Chicken breast marinated in a Greek yogurt, lemon, garlic and spices. Grilled and topped with air fried crunchy onions then drizzled with cilantro infused oil.
I love yogurt marinated chicken. its one of the most fool proof ways of cooking since the yogurt really does everything for you. marinating your chicken in yogurt has a lot of benefits as in its easier than a brine since there is really no measuring. It wont denature the chicken and leave it odd textured or mushy and it’s pretty neutral so you can do any way with it. Also a bonus is the yogurt can help form a firm crust so its even great for frying! Marinating with yogurt is simple. its not reserved for Mediterranean food like I have here. If you want to use this as a base for a chicken sandwich or even tender meat for a quesadilla. The possibilities are endless. Just adjust and season as you normally would given the particular recipe. Just be sure to check out my tips and tricks below for the best yogurt marinated chicken and remember these are pretty universal rules to making it taste great no matter what flavors you choose. Try this recipe out and let me know what you think.
TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST YOGURT AND LEMON CHICKEN:
yogurt: for me i never noticed a difference from using Greek yogurt or just plain whole milk. since i can never really find Greek that is plain without flavoring i usually skip the headache and go straight for the whole milk. if you want to use Greek yogurt go for it but it isn’t necessary. any plain not flavorless whole milk yogurt should do the trick. if you don’t have yogurt substitute with sour cream.
season separately: before i mix the yogurt with the chicken i like to do two things. i like to season the chicken generously with salt and pepper to make sure the seasoning directly makes it to the chicken and i like to mix the seasonings in the yogurt separately from the chicken. that way the seasoning doesn’t clump and is evenly distributed.
not too much yogurt: you’ll know your chicken is properly marinated if the majority of yogurt is absorbed into the chicken. if you have a ton of excess yogurt shake it off before it hits the pan. it can cause the pan to cool down and start steaming or just burn and stick.
hot and oiled the pan: the key to beautiful grill marks and color is a hot pan. the yogurt can sometimes form a really nice crust. you’ll know your chicken is done on one side when it easily is flipped or removed from the pan. sticking chicken especially in proper conditions is uncooked chicken. and not enough oil will keep your beautiful crust stuck at the bottom of the pan.
the longer the better: yogurt marinades always benefit from sitting. i tend to not do many do aheads but when i marinade with yogurt i prioritize marinating from the night before. the marinade really penetrates the meat making it super tender without distorting the texture like a wet brine. so the longer the better just not too long like 2 days. if you only have an hour to get food on the table then make your chicken regularly and make a yogurt dip on the side.
fried onions optional: i personally love fried onions in this dish. but they honestly take longer than the dish themselves. so if you’re up for it all i do is take 2 white onions sliced and tossed in olive oil then air fried at 400 for 40 minutes. Stirring occasionally and checking in on them.
SIMILAR INGREDIENTS TO:
- ROASTED CHICKEN & HALOUMI TOPPED W/ CALABRIAN CHILI PESTO
- LEBANESE CHICKEN AND FRIED ONION RICE
- MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN
ENJOY THIS RECIPE WITH:
- MINI CUCUMBER & FETA SALAD
- ROASTED GARLIC AND CALABRIAN CHILI FINGERLING POTATOES
- DOUBLE GARLIC FIDEO W/ GRILLED EGGPLANT
INGREDIENTS
- 4 Chicken Breast, chopped
- Salt
- Pepper
MARINADE
- 2c Greek Yogurt
- 2Tb Turmeric
- 2TB Garlic Powder
- 1tsp paprika
- 1tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Lemon, juiced and zested
- 1tsp Salt
- 8 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1tsp Oregano, dried
- 1tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1tsp Cumin
- 1tsp Rosemary, fresh
- 1/4c Olive Oil
DIRECTIONS
- MAKE MARINADE: To make marinade. Combine all listed ingredients together. Feel free to use a food processor,
- MARINADE: Season chicken generously with salt and pepper then add in marinade . Let sit a minimum of 6 hours to overnight. the longer the better.
- GRILL: Grill chicken oven medium high heat till cooked completely.
- PLATE: Serve over jasmine rice. Top with cilantro oil and fried onions.
One response to “Yogurt Lemon Chicken w/ Cilantro Oil”
That looks fantastic!