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Home » Recipes » All Recipes

Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade

Published: Mar 6, 2022 · Modified: Mar 29, 2024 by Sarah Baumeister · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

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This is a lemony greek yogurt chicken marinade that takes less than 5 minutes to prepare but is brimming with with flavor from fresh lemon juice and zest, dried herbs, and creamy greek yogurt.

chicken in marinade

Who knew that yogurt would make such a great marinade? The final result is greek chicken that is juicy and tender. I challenge you to give this slightly unusual marinade base a try, you won't regret it!

In our household, we use yogurt for pretty much everything. As a sour cream substitute, in smoothies, in heaps alongside of pitas and kebabs. We always have a huge tub of whole milk Greek yogurt sitting in our fridge. And you can never have enough ways to season chicken, such as this mediterranean style yogurt marinated chicken!

For another flavorful marinade for chicken, try this cuban mojo marinade.

greek yogurt chicken marinade in a greek bowl with ingredients scattered around

I have used greek yogurt as a marinade in the past, in this punjabi-style butter chicken, and it was so good!

Adding a little extra virgin olive oil to this easy marinade helps to thin it out so it coats the chicken easier, and it also helps to brown the chicken when you go to cook it.

Why does greek yogurt work as a marinade?

Similar to the concept of using buttermilk as a marinade, greek yogurt works great as a marinade because of its lactic acid. This helps to break down a meat's structure while increasing its water content.

How long should chicken marinate in an acidic marinade?

Ideally, the chicken should marinate for about 2 hours. If you have less time, 30 minutes will still impart some flavor to the meat.

Anything longer than 24 hours with start to break down the meat too much and compromise the texture.

Greek yogurt chicken marinade ingredients

ingredients for greek yogurt chicken marinade on a white background
  • plain greek yogurt
  • olive oil
  • lemons (lemon juice and lemon zest)
  • salt
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • thyme
  • oregano
  • basil
  • garlic
  • boneless skinless chicken thighs

How to make a chicken marinade with plain greek yogurt

In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients and stir until combined.

yogurt and dried spices in a green bowl
ingredients for marinade in a green bowl
greek yogurt chicken marinade in a greek bowl

Add chicken to bowl of marinade and cover with a lid or cling wrap.

Marinate chicken in the fridge for 2 hours

raw marinated chicken thighs and cut lemons on a baking sheet

Cook greek yogurt marinated chicken on the grill, in the air fryer, or in the oven, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

marinated chicken thighs with lemons on a plate

What else can you use this marinade for?

Aside from marinating chicken thighs, you can using this greek yogurt marinade for boneless skinless chicken breasts, sirloin steak tips, shrimp, or fish.

It is also very similar to tzatziki sauce, minus the cucumber. So if you would like to use it as a greek dip for kabobs or as a salad dressing, that would be great as well. Just make sure no raw meat has touched it.

chicken in greek yogurt marinade with lemons and seasonings to the side

Storage

Store yogurt marinade in the fridge for up to 3-4 days before using.

If chicken is marinated, keep refrigerated until ready to use. The chicken can marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours.

chicken in yogurt marinade

Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade

Sarah Baumeister
This greek yogurt chicken marinade takes something ordinary, greek yogurt, and uses it as a base for incredibly moist and flavorful chicken.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Homemade Sauces
Cuisine Greek
Servings 1 cup
Calories 357 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup whole milk greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 lemons lemon juice and lemon zest
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. dried basil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs

Instructions
 

  • In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients and stir until combined.
  • Add chicken to bowl of marinade and cover with a lid or cling wrap.
  • Marinate chicken in the fridge for 2 hours.
  • Cook greek yogurt marinated chicken on the grill, in the air fryer, or in the oven, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 357kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 39gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 187mgSodium: 663mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Comments

  1. TRINITY

    July 31, 2019 at 10:27 pm

    I love using greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream. Have not tried it as a marinade yet. The recipe you gave, does the flavor resemble a traditional greek chicken taste?

    Reply
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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Hi, I'm Sarah!

I am a wife, mother, and believer. I have been cooking since I can remember and love sharing recipes with all of you. You will find a variety of recipes here from healthy family dinners, to ways to prepare venison, to soups, to baked goods, anything and everything delicious.

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