Yogurt-Marinated Chicken
sandravalvassori.com
A zippy yogurt and herb marinade infuses chicken thighs with loads of flavour while also making them supremely tender and juicy, no matter how you cook them. Served with a lip-smacking herby yogurt sauce, this Yogurt-Marinated Chicken will be one of the easiest, most delicious meals you make this summer.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or full-fat), divided
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
- 1/2 small/medium shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh *herbs, plus more for garnish (see notes)
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, finely zested and juiced
- 1 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless **chicken thighs
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a blender, process 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, garlic, shallot, herbs, olive oil, lemon zest and juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed.
- Transfer 3 tablespoons of the marinade mixture to a small bowl and mix with remaining 1/2 cup of yogurt. Taste it, if it seems too strong, add a little more yogurt. If it seems too thick, add a few tablespoons of milk, buttermilk, or warm water to loosen. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and place in a large bowl or ziplock bag. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the remaining marinade to the chicken and toss until all the chicken pieces are completely coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours and up to overnight. Remove chicken from fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
- Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat (450ºF). Once hot, scrape the grill grates to clean them, then generously oil the grates.
- Using tongs, remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip back into the bowl (but don't brush it off), and place on the grill. Cover and grill, undisturbed until grill marks appear and the chicken does not stick to the grates, about 5-6 minutes. If the chicken does not release easily, continue to cook another minute or so. Flip and cook the second side until grill marks appear, about 5 minutes more. Flip again and cook another 2-3 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 170°-175ºF (or 165ºF for chicken breasts).
- Transfer chicken to a platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5-8 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped herbs and serve with herby yogurt sauce and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
Marinating time: Because the yogurt works slower at tenderizing meat, it is best to marinate the chicken thighs for at least a few hours but preferably overnight to infuse with maximum flavor. If you didn't plan ahead and you're in a hurry, you can get away with 1 hour. In this case, I recommend cutting a few shallow slits across the smooth side of the chicken thighs to help the marinade penetrate quicker.
*Herbs: Use only the leaves and tender stems of any combination of parsley, chives, dill, basil, mint, tarragon, and/or cilantro.
**Chicken: This recipe will also work with 3 pounds of chicken thighs (serves 6 people) without altering the measurements for the marinade ingredients. If using other cuts of chicken, make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. No matter what cut you use, if chicken is cooking too quickly on the grill, place it over indirect heat to finish cooking.
STOVETOP: Place a large oven-proof grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat and add one tablespoon oil. When oil is shimmering, add the chicken (in batches if necessary). Cook until golden brown and slightly charred, about 7-8 minutes a side or an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F.
TO BAKE: Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook for 20-22 minutes. To give it a little more colour, place chicken on a rack close to the broiler and broil for 2 minutes a side until golden browned and slightly charred in places. Chicken is fully cooked when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F.
STOVETOP AND OVEN COMBINED: You can certainly cook the chicken thighs all the way through on the stovetop following the instructions above. However, I find this method quite messy and it will smoke up the house. For a less messy method, I like to brown the chicken thighs on the stovetop, then finish them in the oven. Here's what to do: Preheat oven to 375ºF. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the thighs for 2 to 3 minutes per side (do this in batches if necessary). When all the chicken has been browned, transfer it to a large parchment-lined baking dish and bake until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.