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.
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
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.
Can’t wait to try
but Oven temp ?????
Oven temp ?????
I found the oven temp 🤯🤣
375
I found the oven temp 🤯
375
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing
Hi Ruth! You will love this chicken recipe for sure! Cheers!
Can I use cream cheese in lieu of Greek yogurt?
Hi Carrie, I have not tried this recipe with cream cheese so I can’t say for certain. Although the acidity in cream cheese will act similarly to the yogurt so it MIGHT work. Please let us know if you try it and what happens!
I’m totally making this tonight. Can’t wait.
Can you use fat free Greek yogurt?
Hi Nancy, should be fine with non fat Greek yogurt.
Does the garlic go in whole?
hi sam – garlic is minced.
Can you marinate over night ?
Hi Dawn, I wouldn’t marinate for more than 3 hours with this recipe.
Why not?
Uh oh, I marinated overnight. What happens if you over marinate?
If you marinade too long with acidic foods/liquids, it actually starts to decompose your protein. It cooks it, eats away at it and will turn it into mush.
Can I grill this instead ?
And I just put my glasses on and read it again.. lol…. Yes I can.
lol I just read this too! I hope you love this recipe!
Hi Sonja! Absolutely yes .. they can be grilled or air fryed too.
This looks tasty. Can the recipe be halved?
Hi Mark, sure of course it can be halved.
Do you cover it with aluminum foil when putting it in the oven?
Hi Maria, No cover with these… we want them to get nice and tan lol
How is the timing if i cut the chicken breasts into smaller slices?
Hi Marya! If you slice them into thick strips should be about 25-30 minutes. If small chunks 20-25 minutes. Please come back and let us know how it goes!
I found this yummy recipe on TikTok and came over to your page and found tons more amazing recipes!!
I’m gonna make this recipe tonight!! 😋Thank you
Welcome Kathryn! I hope you enjoyed the chicken and thank you for trying the recipe!!
Just made this for my family and visiting Great Aunt. Wow. So amazing. Tender. Moist. Flavourful. Guess I just found my go-to recipe for visiting relatives!
Hi Erin! Thank you for giving the recipe a try and I’m so glad it was a winner! Family can be hard to please sometimes so I’m happy it worked out for everyone!
Did u forget to put down honey on the recipe?
Oh it’s olive oil, my bad. Can’t wait to try this!!
Oh it’s olive oil, my bad. Can’t wait to try this!!
I’m trying the recipe today
Hi Donna, I hope you enjoyed!
Fabulous and so easy to throw together! Love the skinless, boneless option!
Thanks for trying the dish! They are one of my ideal recipes – easy and delicious!!
Can you cut back on sodium by eliminating the salt? I’m going to make this!
Hi Rita, its all dependent on your taste palate… You can always add more salt later.
I can’t wait to make this tonight! I’m going to serve it with my herbed rice and roasted zucchini as well as a killer Greek salad…awesomeness! I bet this would be delicious grilled too with grilled veggies and baked potatoes topped with tzatziki or a tomato salad.
Hi Bryan, you are correct, it’s awesome grilled!!
Hi Stella, am planning to make this today but my children don’t prefer oregano. What herb could I substitute it with?
Hi Sam, Definitely thyme or basil! Hope you and the kids enjoy!!
The recipe looks so yummy I am making it tonight for dinner. I do want to say that it is not recommended to rinse raw poultry because it can contaminate the kitchen with bacteria.
Question, can I cut back on the oil? Just seems like a lot. What is the purpose of the full 1/4 cup of oil?
Can I just ask if the nutritional information is for each serve, for example 533 calories per serve and the recipe serves 6?
Thanks for your help, we are trying this tonight.
Oops , I just put my chicken in the marinade and read it shouldn’t marinate for more than 3 hours but I’m not planing on cooking it for four hours have a screwed everything up ? LOL !
Hi Susan, it should be okay!
Very tasty! Added your tzatziki sauce. Perfect!
Hi Skip! Definitely a winning combination with the tzatziki! Thanks for the review!
I forgot to mention … I used boneless skinless thighs and nonfat Greek yogurt because that’s what I had on hand. It was a hit!
