Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade
A creamy lemon-garlic Greek yogurt chicken marinade with oregano, cumin, olive oil, and optional cayenne. It makes enough for 2 pounds of chicken thighs or breasts and delivers excellent flavor in as little as 30 minutes.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Covered nonreactive container or food-safe zip-top bag
Ingredients
Greek Yogurt Marinade
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt whole-milk or 2%
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 4 cloves garlic finely grated
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
For Marinating
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts about 907 g
Instructions
Mix the Marinade
- Add the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne to a large bowl.
- Whisk until smooth and the seasonings are evenly distributed.
Marinate the Chicken
- Add the chicken and turn every piece until thoroughly coated. Cover the bowl or transfer everything to a sealed food-safe container.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 to 4 hours. For this lemon-containing formula, use within about 8 hours for the best flavor balance.
Prepare for Cooking
- Lift the chicken from the marinade and scrape away the heavy excess, leaving a thin coating attached. Discard the marinade that touched raw chicken.
- Cook using your preferred method until the thickest portion reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Rest cooked chicken for 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Yield: About 1 ½ cups marinade, enough for 2 pounds of chicken.
Best marinating window: Two to four hours. Thirty minutes works when time is short; about eight hours is the preferred maximum for this lemon-containing formula.
For better browning: Scrape away the heavy yogurt coating before cooking, but do not rinse the chicken. Leave a thin coating attached.
Tested skillet-to-oven method: Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat with a light coating of oil. Sear thighs for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side and 2 to 3 minutes on the second. Finish in a 425°F oven for approximately 5 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Food safety: Marinate chicken in the refrigerator and discard marinade that has contacted raw poultry. Do not serve it as a cold sauce.
Nutrition: Nutrition is intentionally omitted because the amount of marinade that remains on the chicken varies considerably.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!