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Tangy yogurt marinated chicken – Juicy chicken breast that has been marinated in Greek yogurt, earthy garlic, vibrant paprika, oregano, and zesty onion powder. This yogurt marinated chicken breast is full of flavor and easy to make. Plus you can cook it so many ways! On the grill, in the oven for an easy sheet pan meal or even Air fry! I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you could also use thighs or drumsticks.
This Greek yogurt marinated chicken is perfect for a summer cookout or just a weeknight meal. The combination of paprika, garlic, onion powder, and oregano gives the chicken a flavorful and zesty taste. Best of all, this recipe is low-carb, gluten-free, and Paleo-friendly. Let’s get started!
“Tried this today and it was sooo good. Thank you for sharing it. Since I couldn’t grill it I put it in a pan and we loved the flavors. Made some mashed potatoes on the side and a salad. Everyone in the family ate it and even my daughter who is a very picky eater. This will for sure be a meal that will be done many times.” – Nesrine
Jump to Section
- Recipe at a glance
- Ingredients to make yogurt marinated chicken
- Popular substitutions & additions
- How to make yogurt marinated chicken
- To Bake The Chicken
- To Air Fryer The Chicken
- Tips for making the best yogurt marinated grilled chicken
- What to serve with your yogurt marinated chicken
- how to store & reheat yogurt marinated chicken
- Frequently asked questions
- More chicken recipes:
- Yogurt Marinated Chicken Recipe
Recipe at a glance
Cuisine Inspiration: Fusion – American, Mediterranean
Primary Cooking Method: Grilled
Dietary Info: Low Carb, Gluten Free
Key Flavor: Lemon, Garlic & Spices
Skill Level: Easy
Summary
- Tangy. Greek yogurt adds a delicious tang to the chicken, making it a great marinated chicken recipe. The yogurt marinade also helps to keep the chicken moist and juicy.
- Healthy. This recipe is low in calories and fat but high in protein and full of flavor – everything you can hope for in a healthy recipe.
- Easy to make. This recipe only requires a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
- Crowd pleaser. Everyone will love this chicken! It’s perfect for a summer cookout or backyard BBQ.
Ingredients to make yogurt marinated chicken
- Chicken: I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can also use chicken thighs or drumsticks.
- Yogurt: I’ve made this with regular full-fat yogurt and Greek yogurt. You can use either one, but I recommend going with full-fat yogurt so that the marinade doesn’t get watery.
- Lemon: Adds additional depth of flavor and helps to tenderize the chicken.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves or garlic powder can be used.
- Spices: A mixture of paprika, oregano, onion powder, salt, and pepper make the perfect spice blend.
Popular substitutions & additions
- Switch out the spices: If you don’t have all the spices on hand or want to change things up, feel free to use whatever you have on hand. Some other great options are smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, or even 7 spice seasoning blend.
- Add some veggies: Skewer some vegetables like cherry tomatoes, onion wedges, or mushrooms along with the chicken for a complete meal.
- Add olive oil. The yogurt marinates the chicken really well without the need for oil. But you can still add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to add more flavor and help prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill.
- Add mustard. It can be regular mustard or dijon mustard, but it also helps to add moisture to the chicken like the yogurt, and enhances the flavor of the chicken with a slight tang.
How to make yogurt marinated chicken
This yogurt-marinated chicken is really simple to make! The hardest part is waiting for the marinade to set it.
Marinate the Chicken in the Yogurt Sauce
- Pat the chicken breast with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Place the chicken in a large glass bowl.
- Add Greek yogurt and lemon on top of the chicken and season with the paprika, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Rub the chicken breasts with the yogurt and seasoning and coat well. Allow the chicken to marinate.
Grill the Chicken
- Preheat an outdoor grill. Place the chicken on the grill and cook with the lid open on one side without touching it.
- Use tongs to flip the chicken and cook on the other side.
- Check the internal temperature of the chicken and pull off the grill once it’s done cooking.
To Bake The Chicken
- Preheat your oven.
- Line a sheet pan or baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Place the chicken breast on the pan with an inch or two in between each piece of chicken.
- Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
To Air Fryer The Chicken
- Preheat your air fryer.
- Spray the basket with a light coating of non-stick spray. Place the chicken in an even layer leaving space between each breast. Cook, flipping halfway through until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
“Omg!!! This is a quite simple recipe, but probably one of the best chicken recipe I’ve ever made!!!! Thank you so much! I marinated for almost 24hours, and baked 20mins 200 degree. So tender and moist, and easy!! – Kaori
Tips for making the best yogurt marinated grilled chicken
- Double-grease the grill grates. Because of the yogurt used in the marinade, the grilled chicken can sometimes stick to the grill otherwise. Adding extra oil to the grill will help, and be sure not to try to flip the chicken too soon, which will also help.