This is Amazing and so easy to put together. I made 2 huge packs of chicken thighs, doubling the marinade. 2 great things about the marinade. 1. Comes together Fast, I put the garlic thru a garlic press. 2. The yogurt clings to the chicken. I went to mix the chicken around after 2 hours but didn’t need to.
Served with roasted potatoes, zucchini, and your Maroulosalata (Greek Lettuce Salad). Amazing.
Hi Ann, you are right on all points. its such a simple and yummy recipe. And I absolutely LOVE your side! Thanks for taking the time to comment and rate – CHEERS!
All I can say is OMG. DELISH
Hi Karen! I agree and Thank you so much for the feedback!
Deeee-licious! (The only change I’ll make next time is to cut the salt in half). Just made it two days ago and am making it again tomorrow!
Hi Lois! Oh my goodness.. Thats a wonderful compliment! Glad you’re loving it!
I’m not sure what I did wrong. Mine didn’t look roasted at all, no skin got very browned or crispy. And the drippings were curdled. Was it because I used a glass Pyrex instead of roasting pan?
I am making this tonight! Haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I saw you prepare it! My wingies are marinating as I type! Cheers
Hi Misha! I hope you enjoyed the winigs!! Cheers to you too and thanks for trying the recipe!
Made it again, fabulous both times! Followed your recipe to the letter. Both times we had left overs, makes great chicken salad!
Hey Misha – that is helpful feedback and I thank you for coming back to the recipe!
Trying tonight. I don’t understand putting the marinade at the bottom after you put in the chicken…??
Hi Gloria, you don’t have to add it in. I just like juice with flavor for dipping my chicken into.
I let it marrinate over night. You said no more than 30 minutes. Why
Made this tonight and the flavour is great, husband loved it. Just have to play with the cooking time, as I used chicken halves instead of bone in thighs. Great, easy recipe!
Hi Gina, That’s amazing!Glad it was enjoyed!
Yes it had a lovely taste and smell ! It took much longer to cook turned it round !! The oil was fsr too much though next time half of the quantity !!! Dish was very greasy my family commented. Will try again with more spice less oil .
The chicken didn’t turn out how i wanted to you need to explain that you have to wipe the yogurt off. I cooked my chicken at the recommended temp and it won’t crisp up at all.
Im going to try it today .
Mine is in oven i must sayit smells really nice
Made it today i used more paprika !! It hd a nice taste ! I added all the ingredients as instructed ! But found it was too oily? Made it with rice next time i will make it with half of what is written !!! You need to turn it round half way ! It took much longer to cook .thats not a problem though .
Hi Anna, Thank you for trying the recipe and all your feedback! I appreciate you taking the time to give us your tips!
Hi stella !!! Your welcome its a pleasure !!!!
I just made the marinade and it tastes extremely salty…hope it turns out ok…
Can I bake thus and then freeze? If so what do I do to serve?
I put this in the refrigerator yesterday fully intending on cooking it, but we had an unexpected incident and I didn’t get to it. Now, it’s the next day. Can I still cook it?
Hi Kim. It’s Stella. Yes you can still cook it no problem!
Thank you so much! I’m excited to try this! I absolutely hate cooking, but your recipes are inspiring and show me that you can use simple recipes to make delicious meals.
I made this chicken for supper tonight. I used boneless, skinless breast. They were juicy and delicious! I want to make this for a shower September. Do you think I can make it and keep in warm in a crock pot until time to serve?
Thank you!
Hi Susan,
That sounds liked it should work. I don’t have much experience with Crockpots myself but as long as you keep the cooked meat between 200 F and 250 F you should be good to go.
Tasty and easy. Love a yogurt marinade! The separation of the marinade during cooking makes me think that grilling might be a better bet next time. Would likely get a better color, too, as my boneless/skinless were too submerged to brown.
Hi Rachel, So sorry for the late reply but I am in Greece. Yes, grilling them is a fantastic idea… I will posting that recipe soon! But if you do decide to bake, just broil at the end to get that beautiful color.
Tried it tonight – it smelled HEAVENLY while cooking. Only problem was how the marinade separated in the oven – the yogurt ended up looking like cottage cheese, not all that appetizing. My chicken thighs didn’t brown as much as I would have liked, I think grilling is the way to go also. Made brown & wild rice to go with it and salad with feta & Greek dressing and I’m happy!
Great dish and super easy. I’ve tried both BBQ and oven. Thanks for sharing! I found you on Instagram and now you’re my go-to for family meals.
