Yogurt and Lemon Marinated Grilled Chicken
Try this Yogurt and Lemon Marinated Grilled Chicken recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Yogurt and Lemon Marinated Grilled Chicken recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 lemon juiced
- chicken
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 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
- lemon chive yogurt dip
- 2/3 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest from the lemon you juice
- pinch of smoked paprika
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- burst garlic cherry tomatoes
- Carbohydrate 7.20416355151093 g
- Cholesterol 152.905625164061 mg
- Fat 12.6401031430012 g
- Fiber 1.89453097168299 g
- Protein 38.0683381263177 g
- Saturated Fat 3.00245483347282 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (277g)
- Sodium 173.83323485606 mg
- Sugar 5.30963257982794 g
- Trans Fat 1.60260662896065 g
- Calories 294 calories
Step-by-step
- 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.
- Whisk together the ingredients in a bowl until combined. This says great in the fridge for a day or two.
- 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.
Charred edges from high-heat grates give way to a tender, opaque interior yielding easily to the fork, while the accompanying tomatoes collapse into a sweet, concentrated jam. Acidity from fresh lemon juice breaks down surface proteins in chicken thighs, tenderizing the meat over hours of refrigeration without turning it mushy the way harsh commercial marinades often do. Yogurt contains calcium and lactic acid, which activate enzymes that further soften muscle fibers.
Freezing, Make-Ahead, and Reheating Behavior
Raw chicken thighs can sit in this yogurt marinade for up to twenty-four hours in the refrigerator, but avoid exceeding that window or the dairy will begin to degrade the texture of the meat. Freezing the chicken directly inside the yogurt mixture works exceptionally well; the dairy acts as a barrier against freezer burn by sealing out air. Thaw frozen marinated chicken completely in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours before cooking on a preheated grill set to high for 10 to 12 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Leftovers stored in an airtight container remain safe for three days, though reheating requires gentle, low-wattage microwave pulses or a warm skillet to prevent the lean chicken from drying out.
Scaling and Batch Preparation
Doubling this recipe requires no mathematical adjustments for the marinade ratios, but crowding the grill grates will trap steam and prevent proper searing. Maintain at least one inch of space between each thigh to ensure radiant heat reaches the surface.
