Greek Yogurt Chicken

A close up image of a piece of greek marinated chicken on a white plate with lemons on the plate and in the background.

This Greek yogurt chicken marinade will knock your socks off! Tangy, juicy, and bursting with fresh flavor, they're seriously easy to throw together with minimal work for you and can easily be prepped ahead. Just pop it in the oven or onto the grill for a killer dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Salt

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 363kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs around 5-6 thighs total depending on their size
5.3 ounces container Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons lemon juice or half if you don't like a strong lemon flavor + some extra lemon wedges for garnish
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley + a little extra for garnish
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme expert tip: if you have lemon thyme available its even better!
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper until well combined.
Add chicken pieces into the yogurt mixture and mix until the chicken is fully coated.
Marinate for at least 15 minutes, even better if it's overnight.
When you're ready to cook the chicken thighs, place them into a greased 9" x 13" baking pan, skin side up.
Bake at 425 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and crispy with an internal temperature of 162 degrees. Or grill on a greased, preheated grill for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy with an internal temperature of 162 degrees.
Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes to bring the temperature up to 165 degrees. Garnish with additional lemon wedges and chopped parsley and serve immediately!

Video

Notes

Marinate the chicken in a glass bowl or a plastic zipper bag- Sometimes the acid from the lemon can react with metal bowls causing a weird flavor — so avoid metal!

You can marinate this a day ahead, but at least 15-20 minutes is enough if you're short on time. And don't leave yogurt marinated chicken thighs longer than 24 hours or the chicken will start to break down.

Be sure to grease your pan to avoid sticking- I use cooking spray. If grilling, grease the grill before heating.

Ingredients to prep ahead- Clean and chop the herbs, then mix up the yogurt marinade for chicken. Marinate up to 24 hours in the refrigerator before cooking.

Leftovers and storage- Greek yogurt marinated chicken is best served right away, but leftovers last for up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. These can be reheated in the oven or in the microwave.

Nutrition