Spicy Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Legs
I grew up eating chicken legs/drumsticks and loved every minute of it! Now that I’m the head shopper of my household, I’m noticing I don’t buy these enough. And my kids absolutely love these drumsticks too! The kicker is that they are less expensive than thighs and breasts so.. you’re welcome!
Why marinate with Greek 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.
If you enjoy this meal you will definitely enjoy my ROASTED GREEK CHICKEN ‘SALAD’ or my LEMON GARLIC GREEK YOGURT CHICKEN THIGHS. On the side you should try some of my BEST MASHED POTATOES or my CRISPIEST AIR FRYER POTATOES.
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Spicy Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 12 chicken drumsticks skin on bone in
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 tbs chili paste
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2.5 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry your chicken pieces with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, oil, garlic, chili paste, lime juice and all the seasonings. Toss the drumsticks into the mixture and coat everything well. Cover and refrigerate the bowl for a minimum of 30 minutes (I recommend 1-2 hours).
- Preheat your oven 375°F. Transfer the chicken to a large baking dish and roast for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. I also broiled mine at the end for 5 minutes to get a golden brown color. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes once outside of the oven, then serve.
Nutrition
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I love this recipe! I marinaded the chicken for 5 hours and it still turned out amazing! Even with limited ingredients I made it work. Thanks for sharing this recipe!