Lemon Garlic Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken
This recipe is too easy and too delectable not to give a go and, subsequently, keep on your weekly food playlist, trust me, you will save this goodie. The ingredient list is small and the method is one a toddler could manage to throw together. The beauty of this dish is that it is totally versatile – you can use chicken that’s bone in and skin on or chicken breasts. You can also prepare it on the grill or on your stove top in a non stick pan – just add a little olive oil to the pan/grates to prevent sticking. If you love this recipe, you will love my Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes.
Why marinate with yogurt?
Greek yogurt contains lactic acid and calcium, both of which tenderize the chicken meat. Lactic acid is more gentle than traditional citrus juice based marinades and does not break down the meat quite as fast making Greek yogurt marinade almost fool proof. You can marinate for 30 minutes and still have amazing results. I left mine in the fridge for 2 hours and was extremely happy with the outcome. Greek yogurt is similar to when we use buttermilk to soak our chicken drumsticks. Makes them SO juicy.
I highly recommend serving this delicious entree with some Tsatziki sauce, on top of some rice or with a Greek Horiatiki Salad or a Maroulosalata (Greek Lettuce Salad).
Also, if you enjoy this meal, you will definitely LOVE my One Pan Roasted Greek Chicken ‘Salad’ – it is one of the most popular recipes on our website!
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Lemon Garlic Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 bone in skin on chicken thighs
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- black pepper to taste
Optional Dip/Topping:
- tzatziki
- fresh parsley
- chili pepper flakes
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry your chicken pieces with a paper towel.
- In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and spices. Add the chicken to the bowl and coat everything well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of half an hour (I recommend 1-2 hours).
- Take your meat out 30 minutes prior to putting it in the oven.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Transfer the chicken to a 9×13" baking dish. Take the leftover marinade and add it to the bottom of the pan. Top with the last two pieces of chicken. Bake for about 50 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°F. Let it rest out of the oven for 5 minutes and then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Hungry for more?
This dish was delicious! I used 4 boneless skinless chicken legs and baked it for 50 minutes. The best part is…my family liked it too, so I’ll definitely make it again!
I just made this and the marinade sauce split in the oven 🙁
Any ideas why? I used non fat greek yogurt
We loved this. We’re actually having it for the second time this week! I threw in some lemon zest and cherry tomatoes which yes I know isn’t technically the same recipe any more but dang it’s some good eating.
Sounds great!
Made this tonight and it was delicious!
Easy to make and yummy and chicken was moist and tender
I made this tonight to have for dinner tomorrow. I had to have a little taste when I took it out of the oven. Amazing! Core recipe for sure.
I omitted the lemon and used lemon pepper. I also used some high quality chicken broth and white pepper in my marinate. I let it sit in the fridge for 3 hours, then let it sit out for 45 mins.
Skin on, bone in.
Let it cook for 55 mins, they were large thighs. Served with rice and frozen corn for the grandkids!
I’m so glad I discovered the recipe – it is fantastic. I used drumsticks and doubled it, which worked great (same cooking time – 50 minutes) and gave me a few leftovers. When the chicken was finished cooking, I put it under the broiler and watched it closely. In about 2-3 minutes the skin was brown and crisp. My whole family loved it. Every bite is juicy and flavorful. I can’t wait to make this for company.
This was simple and delicious! First time marinating the chicken using Greek yogurt. The chicken was so moist and tender! Loved using the sauce over the rice pilaf I made with the chicken. Will definitely make this again.
Hi this looks really tasty and I cannot wait to try it! Just one question, is it possible to cook rice in the dish alongside the chicken? Thank you!
If using thin chicken breasts… should the bake time be the same?