Juicy Yogurt Marinated Grilled Chicken
Say goodbye to dry, bland grilled chicken! This yogurt marinated grilled chicken recipe results in juicy, tender chicken that’s packed with bold flavor. The garlicky marinade is easy to make and can be used on chicken thighs or breasts. The chicken can be marinated ahead—in fact, it gets even better with time—making it perfect for buys weeknights and weekend barbecues.
Grilled chicken is notoriously dry, but this recipe is going to change all that. The garlicky yogurt marinade comes together using simple ingredients, and I'll show you easy techniques to get perfectly juicy chicken, even when using boneless, skinless breasts.
Yogurt marinade ingredients:
- Whole milk yogurt: The lactic acid in yogurt tenderizes chicken while also preventing it from drying out on the grill. I prefer to use whole milk yogurt (you can use regular plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt), because the higher fat content helps keep the chicken juicy. You can also swap out the yogurt for sour cream.
- Garlic cloves: Grated garlic imparts a delicious flavor.
- Smoked paprika: Smoked paprika gives the marinade a hint of smoky depth, but you can use regular paprika if that's what you have.
- Dried oregano: Dried oregano lends an herby flavor.
- Honey: A hint of honey (or you can use sugar) balances the flavors and also helps the chicken caramelize.
- Chicken: You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts for this recipe (however, the marinade also works great with bone-in pieces!). If you have both white meat and dark meat lovers in your house, go for a mix of both. See the tips below for using chicken breasts.
How to make this yogurt marinated chicken recipe:
- In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, garlic, smoked paprika, dried oregano and honey, and season with salt and black pepper.
- Place the chicken in the bowl, and toss to coat (or you can place the chicken in a zip top bag and add the marinade). Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Preheat an outdoor grill or a grill pan to medium-high heat (500˚F). Clean the grates, and brush them lightly with oil. Scrape off any excess marinade from the chicken, and season the pieces with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the chicken on the grill in a single layer and grill until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes per side (the internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat on an instant read thermometer should read 165˚F).
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a platter, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Chicken kebabs variation
For chicken kebabs, cut the chicken into 1 ½ inch chunks before marinating. Thread the marinated chicken on metal skewers or soaked wooden skewers and grill until browned on all sides, about 10-12 minutes total.
Serving suggestions
Sprinkle the yogurt marinated chicken with a bit of lemon juice before serving (I love to serve it with grilled lemon halves, which are included in the recipe). You can serve the chicken as-is with your favorite side dish (see below for ideas!). Or, you can slice the chicken for salads, wraps, sandwiches and grain bowls.
Recipe tips:
- Chicken breasts have a tendency to turn dry and tough on the grill since they’re thick and unevenly shaped. To get juicy, tender grilled chicken breasts, pound them to a ½-inch thickness. This allows them to cook evenly and quickly without drying out. You can do this between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap using the flat side of a meat mallet (or rolling pin), or you can ask your butcher to do it for you. There’s no need to pound chicken thighs, since they’re thinner and have a higher fat content.
- Smoked paprika gives the marinade a hint of smoky depth, but you can use regular paprika if you don't have it.
- You can use a gas grill, a charcoal grill or an indoor grill pan to cook this yogurt marinated chicken recipe.
- If you like it spicy, feel free to add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili flakes to the marinade!
FAQs
Yogurt is a fantastic marinade for chicken, as it tenderizes the meat without turning it rubbery or mushy like vinegar-based marinades can do. Yogurt also creates a delicious crust on the outside of chicken.
You can use nearly any cut of chicken in a yogurt marinade, from boneless skinless breasts and thighs, to bone-in pieces of chicken, to chicken tenders.
You can marinate chicken in yogurt anywhere from 20 minutes to 24 hours. The longer it marinates the more flavorful it will become, but don't go over 24 hours otherwise the chicken could turn mushy.
No, do not rinse off the yogurt marinade, as it will create a delicious crust on the outside of the chicken. Simply scrape off any excess marinade then cook the chicken directly.
Side dishes to serve with this yogurt marinated grilled chicken recipe:
- Grilled Broccoli with Hot Garlic Honey
- Grilled Potatoes
- Red Cabbage and Sweet Corn Slaw
- Easy Ratatouille
- Grilled Panzanella Salad
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Get the recipe!
Yogurt Marinated Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
Grilled yogurt chicken
- ¾ cup plain whole milk yogurt (regular or Greek)
- 2 large garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon honey (or sugar)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ -2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (*if using breasts, pound them to ½-inch thickness- see the tips below)
For serving (optional)
- 2 lemons, halved
- Oil, for brushing
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic, smoked paprika, dried oregano and honey, and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the bowl, and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours (the longer the chicken marinates the more flavorful it will be, but don’t exceed 24 hours, otherwise the meat could turn mushy). If refrigerating, let the chicken come to room temperature before grilling.
Grill the chicken
- Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high (500˚F). Clean the grates, and brush them lightly with oil.
- Scrape off excess marinade from the chicken, and season it with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken until browned on both sides and cooked through, flipping once, about and 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter or cutting board and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Grill the lemon halves
- Brush the lemon halves lightly with oil then grill, cut sides down, until grill marks form, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve the chicken with the grilled lemon halves for drizzling. You can serve the chicken on its own or slice it against the grain for salads, sandwiches and bowls.
Notes
- Chicken breasts have a tendency to turn dry and tough on the grill since they’re thick and unevenly shaped. To get juicy, tender grilled chicken breasts, pound them to a ½-inch thickness. This allows them to cook evenly and quickly without drying out. You can do this between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap using the flat side of a meat mallet (or rolling pin), or you can ask your butcher to do it for you. There’s no need to pound chicken thighs, since they’re thinner and have a higher fat content.
- Smoked paprika gives the marinade a hint of smoky depth, but you can use regular paprika if you don't have it.
- You can use a gas grill, a charcoal grill or an indoor grill pan to cook this yogurt marinated chicken recipe.
- If you like it spicy, feel free to add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili flakes to the marinade!
This recipe is pretty much follows the Persian Jooje kabobs. You can add 2 to 3 teaspoons of saffron tea (saffron strands brewed like tea in hot water) to the marinade or brush it few minutes before finish grilling to add more depth of flavor. Another thing you can add small amount of cumin powder to the marinate. Both ways adds flavor to the mix for those seeking more taste.
Hi there! This recipe is super versatile and would be delicious with saffron as you suggest - thanks for sharing!
The chicken was tender but it had very little flavor.
Hi there! I'm sorry your chicken didn't absorb the flavors. May I ask how long you marinated it for? You can also increase the amount of garlic, if you prefer.
Hi Nicky. I am going to make this & surely it will be great!
I hope you enjoy, Maureen!!