Lemon Garlic Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken

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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.

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!

Thank you for swinging by Hungry Happens! If you create this recipe or any other from our site, we would greatly appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate the dish! LOVE YOUR LIFE!

Lemon Garlic Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken

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4.82 from 48 votes

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Marinate Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 2 hours hrs

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 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

You can use chicken breasts or boneless skinless thighs in lieu of the above bone in skin on. The only change you will make is to lessen the bake time by 20 minutes or so. 

Nutrition

Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 937mg | Potassium: 487mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 193IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg

Author: Stella