Grilled Chicken With Yogurt Marinade Recipe (2024)

By Lidey Heuck

Grilled Chicken With Yogurt Marinade Recipe (1)

Total Time
20 minutes, plus at least 3 hours’ marinating
Rating
4(1,996)
Notes
Read community notes

Boneless skinless chicken thighs are a reliable choice when it comes to grilling chicken. They’re thinner than breasts, so they cook more evenly, and the higher fat content makes them difficult to overcook. In this recipe inspired by Turkish chicken kebabs, a yogurt and herb marinade makes them supremely tender and helps them brown beautifully on the grill. While some citrus-heavy marinades begin to break down chicken after just a few hours, this marinade uses only the zest, saving the juice for a quick squeeze before serving. The result is incredibly tender chicken you can prep up to a day in advance. Oregano and thyme work well together here, but feel free to play around with herbs and use what you have on hand, or substitute dried herbs in a pinch.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 2garlic cloves, grated
  • 1tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
  • teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
  • 1tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the grill or pan
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more for serving
  • ¼teaspoon black pepper, plus more for serving
  • 1lemon
  • 2pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

351 calories; 15 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 47 grams protein; 716 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Grilled Chicken With Yogurt Marinade Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, oregano, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper. Zest the lemon over the bowl, reserving the rest of the lemon for serving. Whisk until smooth.

  2. Step

    2

    Add the chicken thighs, toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 24. Remove chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

  3. Step

    3

    If using a grill, clean and oil the grates. Set the grill to medium-high or heat a grill pan slicked with olive oil on the stovetop over medium-high. Grill the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of the thighs), covering the grill halfway through if necessary to retain heat, until cooked through.

  4. Step

    4

    Transfer the chicken thighs to a platter and squeeze half the lemon over them. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley, and serve with lemon wedges on the side if desired.

Ratings

4

out of 5

1,996

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

RDCollins

The recipe says in Step 3, "If using a grill...." What if you're NOT using a grill — what's the best way to cook this recipe?

Kim P

Should I scrape the excess yogurt from the thighs before grilling, or leave them as is from the bowl?

Deejay

I love how versatile this recipe is. You can add citrus zest to the marinade, or cumin or other ground spices for a different flavor profile, and mint or cilantro are great substitutions. 5% or full-fat Greek yogurt is what I always have in the house--if too thick this could be thinned with a little kefir or 1-2 tablespoons of water but I haven't found it necessary to do so. For best results I wipe most of the yogurt off since the sugars in it tend to burn while grilling. So good!

Shankar Sarkar

This a wonderful preparation yet simple.Instead of grilling, we often prepare boneless skinless chicken thigh meat with variations of marinades in the oven.Preheat to 450 deg. F and bake for 30 minutes, turning over the chicken pieces after 15 minutes.Optional: Cook on Broil for 2 - 3 minutes more in the end to add a "crispier" taste.

Robert

I understand why you want to clean off most of the yogurt marinade prior to grilling, but not necessary with you cook them in the oven. I just made this recipe and I roasted them in my toaster oven on my sunporch (which I do on hot days) and I left all of the marinade on the thighs and it disappears in the roasting process and the chicken tastes and looks great.

Doug

Note to others... Don't accidentally use plain vanilla yogurt.

Robin Manley

This was delicious and fast. Used oven broiler, pulled out chicken thighs without wiping off yogurt marinade. 8 minutes per side and done. Added the lemon, cut in half when broiling chicken, a nice touch with fresh garden parsley, oregano and thyme. Very flavorful and moist. Highly recommend. Thanks for a fast weeknight recipe!

Mary Young

It’s best to take most of the yogurt off before putting on the grill. Otherwise going to have a heck of a clean up. The recipe works with almost any plain yogurt although I prefer full fat.

Jim

Made this according to the recipe with one change: used za'atar instead of the thyme for a more complex flavor. Very good, easy to make and appreciated by dinner guests.

Molly W

This was SO GOOD. My husband said he thinks it's the best chicken he's ever had and I might agree. It was rainy so instead of grilling, I broiled on each side for 8 minutes a side. I didn't scrape off excess yogurt and it made a delicious crispy, yet creamy exterior. A new favorite for sure.

Laura

I used 0% fat Greek yogurt (not watered down), and it came out very tender and delicious!

