinated turkey this year for Thanksgiving and it was amazing! This recipe is in my Holiday ebook #2 and you may download it right here.
Purchase your kitchen essentials using my affiliate links to support my work. Thank you!
Greek-Style Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Yogurt marinated chicken is juicy, tender, and very flavorful. Combine it with citrus, garlic, and your favorite herbs and spices to create the best-tasting chicken you’ve ever had. This marinade works great on any cut of chicken but, it’s especially great on chicken breast because it locks in the moisture and helps all of those delicious flavorings stick.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, tenders, or thighs
For the Marinade:
- • 1 cup plain yogurt
- • ¼ cup olive oil
- • ¼ cup lemon juice
- • 3 garlic cloves
- • 2 teaspoon salt
- • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- • 1 teaspoon paprika
- • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- • Black pepper, to taste
- • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Serve with:
- • Pita bread, couscous, Greek salad, or rice pilaf
- • Bell pepper slices
- • Onion slices
- • Tomato slices
- • Feta
- • Olives
- • Tzatziki sauce
Instructions
- Slice the chicken into equal-sized strips.
- Make the marinade: combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Place the chicken in the bowl and toss to coat in the marinade.
- Cover with plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
- Allow the chicken to come to room temperature.
- The chicken can be grilled on the barbeque, cooked on the stovetop in a skillet, or baked in the oven.
- To cook on the stovetop, heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place the chicken in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes then, flip over. Cook 5 more minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 °F. Try not to flip the chicken over before 5 minutes or the chicken will tear. Yogurt tends to stick.
- Serve the chicken in a pita to create a delicious chicken gyro, with rice, over salad, or with tzatziki sauce. Enjoy!
- To bake the chicken, place the chicken on a baking tray and cook in an oven that has been preheated to 425 °F for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F.
Easiest and most flavorful chicken recipe ever! I was able to marinate the chicken for 2 hours, brought the chicken to room temp and fried them in my cast iron skillet. Yum!!
Hi Julianna! I’m so glad that you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it 🙂 All the best, Dimitra
Just made tonight for my family and we are all obsessed!! I have fresh oregano in my garden that needed to be used and wow does it taste delicious with this recipe!!
I didn’t have lemons so I ended up using limes…..sooooo good!
Oh my! This chicken was SO delicious!!! I usually dislike chicken breast because it’s often dry, but this recipe came out super juicy and tender, and SO flavourful! My 2 year old kept asking for more.
Made this recipe with bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and it was good. My boyfriend loved it.
Here are some steps I had to do:
1) Before I put the chicken in the marinade, I tasted it and liked it so much, I took out a quarter cup to use as a dip with the chicken – very delicious.
2) I baked my thighs at the temp above for an hour, draining the excess liquid and flipping at 30-min.
3) For my oven, as the chicken finished cooking, I put it on a low broil setting for a few minutes per side until crisp. Watch it while it’s broiling or it could burn easily.
This recipe is in my book. *Thumbs up*
Delicious and easy to make. I cooked at 350d in air fryer for 10 min, flipping once at the 5min mark. And had to make in 3 batches. Thank you for the yummy recipe Dimitra!
You’re very welcome. I can’t live without my air fryer!! I’ve just discovered that its the best way to brown meat. No mess! haha!
I have never commented on a recipe before but WOW! this was seriously 10/10, I don’t think I can make chicken any other way now.
Thank you!!!
superb great job well done