This endlessly useful yogurt chicken marinade recipe works wonders on all parts of chicken, and is especially great for chicken breasts.
Because of its simple and bright flavor, yogurt marinated chicken goes well with just about anything. The yogurt does the heavy lifting and tenderizes the chicken, while the lemon, mustard, and garlic add a little tingle.
Ever since I started making this, it’s been on repeat in my kitchen. This is one of those low-fuss, high-return recipes that I love to have in my pocket. I usually use chicken breast (as you can see in the photo), but anything like thighs or drumsticks would be delicious. If you like yogurt here, they also use it in their Greek chicken marinade.
main ingredients
Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt is recommended for this marinade. The flavors coat the chicken, making it tender and keeping it juicy. Whole milk yogurt works best, but in a pinch, low-fat yogurt works well. Lemon, mustard, and garlic: Fresh lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard, and a little garlic give the marinade punch and brightness. I use a microplane to finely grate the garlic, but minced garlic is also fine. Honey: A little honey balances out the lemon and helps the chicken get a gorgeous golden brown color while cooking. Olive oil, salt, and pepper: Olive oil will help brown the chicken, and a good amount of salt and pepper will add some flavor.
See the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to make yogurt marinade for chicken
Tip 1: An hour is good, but longer is better. You can marinate chicken for up to 8 hours, but even just 1 hour will make a noticeable difference in juiciness and tenderness. If you’re in a hurry, I won’t judge if you reduce the amount of marinade. Just know that you’re missing out on some softening time.
Tip 2: Don’t throw away the marinade. When the dish is ready, do not throw away the marinade. If grilling, season the chicken with more marinade as you turn the chicken. If baking, spoon the marinade over the chicken before placing it in the oven. After this, the chicken should be cooked long enough for the marinade to cook.
We like to brown the chicken on a grill pan over medium heat, then finish it off in the oven at 375°F for perfectly cooked, juicy chicken. Pour the remaining marinade over the top before baking.
Tip 3: Expect your honey to turn brown. The honey in the marinade will brown the chicken nicely, but be careful with the heat. Make sure the grill is dark brown and not black.
offer suggestions
This chicken is perfect for salads, wraps, and sandwiches. It’s also a great accompaniment to roasted broccolini, roasted green beans, or lightly sautéed zucchini.
For a more Mediterranean feel, try homemade pita, red pepper hummus, cucumber, and a drizzle of tahini sauce. Or you could make a bowl like this chickpea bowl and dice up some chicken and add it on top.
Other chicken marinades
easy yogurt marinated chicken
preparation
1 hour 10 minutes
cook
20 minutes
total
1 hour 30 minutes
Yogurt is your secret weapon to keep your chicken juicy every time. It does all the heavy lifting, softening each bite, adding richness, and beautifully caramelizing the outside. I use honey, but you can also use maple syrup if you don’t have it on hand.
Enough for up to 2 pounds of chicken
will be needed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove of garlic (finely grated)
3 tablespoons whole milk plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 pounds (680 g) chicken breast or thigh
lemon wedges for serving
fresh coriander leaves for serving
direction
1Marinade: In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, combine olive oil, honey, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, yogurt, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 8 hours.
2Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3Heat a grill pan over medium heat and grease the grate with oil. Add chicken and cook until dark brown grill marks appear, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Be careful of heat, as the honey in the marinade can burn.
4Transfer chicken to prepared baking sheet and spoon remaining marinade over top.
5Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F. Let the chicken stand for 5 minutes until the juices settle. Slice thickly, sprinkle with coriander on top and garnish with lemon.
Adam and Joan’s Tips
Another way to cook chicken: You can grill, bake, or cook chicken in a frying pan or grill pan. My favorite option is to brown the outside and finish in the oven. The marinade contains honey, which will make it quite dark in color, so be careful when grilling the chicken to avoid burning it. You can also put it directly in the oven without using a grill pan. It will still have some color. If you use an outdoor grill, follow our grilled chicken recipe. The nutritional information shown below is an estimate. Assuming 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast.
Nutritional information per serving
Serving size
1/4 of the recipe (about 6 ounces of chicken)
/
calorie
256
/
total fat
8.6g
/
saturated fat
1.8g
/
cholesterol
125.8mg
/
sodium
695.4mg
/
carbohydrates
2.8g
/
dietary fiber
0.2g
/
Total sugar content
2.1g
/
protein
39.6g
author:
We’re Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the creators of Inspired Taste. Founded in 2009, Inspired Taste has grown from a childhood dream to one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites, with hundreds of trusted recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.
