Grilled Chicken Marinade
Updated Oct. 12, 2023
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 5 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
Yield:About 1 cup
- 5garlic cloves, finely grated, pressed, or minced
- 1lemon, zested
- ⅓cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- ¼cup chopped fresh soft herbs such as cilantro, mint, basil, parsley, dill or a combination
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½tablespoons dried herb mix such as za’atar, herbs de Provence, Italian seasonings, or a mix of dried herbs such as oregano and thyme
- 1tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, marjoram, or thyme
- 1¾teaspoons salt
- ¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
119 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 134 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.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl or container, stir together grated garlic cloves, lemon zest, yogurt, the fresh soft herbs, oil, dried herbs, oregano, marjoram, or thyme, salt and black pepper. (This yields about 1 cup marinade, good for about 2 pounds of chicken.) Let sit for a couple of hours and up to overnight.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
HNR
Yoghurt to marinate and tenderize is basic tandoori but with Mediterranean herbs. It’s great for keeping chicken breast moist with good texture and tenderizing red meats, which are best left overnight.
Jenn
You just don't want to leave the chicken in the marinade too long if you add lemon juice. The acidity in the lemon juice can make the meat more tender or change the texture in a negative way if you marinate for too long.
Amy K
I was really surprised at how flavorful a plain boring chicken breast could be. I followed the recipe and left the chicken all day in the yogurt marinade. Will absolutely make this again and again. Thank you!
Chibouste
The recipe only calls for lemon zest, not lemon juice. The zest will give it a nice lemon flavor without any of the acidity of the juice. And without the juice you don’t need to worry about over-tenderizing the meat.
Chibouste
The recipe only calls for lemon zest, not lemon juice. The zest will give it a nice lemon flavor without any of the acidity of the juice. And without the juice you don’t need to worry about over-tenderizing the meat.
sarah
This is a staple in our house, we use this marinade at least once a week. We enjoy it most with dill! We bake it and broil at the end, as we do not have time during the week to use our charcoal grill which is our preferred method.
Amy K
I was really surprised at how flavorful a plain boring chicken breast could be. I followed the recipe and left the chicken all day in the yogurt marinade. Will absolutely make this again and again. Thank you!
Karen
This is a delicious marinade and flexible enough to make use if whatever herbs you have (either in your garden or your fridge) save the lemon juice for a salad dressing to accompany the chicken! My current favorite is a smitten kitchen dressing that is one part lemon juice, one part olive oil, one part Dijon mustard.
Jim
I've tried variants of this approach and wonder what experience the author or readers have with doing the same as above, only including some of the lemon's juice as well.
Jenn
You just don't want to leave the chicken in the marinade too long if you add lemon juice. The acidity in the lemon juice can make the meat more tender or change the texture in a negative way if you marinate for too long.
Beverly
Can coconut yogurt be used instead of whole-milk yogurt?
ArtsBeatLA
why not?
AM
I don't think so. It's the lactic acid in yogurt that tenderizes the meat
Gibby
I wonder whether it would work if you added some lemon juice to provide the tenderizing effects that AM says you would lose if you subbed coconut yogurt for whole milk yogurt. But I can't answer for the flavor--would it lend a coconut note?
Janet
This is a magical technique. I use basically the same ingredients (minus the oil) for marinating a spatchcocked chicken for roasting. The meat is incredibly moist and flavorful and the skin crisp and tawny. I’m anxious to try the marinade for grilled chicken parts!
HNR
Yoghurt to marinate and tenderize is basic tandoori but with Mediterranean herbs. It’s great for keeping chicken breast moist with good texture and tenderizing red meats, which are best left overnight.
Private notes are only visible to you.
Advertisement
