Best Chicken Marinade
This chicken marinade combines whole-milk yogurt with lemon, garlic, herbs, and warm Mediterranean spices for tender, flavor-packed chicken. Use it with chicken breast cutlets, then pan-sear, grill, or bake.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For Marinade
- 1 ½ cups plain whole-milk yogurt
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 10 to 12 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried mint
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Large handful fresh parsley, chopped
For Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast cutlets
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for pan-searing
Instructions
- Make the yogurt marinade. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt, zest from one lemon, juice from two lemons, and extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic, oregano, mint, cumin, coriander, paprika, and nutmeg. Season with a big pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper, then stir in the parsley.
- Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken breast cutlets into the bowl with the marinade. Mix everything together, making sure every piece of the chicken is coated. Cover. You can also put everything in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. If you are short on time, even 30 minutes will make a difference.
- Get ready to cook. Remove the chicken from the bag or bowl and gently shake off the excess marinade. Discard the used marinade. Choose one of the following cooking methods.
- To pan-sear: Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chicken cutlets and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Turn and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- To grill: Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high and oil the grates well. Grill the chicken for 5 minutes on the first side. Turn and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- To bake: Heat the oven to 400°F. Brush a baking dish generously with extra virgin olive oil. Arrange the chicken in a single layer without crowding and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 10 minutes, uncover, and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Rest and serve. Cover the cooked chicken loosely with foil and let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- This marinade will coat 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken. You may use another cut, but the cooking instructions and times above are specifically for chicken breast cutlets.
- For the most flavor, refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for 2 hours or overnight. If necessary, 30 minutes will still make a difference.
- Make the unused yogurt marinade up to 2 nights ahead and refrigerate it in a tightly sealed glass container.
- Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F.
- Do not freeze raw chicken in this yogurt marinade, as the dairy can change texture after thawing.
- Nutrition information includes 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets. The nutrition information will vary if you use a different cut of chicken.
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop for the extra virgin olive oil, Greek oregano, cumin, coriander, and paprika used in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.5g | Protein: 26.7g | Fat: 14.2g | Saturated Fat: 3.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 80.5mg | Sodium: 259.2mg | Potassium: 561.2mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 293.6IU | Vitamin C: 3.4mg | Calcium: 106.5mg | Iron: 1.3mg
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