Greek Yogurt Chicken is marinated in a delicious yogurt marinade with olive oil, lemons, garlic, and oregano for a strong Mediterranean flavor and a little zest! You can grill it, bake it, or cook it in a skillet and let it marinate overnight! Ready in just 15 minutes and 3 steps. Enjoy with this Greek Lemon Rice and a Baked Feta Cheese with Tomatoes for the perfect Greek dinner at home!
Greek Yogurt Chicken
I’m so excited to be sharing this recipe with you after all the love my Greek Lemon Rice Recipe has been getting (THANK YOU!!!!). I’ve been requested a main to go along with it and I finally got around sharing one of my favorite Greek chicken recipes: Greek Yogurt Chicken!
Picture this: perfectly tender chicken breasts marinated in a zesty yogurt marinade with olive oil, lemon, garlic, and lots of oregano. The Mediterranean flavor is strong with this one and goes perfectly with my Greek Lemon Rice and this Baked Feta Cheese With Tomatoes (or this Pan Fried Feta Cheese With Honey And Sesame if you’re feeling fancy).
Best part? You can grill it, bake it, or simply throw it in a pan and cook it over medium heat, you decide! I’ll provide all the instructions for each method in the recipe card down below!
Bonus point: it’s ready in just 15 minutes and 3 steps. You can marinate the bird overnight in the refrigerator or throughout the day if you plan on making it for dinner. I seriously love this chicken recipe and it’s one of my go to’s!!
Let’s see how it’s made!
Ingredients for Greek Yogurt Chicken
You'll find the full recipe + ingredients in the recipe card down below but this is what you'll need:
- Olive oil. This will help transfer the flavors onto the chicken while keeping it nice and juicy and adding that Mediterranean flavor to it. Mediterranean cuisine lives off olive oil so please don’t use substitute this.
- Greek yogurt. Wouldn’t be a Greek yogurt chicken without Greek yogurt adding some tang and extra flavor to the marinade while also adding some extra fat that will help the chicken retain the moisture and absorb the flavors.
- Lemon juice. Please use fresh lemon juice!! It adds much more flavor (and better flavor tbh) to the chicken. The natural acidity of lemon juice is needed to break down the protein fibers in the chicken making it even more tender.
- Garlic. Chopped. For extra flavor. Another key ingredient of Mediterranean cuisine so please use actual garlic and not garlic powder!
- Oregano. Dry, fresh and chopped up, we don’t care, just throw it in and be generous with it because it’s one of the key flavors here.
- Black pepper. If you have freshly ground, even better, if not ground will work just fine.
- Salt.
- Chicken. I mainly use chicken breasts and cutlets but you can use any cut, really.
How to make Greek Yogurt Chicken
You'll find the full recipe + ingredients in the recipe card down below but this is what you'll do:
- Prepare the marinade. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl or a ziplock bag for easier cleanup. Mix until combined then add the chicken.
- Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator. This can be done overnight or throughout the day but the more it marinates, the more the chicken will absorb all the flavors in the marinade.
- Cook. Grill, bake, cook in a skillet, DO YOU!! Anything works for this recipe and it’s why it’s so versatile and easy to sneak in your weekly routine and meal plans. Enjoy and let me know how you like it!!
What to serve with Greek Yogurt Chicken
Appetizers: Baked Feta Cheese with Tomatoes, Pan Fried Feta Cheese With Honey And Sesame, Italian Burrata Salad with Roasted Tomatoes.
Sides: Greek Lemon Rice Recipe, Spicy Lebanese Potatoes, Healthy Oven Roasted Vegetables, Watermelon Salad With Feta, Mint And Cucumber.
Desserts: Greek Yogurt With Honey And Walnuts, Custard Cream Horns, Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes, you can marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for up to 1 day in advance then take it out and cook it when you’re ready to serve it. I actually recommend letting it marinate as many hours as possible so it can soak up all the flavors!
How do I store Greek Yogurt Chicken?
Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet with a touch of olive oil until the chicken is hot and the center measures 160F on a kitchen thermometer (safe temperature).
HAPPY COOKING!! I hope you'll love this Greek Yogurt Chicken as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
MORE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:
- Greek Lemon Rice
- Spicy Lebanese Potatoes (Batata Harra Recipe)
- Baked Feta Cheese with Tomatoes
- Italian Burrata Salad with Roasted Tomatoes
- Buttermilk Chicken Marinade
Greek Yogurt Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed for best flavor)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano (more if using fresh and minced)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper (to taste)
- 1 lb (450 g) skinless chicken breasts (or any other cut)
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade. To a large bowl or a ziplock bag, add the olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined then add the chicken and mix the chicken to coat in the marinade.
- Marinate the chicken. Place the bowl (covered) or the ziplock bag in the refrigerator and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 1-3 hours or overnight for best flavor.
- Cook. You can grill, bake, or cook this chicken in a skillet. In any case, you want to remove the chicken from the marinade and then discard the marinade. For the skillet method: place a large skillet over medium heat, once the skillet is hot, add the chicken and cook for about 5-6 minutes without moving, then flip and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through. For the baking method: simply preheat the oven to 350F (180C), add the chicken to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-15 minutes. For the grilling method: simply preheat the grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil with some vegetable oil before adding the chicken and grilling for 5-6 minutes, flip using a pair of kitchen thongs and grill for another 5-6 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
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