Hi Lily,
Welcome! and thank you for trying out the dish and leaving such kind feedback!
Can I marinate longer than 2 hours
Can I marinate longer than 2 hours
Never I read ahead and saw!
This was easy and delish, this is my 2nd time making it and it’s a keeper. Thank you for sharing 💜
I made this chicken this morning – very early – it was going to be in the 90s today and i didn’t want to use my oven. I marinated for 2 hrs. then cooked it while I took a shower. Took out of the oven; then went and did some errands. When I got back – OMG – it smelled amazing in here! I only did two thighs. But I have alot more, so when it cooks down I am DEFINETLY making this again and keeping this a go-to. Kudos.
Hi Michelle, I thank you for trying the recipe and I’m glad you left your feedback! This is definitely a staple recipe for us too!
This recipe is easy & delicious! I will definitely make again. *I marinated 24 hours (& only because I wanted to cook within half hour of getting home from work the next day).
I served it with roasted zucchini, squash & onions. Will have leftovers with rice & feta on the side.
Hi Ana, That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing the feedback with us and I’m glad you enjoyed the dish!
Making it again!!!! Actually I make I every two weeks (enough for 3 dinners). Hubs and I are on keto and this works perfectly. Today serving on wilted spinach. 😋
Don’t heat to 165f, that makes it tough. Heat to 155f and let rest for 5 min. The residual heat won’t blast the germs instantaous like 165f does, but 5 minutes is more than enough to kill them. You can even go 145f and keep at that temp for an hour, but you’d need some sort of sous vide contraption.
I was sceptical when I tried the sauce raw. But after it was cooked. WOW! Amazing combo.
Yay! Yes, this is one of my most favorite ways to prepare chicken, pork, etc. I’m glad you tried it and loved it!
We love this recipe! It’s so good! I always add a little extra lemon and garlic, and I use organic bone-in chicken leg/thighs. I always serve with sweet potatoes and steamed or buttered broccoli and everyone loves it!
Hi Brooke! OHHH i love those sides with this dish! Thank you for sharing with everyone and I appreciate you trying the recipe out! Cheers!
I’ve made this with chicken breast and it was amazing. Would it work with pork tenderloin?
Hi Lynette, Yes…Definitely try it with the pork! And please come back and give us your feedback!
Stella I love your recipes!
I made this tonight after marinating all day yesterday.
The flavor was very good and chicken breasts were tender. I served with rice pilaf.
However there is no marinade to serve over chicken. The yogurt actually curdled.
This was not an issue for me as the chicken itself was flavorful. Just wondering if this happened because I waited so long before I actually cooked the chicken.
Hi Connie, Glad you enjoyed this chicken dish with the rice — perfect!
Yes, typically I only marinate chicken in yogurt for a few hours for that reason. Hope you give this another try!
mine curdled too. l was wondering if it is because of the salt, splitting the yoghurt 🤔🤔
Did you cover the pan with foil OR did you bake chicken uncovered?
Hi Stephanie, bake uncovered.
Do I use plain Greek yogurt or can I use vanilla flavored? Thanks Terry
only plain yogurt for savory meals!
Terrific! A recipe just as I like it- a few key ingredients, simple, easy-to-follow instructions, quick video, and a delicious turnout. My husband is surprised I followed the recipe instead of changing it too much and wondering what went wrong! I’m going to add it to my Christmas menu for the less traditional Italians , topping with some dried tomatoes, parsley, and turmeric for the red, green, and gold theme.
Hi JulieAnn, That’s terrific that you and your hubs enjoyed! HOpe it is also enjoyed on Christmas and in the coming new year! Cheers!!!
super easy and delicious
What part of this recipe makes it not a good candidate for over night marinade?
the yogurt is too acidic
This dish was delicious but mine curdled.
What did I do wrong?
I made this tonight for my husband and I. It was super easy and tasted amazing. So tender and flavorful. I made the marinade for the chicken last night before reading all the directions and didn’t realize it cooked for almost an hour. I ended up putting the marinaded chicken in the fridge overnight and cooking something quicker last night. Still turned out wonderful.
I made this last night and it was delicious, but, I found the yogurt sauce had a “curdled” appearance when done. How can this be prevented?