- Pound the chicken to an even ½-inch thickness. This will help the chicken cook evenly and prevent it from drying out.
- Use a grill pan or cast iron skillet If you don’t have a grill. Just heat the pan over medium-high heat and cook for about the same amount of time.
- Marinate the chicken for a full 24 hours. This will give the chicken plenty of time to absorb all of the flavors from the marinade.
- Let the chicken rest before cutting into it. This will help keep all the juices in and make for a juicier grilled chicken breast.
What to serve with your yogurt marinated chicken
- Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
- Cheesy Gouda Scalloped Potatoes
- Pasta in Yogurt Sauce
- Greek Orzo Salad
- Restaurant Quality Creamy Risotto
how to store & reheat yogurt marinated chicken
This chicken is best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
how long will grilled chicken last in the fridge?
Cooked chicken will last in the fridge for up to four days.
can i freeze yogurt marinated chicken?
You can freeze the chicken before or after cooking. If freezing before, just place the chicken in a freezer-safe bag with the marinade and freeze for up to four months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator when ready to cook.
If freezing after cooking, let the chicken cool completely, then place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to four months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
Frequently asked questions
No, you don’t need to poke holes in the chicken. The yogurt marinade will penetrate the chicken on its own. That being said, you can certainly poke holes in the chicken if you’d like.
No, you can use low-fat or non-fat yogurt. However, I find that full-fat yogurt works best because it helps keep the chicken moist and adds more flavor without too much water content to the marinade.
Yes, you can marinate chicken in yogurt overnight. In fact, I recommend it because it gives the chicken plenty of time to absorb all of the flavors from the marinade.
Grilled chicken is a summer staple, and this Greek yogurt marinated grilled chicken breast recipe is a delicious way to change things up. The chicken is flavorful and juicy, thanks to the 24-hour marinade in yogurt, garlic, onion powder, and oregano. If you’re looking for something different to grill for your next cookout, give this recipe a try!
More chicken recipes:
- Grilled Dijon Chicken
- Roasted Whole Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
- Tortilla Crusted Chicken
- Pecan Crusted Chicken
- Oven Baked Balsamic Chicken
- Broccoli Chicken Alfredo
- Sweet Potato Noodles with Chicken
- Pesto Chicken Pasta
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Red Lentil Chicken Soup
- Skillet Cilantro Chicken
If you try this feel good Yogurt Marinated Chicken recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 4 6-ounce chicken breast about 1 ½ pounds
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
To Grill The Chicken
- Pat the chicken breast with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Pound the thicker end of the chicken to even out the sides for even cooking, if needed.
- Add Greek yogurt, lemon and garlic on top of the chicken and season with the paprika, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Rub the chicken breasts with the yogurt and seasoning and coat well. Allow the chicken to marinade for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Place the chicken on the grill and cook with the lid open for 6-8 minutes on one side without touching. Use tongs to flip the chicken and cook for 6-8 more minutes on the other side, until the chicken reaches internal temperature 160°F. Keep in mind that the temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees after you remove from heat and the chicken rests.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board and tent with aluminum foil, if desired. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes before slicing or serving.
To Bake The Chicken
- Preheat your oven at 425°F.
- Line a sheet pan or baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Place the chicken breast on the pan with an inch or two in between each piece of chicken.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
To Air Fryer The Chicken
- Preheat your air fryer for a few minutes at 375°F.
- Spray the basket with a light coating of non-stick spray. Place the chicken in an even layer leaving space between each breast. Air fry at 375°F for 8 minutes, then flip and air fry for 4-7 more minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Mine turned out dry and bland, with no colour despite cooking in the oven on a high temperature as specified (I even cut off 20 degrees Celcius to account for fan forced oven). If I was to make it again I would either cut the cooking time or reduce the temperature, and finish off under the grill (broiler) to give it some colour.
So sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work out for you, Carys.
Super good!!!
Yay, so happy you liked it!! Thank you!
Delicious – no dried out chicken breasts here! Marinated for 24 hours then dredged in a small amount of panko and fried in cast iron skillet.
Yum, sounds so good! So happy you liked the recipe!! Thank you!
Despite the neg reviews, I thought it sounded tasty. I added some cumin, fresh parsley and mayo to the recipe to try and kick it up. I have to agree with other reviewers….bland, tough, dry. And yes I marinated it overnight. Sorry, just not worth the effort.
So sorry to hear you didn’t like it, Lorraine, but I appreciate the feedback. Did you make sure to use Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt?
The whole family enjoyed this. Only marinated for 1.5 hours and was low on lemon but still turned out flavorful. I’ll be making again for sure.
So glad you and your family enjoyed it, Rose!! Thank you!
Didn’t enjoy this at all. Was somehow both bland and also overbearing from the paprika. Don’t understand why it’s so well reviewed
Aww, I’m sorry to hear that. How long did you marinate the chicken for? It needs 24 hours for maximum flavor.