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Imagine sinking your teeth into chicken so juicy and tender that it practically melts in your mouth. Ditch the dry, bland chicken and make my Yogurt Marinated Chicken recipe. Loaded with flavour, this one is guaranteed to be a hit and will have you wondering why you prepared chicken any other way.
This household loves a chicken dinner and I am always looking for new ways to switch up how I prepare this protein. Whether it’s my Chicken Piccata, Italian Chicken Cutlets, The Best Chicken Marinade or Chicken Thighs with Jalapeño Creamed Corn. Yogurt contains lactic acid which is a mild acid that breaks down the proteins found in chicken. As a result it softens the muscle fibres in this yogurt marinated chicken recipe, making it tender and juicy.
Table of Contents
😍 Why You’ll Love This Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Tender & juicy: the yogurt tenderizes the chicken, ensuring you’re left with a juicy, flavourful result.
Easy to prepare: the hardest part will be allowing the yogurt to work its magic. I recommend at least an hour, up to 24 hours.
Added protein: greek yogurt is high in protein, adding additional nutritional value.
🗒 Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Plain greek yogurt: its lactic acid tenderizes the chicken.
Olive oil: helps to distribute the marinate easily, allowing it to slightly thin out.
Honey: adds a sweetness which contrasts well with the cayenne pepper.
Lemon: provides an acidic tang.
Garlic cloves: adds a zesty savoury depth of flavour.
Fresh parsley: adds a freshness to the marinade.
Seasoning salt: adds flavour.
Black pepper: adds a small amount of spice.
Paprika: adds a subtle smokiness.
Onion powder: provides a sweet onion flavour.
Dried oregano: adds a warm aromatic flavour that pairs well with chicken.
Dried basil: adds a warm aromatic flavour that pairs well with chicken.
Coriander: adds a slightly nutty flavour.
Cumin: adds an earthy flavour.
Cayenne pepper: adds a kick of heat to balance the sweetness.
👀 How To Make Yogurt Marinated Chicken
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- Add the chicken and massage the marinade into the chicken.
- Allow to rest for at least 1 hour.
- Grill, fry, bake or air fry.
👉🏻 Tips to elevate this yogurt marinated chicken recipe
- Even size: Pound the chicken into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces. This will help ensure the chicken cooks evenly.
- Taste: Be sure to taste the marinade before slathering it over the chicken to ensure the seasoning is just right.
- Marinade: Ideally the chicken rests in the marinade for 24 hours; this will ensure the juiciest most tender chicken.
- Rest: Allow the chicken to rest on a cutting board, covered with tin foil for at least 5 minutes to ensure the juices stay in.
🗒️ Variations & Substitutions
- Kick up the heat: instead of cayenne pepper, opt for double the amount of chipotle powder.
- Sweet twist: instead of honey, swap for double the amount of maple syrup.
- Citrus swap: instead of lemon juice, opt for lime or apple cider vinegar.
🤝 Pairs Well With
- Simple House Salad
- Cacio E Pepe Orzo
- French Onion Orzo
- The Best Caesar Salad You’ll Ever Have
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Roasted Pepper Salad
🤔 FAQ’s
Ideally between 8-12 hours is recommended for ultimate tenderness. Furthermore, it allows the spices to penetrate into the chicken. However, marinating for longer than 24 hours can compromise the chicken’s texture.
While plain greek yogurt is the recommended base, there are a few swaps you can make. In particular, a full fat coconut cream or sour cream.
Firstly, and likely the most reliable method, use a meat thermometer. Specifically, you’ll want to stick it into the thickest part of the chicken. You’ll also be able to tell by the colour inside. For instance, a properly cooked chicken will have clear juices. Ultimately, while visual cues help, I recommend investing in a digital food thermometer.
While this recipe tastes best served fresh, you can freeze the leftovers. However, it’s important to keep in mind because of the dairy content, texture changes may occur.
Freezing instructions before cooking: Place the chicken in a freezer-safe bag with the marinade and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to cook.
Freezing instructions after cooking: Firstly, allow the chicken to cool completely. Then, add to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Next, thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to cook. Lastly, reheat and enjoy.
🍴 Leftovers? Lucky you.
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To reheat simply microwave for 30-45 seconds or bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until warm throughout.
👩🏻🍳 Hungry For More?
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Jalapeno Popper Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- White Chicken Chili
- One Skillet Blackened Chicken and Rice Bowls
- Easy Chicken Cutlets
- Sheet Pan Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
💌 Let’s Stay Connected
Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest! If you do make this recipe (or any recipe of mine) don’t forget to leave a review.
Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- grilling pan
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1½-2 lbs chicken cutlets (I used 8), You can opt for other cuts of chicken such as thighs or breasts. Please note cooking times will vary.
Marinade:
- 1/2 cup plain full fat greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 lemon, juiced, about 1/4 cup
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine
- 1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp cumin
Instructions
- Combine the chicken marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.
- Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat evenly.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
- Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking, about 20 minutes.
Pan fry:
- To a large frying pan, add 2-3 tbsp of olive oil and set to medium/high heat.Once hot, add the chicken and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes.Sammy's tip: try to not flip the chicken for the first couple of minutes to avoid it from sticking to the pan.
- Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 °F remove it from the pan, cover with foil and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.The temperature will continue to rise as it rests.Garnish with salt, slice and serve.
Air fry:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 °F.
- Spray the basket with a cooking spray and add the chicken in an even layer.
- Cook for 7 minutes, flip and cook for another 7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F.Each air fryer will vary in cooking times.Garnish with salt, slice and serve.
Bake:
- Preheat your oven to 425 °F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add your chicken.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on the type of chicken you are using) or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F.
- Garnish with salt, slice and serve.
Notes
- Kick up the heat: instead of cayenne pepper, opt for double the amount of chipotle powder.
- Sweet twist: instead of honey, swap for double the amount of maple syrup.
- Citrus swap: instead of lemon juice, opt for lime or apple cider vinegar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this tonight for my family and we loved it! This will be my go to from now on!
Hi Christine, thanks so much for the awesome review! So happy you liked it! -Sammy
Awesome recipe 😊
Thanks, Kelly!
So—-
Is the nutrition count for one cutlet?
So is this 8 servings?
Yes! 🙂
I am excited to make this tomorrow for Sunday family dinner. Thank you for posting.
What adjustments/substitutions do you suggest if all you have is plain non-fat greek yogurt?
Hi Kristin, while I have never used plain-non fat greek yogurt, it will certainly work! Just follow the recipe as is!
THE best chicken ever. Making again today. We grilled. I made an entire CostCo size organic chicken breasts portion (doubled the recipe). There were five of us…. ALL was eaten. Cannot say it enough ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi Barb! Thanks for such an awesome review. So happy you all enjoyed the recipe! -Sammy
Great marinade. I cut back the lemon juice to 2 Tbs and upped the onion, coriander, and cumin a little. I think you can adjust the spices to personal preference and still maintain the essence of this great recipe.