Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade

Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade is an easy to way to add flavor to chicken without a ton of work. Greek yogurt, lemon, garlic, and a few seasonings is all you need!

Two pieces of grilled chicken on a blue plate.

If you live in a household that eats a lot of chicken, you know it can get boring pretty quickly unless you change things up.

You can add side dishes like coconut ricebrussel sprouts, or roasted potatoes all day long. If you don’t change the flavor or preparation, chicken can get downright old real quick.

For as long as I can remember, John has been making homemade marinade for chicken. He really likes to marinate chicken in Italian dressing or Greek yogurt.

Those are easy options that he’s been using for years. In fact, he has a few chicken marinade recipes.

This Greek chicken marinade is one of his favorites. It creates a delicious, tender chicken that’s perfect for baking, grilling, or cooking in a cast iron skillet.

We love to serve it on a bed of rice, adding to wraps, or using it on a Greek salad.

Substitutions and Variations

  • Use your favorite type of chicken. This marinade works well on chicken breasts, chicken thighs, bone-in chicken, or boneless varieties.
  • Try spices to add extra flavor like cumin, paprika, or a dash of cayenne pepper.
  • We already use lemon juice and lemon zest, but you could add some red wine vinegar and olive oil to add tang and acidity.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Reheat: Reheat over low heat on the stovetop or in the oven until warmed through.

Grilled chicken with lemon slices and parsley.

Tips

  • Use a plain yogurt that you and your family like. There’s no sense in buying a yogurt that you don’t like, because it’s going to add that flavor to the chicken. Again, make sure it’s plain and not vanilla, lemon, or blueberry, etc.
  • Make sure the grill, griddle, or pan is nice and hot before adding the chicken. Hot griddle or grill grates will help give the chicken those nice grill marks. We use this stove top grill pan and griddle and both are great for this recipe!
  • A chicken breast with Greek yogurt marinade should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F according to the USDA Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart. An instant read thermometer is a great way to ensure the chicken is cooked thoroughly.

What to Serve with Yogurt-Marinated Chicken

This Greek chicken recipe pairs well with so many sides. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Greek Orzo Salad: Our Greek orzo salad works well as a side or a main dish. It’s made with tender orzo, briny olives, cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, English cucumbers, and diced red onions tossed in homemade Greek dressing. Serve the chicken on the side or dice it and toss it with the salad.
  • Chicken Avocado Salad: Similar to our orzo salad, this chicken avocado salad could be a side or a main dish. It’s full of crunchy romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and sliced avocados.
  • Tomato Salad with Feta: We love this easy tomato salad for a quick side dish option. Made with baby heirloom tomatoes, salty feta cheese, basil, parsley and a homemade white wine vinaigrette, it’s a great thing to serve with this chicken.
  • Baked Corn on the Cob: You can’t go wrong with chicken and corn on the cob! Our corn on the cob recipe bakes in the oven and makes sweet, perfectly cooked corn every time. Just slather some corn in butter. Add salt and pepper, wrap in aluminum foil, bake, and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Yogurt-marinated chicken is one of our go-to recipes. It’s great if you want a simple grilled chicken breast recipe to add to a Greek Pasta Salad.

The yogurt works a little differently than marinades high in vinegar or citrus juices. Over time the lactic acid and calcium break down the fibers in the chicken and make is soft.

It’s extremely easy to shred and pull apart. Not to mention, when the chicken is seared or grilled, the yogurt marinade makes a beautiful caramelized crust.

The thing to remember is to remove the excess from marinade before cooking the chicken.

Otherwise, it will be thick, gloppy, and will burn before the chicken cooks. Also, feel free to use this marinade on grilled or baked boneless skinless chicken breast.

We like to use plain Greek yogurt. Although, any plain yogurt will work. The key is to purchase plain and not flavored.

When I make the marinade, I mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, place the chicken in a large, plastic zip bag, and pour the marinade into the bag with the chicken.

Zip the bag shut, and massage the chicken gently to make sure it’s evenly covered. Drop the bag with the chicken and marinade into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Some websites may say to marinate the chicken up to 12 hours, but we’ve never waited that long. However, I don’t think it would hurt to leave it overnight.

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, remove the bag from the fridge and let the excess yogurt drip from the chicken before placing it on the grill or griddle. Discard the bag of leftover marinade.

Nope, you don’t need to rinse the marinade off before cooking. Rinsing it off also removes a ton of flavor and the possibility of a nice crust as it cooks. 

It is a good idea let the excess marinade drip off the chicken, though. It shouldn’t be sopping wet and dripping with marinade.

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Perfectly grilled chicken on a blue plate with lemon slices.

Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade

4.3 from 42 votes
Print Pin
Author: Kim
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless skinless
  • 1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Trim away any excess fat from the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken into a gallon-size plastic zip bag or an airtight container. Set aside.
    1 pound chicken breasts
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour the marinade over the chicken, ensuring all the chicken is evenly covered.
    1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
    ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
    1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
    1 tablespoon garlic cloves
    1 teaspoon dried oregano
    ½ teaspoon dried thyme
    Salt and pepper
  • Zip the bag shut or seal the container. Transfer the chicken to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight (12 hours).
  • When you’re ready to cook, preheat the grill or griddle (over medium heat) just before removing the chicken from the refrigerator. Lightly brush the grill or griddle with a light coating of cooking oil (canola, vegetable, or avocado oil works great).
  • Use tongs to remove the chicken from the container and allow any excess marinade to drip off. Place the chicken onto the hot pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. The chicken is done when the thickest part reaches 165°F on an instant read meat thermometer and the juices run clear.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan to a waiting plate and cover loosely with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
  • Scroll up and see the post for tips, storage information, substitutions, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Notes

*The calories listed are an approximation based on a 4-ounce grilled chicken breast. However, due to some of the marinade not being used, the actual calories will vary. Please use an online calculator of your choice to determine the exact amounts based on the amount of marinade consumed.
*For more information, tips, and answers to frequently asked questions, please refer to the post.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25poundCalories: 184kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 32gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 159mgPotassium: 560mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 60IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 1mg
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