This endlessly useful yogurt chicken marinade recipe works wonders for all cuts of chicken, and is especially good for chicken breasts.
The flavors here are simple and bright, so this yogurt marinated chicken goes with just about anything. Yogurt does the heavy lifting, making the chicken tender, while lemon, mustard, and garlic bring a little zing.
Ever since we started making this, it’s been on repeat in our kitchen. It’s one of those low-effort, high-reward recipes that I love having in my back pocket! I usually use chicken breasts (as you’ll see in the photos), but thighs, drumsticks, or whatever you have will be delicious. If you’re loving the yogurt here, we use it in our Greek chicken marinade, too.
Key Ingredients
- Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt is our go-to for this marinade. It helps the flavors cling to the chicken, tenderizes the meat, and keeps it juicy. Whole-milk yogurt works best, but low-fat works in a pinch.
- Lemon, Mustard, and Garlic: Fresh lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard, and a little garlic keep our marinade punchy and bright. I use a microplane to finely grate the garlic, but mincing it is perfectly fine.
- Honey: A little bit of honey balances the lemon and helps the chicken get that gorgeous golden color as it cooks.
- Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper: The olive oil helps the chicken to brown and a good amount of salt and pepper keeps everything well seasoned.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Tip 1: One hour is good, longer is better. You can marinate the chicken for up to 8 hours, but even just one hour will make a noticeable difference in juiciness and tenderness. If you are in a rush, we won’t judge if you marinate for less, just know you are missing out a little bit on the tenderizing.
Tip 2: Don’t discard the marinade. When you’re ready to cook, don’t discard that marinade! If you’re grilling, baste the chicken with more marinade as you flip it. If baking, spoon the marinade over the chicken before popping it in the oven. The chicken cooks long enough after this to cook the marinade, too.
We like to sear in a grill pan over medium-high heat for color, then finish in the oven at 375°F for perfectly cooked, juicy chicken. Before baking, pour the leftover marinade over the top.
Tip 3: Expect the honey to brown. The honey in the marinade helps the chicken brown nicely, but watch your heat. Look for the grill makes to turn a dark brown, but not black.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken is perfect for salads, wraps, or sandwiches. It’s also great on the side of roasted broccolini, roasted green beans, and quickly sautéed zucchini.
To lean more toward a Mediterranean vibe, try it with homemade pita, red pepper hummus, cucumbers, and a drizzle of tahini sauce. Or make a rice bowl, like this chickpea rice bowl, which would be amazing with some of this chicken diced and added to the top.
More Chicken Marinades
Easy Yogurt Marinated Chicken
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Yogurt is our secret weapon for chicken that turns out juicy every single time. It does all the heavy lifting—tenderizing every bite, adding richness, and helping the outside get beautifully caramelized. We use honey, but if you don’t have any on hand, maple syrup works too.
Makes enough for up 2 pounds chicken
You Will Need
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely grated
3 tablespoons whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ to 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs (680 g)
Lemon wedges for serving
Fresh cilantro leaves for serving
Directions
1Marinate: Mix the olive oil, honey, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, yogurt, salt, and pepper in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 8 hours.
2Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3Heat a grill pan over medium heat and brush the grates with oil. Add the chicken and sear until dark brown grill marks appear, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Watch the heat, as the honey in the marinade can burn.
4Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet and spoon the remaining marinade over the top.
5Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F. Leave the chicken for 5 minutes until the juices settle. Slice into thick slices, scatter cilantro over the top, and serve with lemon wedges.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Alternatives for cooking the chicken: You can grill, bake, or cook the chicken in a skillet or grill pan. My favorite option is to sear the outside for color and finish in the oven. Since honey is in the marinade, it will darken quite a bit so watch for burning when you sear your chicken. You can skip the grill pan and go directly to the oven. You will still get a little color. If you use an outdoor grill, use our grilled chicken recipe for tips.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We assumed 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1/4 of the recipe (about 6 ounces chicken)
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Calories
256
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Total Fat
8.6g
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Saturated Fat
1.8g
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Cholesterol
125.8mg
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Sodium
695.4mg
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Carbohydrate
2.8g
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Dietary Fiber
0.2g
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Total Sugars
2.1g
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Protein
39.6g
We are Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the creators of Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste grew from a childhood dream into one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites with hundreds of reliable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.More About Us
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