Hi Terri, just remove as much as you can from the chicken post marinade and before adding it to the pan for cooking.
I too had the “curdled” issue. After baking, I moved the chicken to a platter. I poured the sauce into a mixing bowl and whisked it vigorously. That helped with the curdled appearance.
This would have been an easy 5 but I rushed the process. When I make this again, I will marinate for the full hour and use my mixer. The smell was outstanding and the chicken was falling apart! 🤌🏼 I even made the tzatziki sauce! WOW. That alone could be a great veggie dip. Loved it!
Delicious! I made it with 2 bone-in breasts. Cut ingredients in half and used Italian seasoning.
hello stella can i use chicken leg for this recipe?
YES!
Made this for a high protein dinner and they came out unbelievable! The chicken came out so juicy and tender. Will definitely be making this again!!
Hello! I’m so happy the dish was to your liking! And thank you very much for your rating!
As a Senior who lives alone, I just want to try this wonderful-sounding dish. I won’t post until after I try this…
Wish me luck!!
Early on, I tried the Breakfast cookies; the first 1/2 recipe looked more like biscuits than cookies, lol! The second batch was much thinner and better!!
(Guess I must post….)
I bought a jar of cloves I took 5 chunks and put in it . it’s in refrigerator now should I have chopped them up I never used them before
This chicken was some of the best I’ve ever made!!! I added about a teaspoon of dill and a few shakes of chili flakes to it as well. I served it with rice pilaf and airfried mixed veggies
Hi there!
I’m trying this recipe tonight and really excited about it. How do I understand this?
“Top with the last two pieces of chicken.
Soooooo good! Doubled the batch to have some throughout the week and so glad I did. My family of 5 approves, thank you for sharing!
Hi Erika, I’m glad that you and your family enjoyed the recipe and thank you for the glowing feedback!
I tried this with chicken breast and it was really moist and delicious! Can I get clarification on the nutritional value? Is that the value for 6 servings?
excellent recipe and so delicious 😋
Hi Paul, Thank you for trying out the recipe and taking the time to rate it!! Cheers!
So delicious! This was a win with every picky eater at my house. This was the 3rd chicken recipe I have tried from you that everyone enjoyed with zero complaints! I will continue to go through your recipes because every one looks delicious!
HI Julie, that makes me so happy that everyone likes the dishes! Thanks so much for giving them a try!
this was, hands down, THE BEST chicken I have ever had! my whole family raved about it for days!!!! this will be on rotation. REALLY, REALLY GOOD!!! THANK YOU!
Hi Kathy, Yay! Im so happy it was such a hit with everyone! Thank you for the glowing review!!
This is the most quick and delicious and tender chicken I’ve ever had !!!! I let it marinade for 1 hour. followed the recipe, as instructed , I put extra spices and feta on top at the end of baking , omg so delicious !!!!! I’m so impressed Thanks for sharing!♡
Please check instructions. “Take the leftover marinade and add it to the bottom of the pan. Top with the last two pieces of chicken” makes no sense with the rest of the instructions.
This recipe was outstanding!!
We thoroughly enjoyed our meal!
Bravo!!
“the last two pieces of chicken”? I don’t understand. After chicken marinates, Do you put the yogurt marinade that hasn’t soaked into chicken into the bottom of baking dish, then put all the chicken on top to bake?
This is the best chicken I have ever had. And it’s so easy.
Can you use tzasiki instead of Greek yoghurt for the marinade
Hello! I just found your recipes from Instagram! Very excited. Trying this one for the family on Friday. Do you use sweet paprika or plain ground paprika?
Hi Karen and welcome! Yes, I use regular paprika. I would use any seasoning that your tastebuds prefer!
I thought it tasted good, but the yogurt separated, giving it an unappealing appearance, so not sure I would make it again. After reading other comments, I used only two tablespoons of oil, used 2 percent Greek yogurt, and only one teaspoon of salt. The flavour was good so maybe it would be better removed from the marinade and grilled instead of baked.
Hi Susan, its gonna happen with this type of marinade. That’s normal. Just drain and enjoy!
Everyone Loved this, delicious and so simple.
Can I use chicken drumsticks with this recipe?
HI Meredith, absolutely yes. And maybe bake for slightly less time!