Lisl S.

My husband made this pretty much as written, though he used chicken breasts sliced thin and used fat free Greek yogurt. The herb combo was perfect with a little char from our gas grill. Will be in our weeknight rotation from now on.

Tom Deacon

I live in a condo, so no grill at hand. But I intend to use the broiler. It leaves no grill marks but works the same way.

Karen L Davis

Started with fresh thyme, but the leaves were so tiny (hello winter?), it felt like it was going to take all night to amass enough, so used za'atar, as a fellow cook suggested, and it was great/so easy. Cooked the marinated thighs in the oven at 400 for a bit more than 20 min. More easiness. Next time I'll raise the temp a little so they brown faster. Didn't scrape off marinade.

Sherry

I made this with boneless chicken breasts and it was delicious. I put two (equal-size) breasts in a quart bag with the yogurt mix for about six hours, put them in a pyrex pan without washing off the yogurt, then cooked at 400 for about 30 minutes until a thermometer registered 155, turning over 2-3 times. They were very juicy and delicious.

bcross

So easy and so delicious. The leftovers are great on salad. Might be my new go-to chicken recipe.

alison

Moist and delicious! I cooked thin sliced breasts at 7 minutes per side in a cast iron skillet. Didn’t bother scraping off the yogurt before putting in the hot pan. Covered and lowered the heat a bit after flipping. A keeper!

Jim from Boston

….. or heat a grill pan slicked with olive oil on the stovetop over medium-high.

Kristin

Delcious! Made it to recipe but I used the broiler and drumsticks. Worked like a charm. Did about 10 minutes on each side.

jackie m

Wow! This was amazing!! I did not scrape off the marinade before grilling and it was perfect!! The chicken was super tender and so flavorful! I saved about 1/2 cup of marinade before adding it to chicken and used it as a drizzle on chicken after it was cooked. So good. Paired it with grilled zucchini halves topped with an orzo/tomato/feta salad and pesto drizzled on top.

Brenda

Tasty, and tender and simple flavor profile. I think i will try amping up the herbs for future use for myself, perhaps trying the za'atar as others have suggested. I really should have read through the prior notes and removed the marinade prior to grilling- My grill is now quite a mess.

Grace

I substituted za’atar for the fresh herbs and it was great!

Meg McAlister

I added turmeric, grated garlic and lime zest to the yogurt for great color and flavor. Yogurt is better than buttermilk for marinading chicken!

Cynthia

My family loves this recipe, made as stated, except for roasting at 400 until golden and crispy, instead of grilling. It was perfectly delicious!

Rachel

Great summer recipe. I doubled the recipe. We thought the bbq would be a mess to clean so I broiled in the oven 7/8 mins each side along with a lemon. I used lots of fresh herbs from our garden and za'atar a friend brought me from Lebanon in the yogurt marinade and also sprinkled again before serving. * you do not need to scrape the yogurt off.

Isabelle M

I wish I would have kept some of the yogurt marinade aside before I put the chicken in it. It was so fragrant, it would have been an excellent to have one more dollop on top of the grilled chicken it even use as a dip. I also substituted the oregano and thyme for za’atar and it was delicious!

Name Cyndie

Dear Vic: you are the bomb!!! Your tips on this recipe were SPOT ON!!! The chicken would have been rather bland without the bed of red onion and mushrooms. Kicked it up so high. Thank you so much!

Lisa B

As suggested, I played with the spices a bit, adding cumin and lime zest instead of lemon. I thought it sounded bland, so I added the juice of half a lime. Although the chicken thighs were juicy they were bland - the marinade offered little to no flavor. I'd have to really doctor it up if I made it again.

kjohns

This sounded good and the reviews were positive. As to the pros and cons of wiping off the yogurt, I followed the advice of some who said to leave it on indicating no issues with sticking. I oiled my grill pan and heated to medium high as recipe said. What a mess! The chicken stuck and parts pulled off as I turned it. It was the most unappealing chicken dish I’ve ever made. Doctored it up with some fresh parsley. The taste was okay but I’m not making this again. Grill pan a mess!

Peter Waldman

I make this dish using bone-in, skin-on thighs and bake in a 425º oven for 35-40 minutes and it's delightful.

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Grilled Chicken With Yogurt Marinade Recipe (2024)
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