I have a new not-your-average-and-boring chicken dish for you!
And I’m still very happy to report over here that I’m kind of back into chicken. Well, a bit. This bruschetta chicken here changed the game for me and I started enjoying the taste more. It’s always been the texture that turns me off, so I have to find something I SUPER love. Enter yogurt marinated chicken.
Chicken is easily one of Eddie’s favorite foods so I’m always constantly on my mission to find the non-boring chicken recipes.
And while this one may LOOK a little boring, I promise you it isn’t.
MY OTHER RECIPES
We all need one of those chicken recipes. One of the simple ones that works as an entrée type dinner thing but it’s neutral enough that it can be served with any and all sides. Or can be chopped up or shredded and used in sandwiches or tacos or on pizza and all that jazz.
But at the same time – still has flavor. Isn’t too PLAIN. It’s boring. It’s dry and… ick.
This is one of those!
I’m obsessed with this yogurt marinated chicken because you can do whatever you want with it. You can keep the base marinade and grill it or bake it and then use it as you wish.
It’s great in pitas with hummus. It’s perfect to meal prep for the week ahead: you can make salads or sandwiches or heck, even use the leftovers in soup.
And it’s great on its own served for dinner with these burst cherry tomatoes and some quinoa or kale chips. It’s so flavorful and tender!
Of course, you can change up herbs or spices in the yogurt too. But the general flavor and marinade leaves it super tender and delicious and yields a customizable result once the chicken is done.
Yogurt marinating is one of my favorite methods because it really helps to keep the chicken juicy! And oddly enough, even though I prefer greek style yogurt over regular for eating, I actually love using regular plain yogurt for marinating. Since it’s not quite as thick, it kind of acts like buttermilk. It’s the best, trust me.
This is kind of a transition recipe for us. We’re still doing a lot of grilling – maybe not as much during the week but at least every weekend. And I still actually have a few tomatoes left on the vine! I managed to kill everything else though. Don’t worry.
So for a super simple idea dinner, you could serve this with a little yogurt dip and some of the pan-burst garlic cherry tomatoes. Then just use your favorite side or whatever the heck you have left in the fridge. The little mash up recipe here is so flavorful that you can even get away with plain brown rice or quinoa. And the leftovers make for an amazing lunch.
And you’l probably want to drink the yogurt dip! Just sayin’.
Yogurt and Lemon Marinated Grilled Chicken
This yogurt marinated chicken recipe is super flavorful, tender, juicy and delicious. The fresh lemon adds a kick of flavor and it’s a versatile recipe you can make for lunch or dinner. Grill it and serve with your favorite side, then use the leftovers for lunch!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup plain yogurt (I like 2% or whole fat)
- 1 lemon, all zest freshly grated and juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
lemon chive yogurt dip
- 2/3 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (from the lemon you juice)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of smoked paprika
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
burst garlic cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- pinch of salt and pepper
Directions:
Place the chicken in a ziplock bag or baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture of the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 2 hours or even overnight.
When ready to grill, preheat your grill to high for at least 10 minutes. Remove the chicken with kitchen tongs and place it directly on the hot grates. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and grill for 5 minutes more. Flip once or twice more for about a minute each, totally your cook time to 10 or 12 minutes. You want the internal temperature of the thighs to be 165 degrees F. Remove the thighs from the grill and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.
lemon chive yogurt dip
Whisk together the ingredients in a bowl until combined. This says great in the fridge for a day or two.
burst garlic cherry tomatoes
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add in the tomatoes and toss to coat in the oil. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan often, until the tomatoes begin to burst, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Cook for another minute then turn off the heat. Stir in the salt and pepper.
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Changing the game for me, really.
