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Tangy and smooth, this Middle Eastern style Yogurt Chicken Marinade can be made in minutes. Resulting in extremely tender chicken whether you grill it, pan-fry it, or bake it. This is one easy weeknight meal.
Why This Recipe Works
If you’re looking for an extremely quick and easy weeknight meal the entire family will love look no further than this chicken marinade. It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare this meal and it can just as easily be made ahead, which I recommend for added flavor.
Like many Mediterranean-inspired dishes, this is a low-carb and healthy chicken. It’s tender and juicy with hints of spice, garlic, and herbs. You can prepare the chicken as kabobs and slide your favorite vegetables onto the skewers, or you can pan-fry it, oven-bake it, or use a grill pan. The possibilities are endless.
This chicken is perfect for weeknights and if you’re looking to keep it light then serve a Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad on the side.
Ingredients Needed
Ingredient Notes
- Greek Yogurt: the Greek Yogurt pairs with the lemon juice to bring a tangy and zesty overall flavor to the marinade and chicken once cooked. I recommend using a full fat plain Greek yogurt.
- Olive Oil: since you’ll be using the olive oil as a marinade you want to have the most flavor possible, which is why I recommend using an organic Italian olive oil. It also helps to coat the chicken for when you’re grilling it.
- Lemon Juice: the acidity of the lemon juice is a key component in adding flavor to the chicken because it aids in breaking down the tough fibers, which resulted in a very tender chicken. You can use lemon juice from a jar, but I recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Garlic Cloves: you can mince your own garlic, but if you’re looking to save time you can also purchase minced garlic in a jar.
- Spices: the combination of paprika, cumin, and cinnamon bring a Mediterranean flavor to the marinade and is a subtle blend.
Pro Tip: Add some lemon zest to the marinade for a boost in tangy lemon flavor.
Other Marinade Flavor Options
You can use the base of this yogurt chicken marinade to make other flavor versions for an entirely different chicken. Below are some of my favorite combinations and how to alter the recipe.
- Mexican Yogurt Marinade: replace the olive oil with canola oil and the lemon juice with lime juice. Remove the cinnamon and use 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder instead.
- Asian Yogurt Marinade: remove the paprika, cumin, and cinnamon from the marinade ingredients, and swap the olive oil for sesame oil. Add 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1 teaspoon of Chinese 5 spice, and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce for a delicious Asian-inspired marinade.
- Italian Yogurt Marinade: Remove the paprika, cumin, and cinnamon and use 1 tablespoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of majoram spice.
Best Type of Chicken to Use
Chicken thighs, breast, drumsticks, or even leg quarters will all work with this delicious marinade and it can be skin-on or skinless. You’ll need to adjust your cooking time according to the type of chicken you choose, but every kind of chicken will work.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the marinade. Place all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a medium-sized bowl and whisk together until smooth and fully combined.
- Arrange. Place the chicken in a resealable bag or in a baking dish and pour the marinade on top.
- Marinate. Seal the bag or cover the dish with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes and up to 4 hours, but no more than 4 hours.
- Oven-bake chicken. Preheat the oven to 425º F and cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a baking rack on top. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade) and arrange it in a single layer. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165º F. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes to get a crispy outer layer.
- Grill chicken. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and add the chicken thighs. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165º F. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.
How Long to Cook Marinated Chicken
Depending on the type of chicken you use and the thickness you can follow the guidelines below for cooking the chicken. I always use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat to know when it’s done.
- Grilled: allow the grill to reach 350º F or medium-high heat. Grill the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking.
- Baked: heat your oven to 400º F and cook the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet or in an iron skillet for 18 to 22 minutes. If using thin-cut chicken breast check temperature of the meat for around 18 minutes and if using a bone-in type of chicken check it around 22 minutes.
- Pan-Fried: coat the bottom of your pan in oil and heat over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, flipping halfway through, for about 18 to 22 minutes.
- Grill Pan: cover the grill pan in oil and heat over medium-high heat. Place the chicken top-side down. Cook, rotating the pan on the burner several times to ensure even browning, until the skin has grill marks about 10 to 12 minutes. Rotate each chicken thigh about 90 degrees and continue grilling until crosshatch marks are visible and the skin is quite brown all over about 5 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
There are endless possibilities for serving the delicious chicken that results in using this marinade. I prefer to use a lighter option and below are some of my favorite dishes to pair it with.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Do not reuse the marinade from the raw chicken. If you’d like to use the marinade to baste the chicken as it cooks, then either set some aside prior to cooking the chicken or make extra.
- Don’t marinate the chicken for too long. It only takes 20 minutes for this chicken to marinate and the best timeframe for the best flavor is between 2 and 4 hours. Don’t go over 4 hours though because the chicken will start to get mealy.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to determine when the meat is done. This is the easiest and quickest way to determine when your chicken is cooked.
- To keep the chicken from drying out during the cooking process brush it with oil on all sides.
FAQs
At a very minimum marinate the chicken for 20 minutes, but I recommend allowing from 2 to 4 hours. Don’t let the chicken marinate for more than 4 hours though because the acid will start to break the chicken down and slightly cook it. Acid-based marinades work to marinate the chicken quickly so you don’t want to marinate it too long resulting in tough or chewy chicken.
The chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 160º F to 165º F and then it needs to sit for about 5 minutes so all the juice absorbs into the chicken. Depending on how you cook your chicken, whether you’re grilling it, baking it, or pan-frying it will determine the amount of time it needs to cook to reach the safe temp.
If you made this Yogurt Chicken Marinade recipe from scratch I want to hear all about it! Share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @AimeeMarsLiving and #AimeeMars so I can see your beautiful work. Enjoy!
Yogurt Chicken Marinade
Equipment
- 1 Gallon-Size Resealable Bag or baking dish and plastic wrap
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Thighs or other type of chicken
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice add zest for more flavor
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Salt
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a medium-sized bowl and whisk together until smooth and fully combined.
- Place the chicken in a resealable bag or in a baking dish and pour the marinade on top. Seal the bag or cover the dish with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes and up to 4 hours, but no more than 4 hours.
- Oven-Baked: Preheat the oven to 425º F and cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a baking rack on top. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade) and arrange it in a single layer. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165º F. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes to get a crispy outer layer.
- Grilled: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and add the chicken thighs. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165º F. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Do not reuse the marinade from the raw chicken. If you’d like to use the marinade to baste the chicken as it cooks, then either set some aside prior to cooking the chicken or make extra.
- Don’t marinate the chicken for too long. It only takes 20 minutes for this chicken to marinate and the best timeframe for the best flavor is between 2 and 4 hours. Don’t go over 4 hours though because the chicken will start to get mealy.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to determine when the meat is done. This is the easiest and quickest way to determine when your chicken is cooked.
- To keep the chicken from drying out during the cooking process brush it with oil on all sides.
How Long to Cook Marinated Chicken
- Grilled: allow the grill to reach 350º F or medium-high heat. Grill the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking.
- Baked: heat your oven to 400º F and cook the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet or in an iron skillet for 18 to 22 minutes. If using thin-cut chicken breast check the temperature of the meat for around 18 minutes and if using a bone-in type of chicken check it around 22 minutes.
- Pan-Fried: coat the bottom of your pan in oil and heat over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, flipping halfway through, for about 18 to 22 minutes.
- Grill Pan: cover the grill pan in oil and heat over medium-high heat. Place the chicken top-side down. Cook, rotating the pan on the burner several times to ensure even browning until the skin has grill marks, about 10 to 12 minutes. Rotate each chicken thigh about 90 degrees and continue grilling until crosshatch marks are visible and the skin is quite brown all over about 5 minutes.