Certainly comes together easy and the flavor was good. Like others, the oil separated from the yogurt and the yogurt had a curdled consistency. Not inclined to make it this way again unless there’s something I’m missing.
Hi, I used chicken breasts, but after 30 minute of cook time, my chicken did not look anywhere near as browned as yours. I double checked the temperature and marinade proportions, and they all seemed correct- could you suggest a way to fix this? Thanks! I tried cooking it for an additional 30 minutes, but after that time, the skin still wasn’t as brown as yours, and the yoghurt started to burn. Thanks for your help!
that marinade is bomb im tempted to put some aside to use to dip my chips in yummy
That makes sense to me!
Found this recipe today July 9-23 and I had all the ingredients in the house so easily prepared it. It’s marinated now in the refrigerator for tonight’s dinner. I luckily recently just found Stella’s website a victory for me! This yogurt lemon garlic chicken one was so Simple and fast . Know it will turn out fantastic. Thank you Stella for all your positing of healthy “Greek” recipes. We are certainly enjoying many of posted yours.
Karen
Welcome Karen and I’m glad you are enjoying my posts! Thanks for giving them a try!!
I don’t like thighs and had 2 it’s as authentic as it could be.
Hi Robin, I’m glad you liked it!
I may be late to the party but I just made this chicken and it was the ‘moistest’ ever. I have used greek yogurt on chicken breasts.. meh. I made this with bone-in, skin-on thighs. Just great. I served with brown rice (with lemon juice, olives, spinach, and cut grape tomatoes). What a delicious meal. Thank you.
I made this but used 2% greek yogurt and it curdled. Should I use full fat? My husband made the marinade and he’s not great at following recipes so that could be a factor too 😕
I read this several times and feel like I am missing something. Can you clarify the following?
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 2 PIECES OF CHICKEN.
So only put 2 chicken thighs on top of the left over marinade? Thanks for the assist on this!!
Yes! Just add the last two pieces on top of the marinade
hello, i just recently cooked it but didnt come out like the picture but it definitely taste great and soft! i was wondering if i can place it in freezer since i am prepping the menu for the week.
Oven temp at #4 this is my 3rd time making and everyone loves them. Thanks
Looks great! Trying tonight. What does it mean to “top with the last two pieces of chicken”? Are they going in a single layer or two? Thanks!
Hi Jen, they go on top of the leftover marinade – you can leave it out the leftover marinade too if you like…
Hi Stella- you have all these great recipes where you use Greek yogurt. I accidentally bought fat free Greek yogurt at Costco and want to use it. Any of your recipes you would recommend that work best with the fat free version? Thanks!!
Hi Kristi, Thanks so much for following allow. The fat free should work in most of dishes. Or you can enjoy it with some honey, walnuts, blueberries for an elite snack!
I made this tonight and…WOW!!! I didn’t expect it to be soooo flavourful. It was moist and tender and the skin was nice and brown. Will definitely be making this regularly from now on. Thank you!!!
Hi Jessica, Thanks so much for trying the chicken dish out and I’m so glad it worked for you!
I love the sound of this but I want the meat to fall off the bone as well , could I cook these for about 1hour 45 minutes with foil and then broil it for 5-10 minutes to complete this dish . LMK thanks can’t wait to try this recipe
Hi Justin – sounds like a plan to me! Enjoy!
THE BEST LEMON CHICKEN!! I’ve lost count of how many of your recipes I’ve made and they are ALL outstanding and this chicken – oh my gosh!! It was so tender and juicy and deeply flavorful!! My regret is that only made 4 chicken thighs – wish I’d made the full 6 and if I make it again I’m gonna make 8 or 12! I had everything on hand and needed to use up some homemade homemade yogurt so this was perfect timing for finding this recipe! (Do you know about making cold start yogurt in an instant pot?? It’s so good and creamy!!)
I served it with baby cucumber, mixed sweet peppers, red onion, feta, and your red wine oregano vinaigrette. Also, poured off all the chicken juices after baking and put it in a sauce pan and reduced the liquid, which reincorporated the “curdles” then dipped thick toasted ciabatta slices in the sauce before pouring the remaining sauce over the beautifully browned chicken pieces and serving. You’re so right, this is definitely going on the regular chicken rotation!! Thanks so much for sharing your recipes, Stella!! They are definitely bringing inspiration and we are loving our life with all this great food!! xoxo