Do any of you remember in one of the Ramona Quimby books when her mother made beef tongue and Ramona was a brat about it, so her mom made Ramona and Beezus make dinner? And they ended up making chicken with some kind of yogurt sauce? That has a permanent place in the back of my brain. So when in this season of Food Network Star, Michelle started marinating chicken in Greek yogurt, this particular memory was resurrected from the recesses of my brain and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I started tinkering around with yogurt and chicken and spices and garlic and this has quickly become one of our family’s favorites. Seriously. We’ve had it about 4 times in the last 6 weeks. Every time I make it, one of my children declares it delicious and that I am a culinary genius (but never the same child, which makes me think they’re either conspiring or they haven’t been paying attention to what we’ve been eating.)
You’re going to need about 10-12 ounces of plain Greek yogurt–2 5.3-ounce containers will do the job, but if you’re trying to use up that 32-ouncer you bought on sale, you can do 12 and it will be good either way. I’ve also used half plain Greek and half regular and it was delicious. It’s hard to go wrong here.
You can use either chicken breasts or thighs. Thighs are moist and flavorful and one of my favorite meats to grill, but breasts are also fantastic; I’ve done it both ways and highly recommend either one. Or both. You could be that person (I’m actually not exactly sure what “that person” would be, just the kind of person who would serve both chicken breasts and thighs. Is that a thing? It is now.) Trim your boneless skinless chicken meat of choice of excess fat and place it in a Ziploc bag.
For the marinade, you’ll need kosher salt, black pepper, red wine vinegar, lots of minced garlic, chopped green onions, and Greek seasoning. I have been able to find Greek seasoning with the McCormick spices at my Kroger–not the regular McCormick spices, but kind of the fancy-schmancy spices. But if you can’t find it, just mix equal parts dry mint, oregano, and basil. You’ll also need the zest of a small lemon. If you’re like me and went grocery shopping on a Saturday with three children and were on the verge of harming yourself or others and/or tears by the time you left, and you also happened to leave without lemons, about 1/2 teaspoon of True Lemon will do the trick nicely.
Add the seasonings to the yogurt…
and give it a good whisk. Drizzle the marinade over the chicken and let it chill out for about 6-8 hours (4 will work in a pinch, especially if you’re using thighs.)
When you’re ready to grill, preheat the grill over medium for 10-15 minutes, then grill the chicken breasts for 7 minutes per side or 4-5 for thighs. Remove from heat and allow to stand for about 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately. I just served this with dipping veggies on the side (like cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, etc.) and Greek-ish garlic bread (very much like this recipe.)
Grilled Greek Yogurt Chicken
Ingredients
- 10–12 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- zest of 1 small lemon or 1/2 teaspoon TruLemon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Greek seasoning*
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons green onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2–2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, trimmed of excess fat
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients except the chicken.
- Place the chicken in a large zip-top bag. Pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken and marinate for 6-8 hours.
- When ready to cook, preheat grill over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook breasts for 7 minutes per side or thighs about 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and allow to sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
Questions & Reviews
This is delicious!! Best grilled chicken recipe I have tried in a long time, and I am big fan of grilled chicken. I served it with homemade hummus, pita bread and a greek salad. My whole family loved it. It’s going in my regular rotation. Thank you!
Can you leave the chicken in the marinade overnight? I’m thinking if I prep this the night before work and when I get home from teaching, I can just pop this on my indoor grill. Sounds yummy. And I loved the Ramona and Beezus stories. I still remember the one about the “Dawnzer” and how it gives a “lee light” Every time I sing our national anthem, I can’t help but think of that! =)
Yep, go for t!
I’ve searched everywhere for greek seasoning after seeing it in one of your new cookbook recipes and it’s really hard to find … even with the McCormick. But I’m going to restart the hunt now that it’s popping up here … there can never be too many ways to cook chicken!! thanks for sharing!!
Meredith, check Smith’s! 🙂 McCormick pulled it for awhile and now it’s back in our Kroger, but it’s not with the regular McCormick spices; they have a new line and I’ve seen it there. I think they have white labels. Or clear jars. Or both. Or something. (I’m so helpful.)
Found it on their website! This is what it looks like:
http://www.mccormick.com/Gourmet/Spices-and-Flavors/Blends/Greek-Seasoning
I used to love the Ramona books! I used to think who in the world would name their kid Beezus. Cute books anyway. And fabulous recipe!
I can’t remember any of the Ramona books (even though I read them as a little girl) but just a couple of weeks ago, we listened to the book that has that particular story in it with our boys on a long drive up to Boise. We all laughed over their experimenting in the kitchen so when you posted about Ramona and Beezus and the beef tongue, I knew exactly what you were talking about! Can’t wait to try your recipe. Sounds yummy and simple!
One of my college friends lived on Klickitat Street in Portland, just like Ramona. DH and I love to watch the Beezus and Ramona movie over and over. I even have two Ramona rag dolls that look just like her. School class photos will never look as bad as Ramona’s photo.
I remember trying beef tongue in second grade after we read this book. I loved all of the Ramona books! Question – full fat Greek yogurt, 2% or fat free?
I’ve tried all three and they’re all delicious! 🙂
I wonder if it will work on the stove, our grill is dead. Any opinions?
I would maybe try broiling/baking it in the oven? Or an indoor grill pan. 🙂
Do you remove any of the marinade before you grill the chicken or do you put the chicken directly on the grill with the “yogurt drenched” chicken. It’s something I’m never quite sure of…..
I don’t wipe it off our anything, but I do just toss the excess marinade. Does that answer your question in a semi-vague way?? 🙂
Yes, I remember the tongue incident! I think about it everytime I see beef tongue in the meat case. This chicken looks delish, thanks for another great grill recipe!
This sounds delicious. I’ve been on a high protein diet and my kids are so sick to death of some kind of chicken served with some kind of salad, but maybe if we have chicken that’s flavored a new way they won’t mind it so much. We’ll give it a try tomorrow!
Pretty sure there was some paprika involved in Ramona’s recipe! 🙂 It’s funny how those details can stick with you.
Yes, there definitely was paprika! And I think Greek-inspired chicken wouldn’t have even been on the radar. But the yogurt. Or yoghurt, as it was spelled in those books, haha!