Spiced Yogurt Roast Chicken

Name: Spiced Yogurt Roast Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2-3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs; 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt; 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced; 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon of garlic powder; 1 teaspoon of onion powder; 1 teaspoon of paprika; 1 teaspoon of salt; 1/2 teaspoon of kashmiri chili powder (or regular chili powder); 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric; 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon of zaatar; a pinch of black pepper

October 7, 2025
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A yogurt marinade works like magic on chicken. It tenderizes the chicken, adds moisture and helps the spices absorb deeper into the chicken for the best flavored chicken both roasted in the oven or cooked on the grilled.

This yogurt marinade is filled with beautiful mediterranean flavors like fresh lemon, cilantro, garlic, paprika, kashmiri chili, turmeric, oregano, za’atar and other fabulous flavors. You are going to love this chicken…

Let’s get started…

You can use this spiced yogurt marinade on any chicken technically, but today we are working with boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs. You can either slice the chicken into bite sized pieces to cook on skewers or roast the breasts or thighs whole. If you are cooking them whole, I suggest using a fork to poke holes into the chicken to help tenderize it and to help the marinade to work its way down into the chicken.

Once the chicken is prepped, add all of the spiced yogurt marinade ingredients and mix until all of the chicken is fully coated.

Spiced Yogurt Marinade

- - 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
  - 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  - 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
  - 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  - 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  - 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  - 1 teaspoon of paprika
  - 1 teaspoon of salt
  - 1/2 teaspoon of Kashmiri chili powder
  - 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
  - 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
  - 1/2 teaspoon of Za’atar
  - a pinch of black pepper

Once the chicken has been thoroughly mixed with the marinade, cover the bowl and chill the chicken for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. I would not marinade this chicken any longer than 8 hours… actually I think 4 hours is plenty. The yogurt and lemon juice helps to tenderize the chicken over a couple of hours, but if you leave it in too long, it can become mushy.

Once your chicken is done marinating, it is time to cook it! Now you can either roast or grill the chicken at 400 degrees, so prep your oven or grill and if you are making skewers, thread the chicken onto skewers.

Note: If you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to using them.

Roast or grill the chicken at 400 degrees until the outside is lightly charred and it is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees. This usually takes 15-25 minutes for skewers (depending on how thick you cut the pieces) and 20-30 minutes for whole breasts or thighs.

I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to determine when the chicken is cooked through. This is the easiest way to prevent your chicken from overcooking and drying out. As soon as that chicken reaches 165 degrees, take it off the heat.

Theflavor in this chicken is fantastic! It is bright, citrusy, warmly spiced, salty and herby. It is so well balanced and can be paired with so many side dishes, served in a wrap or over a salad.

This spiced yogurt chicken also makes for a great meal prep. I pair it with my mediterranean couscous salad, some baby arugula and a dollop of tzatziki.

If you are looking for a versatile, simple chicken marinade then I would love for you to give this spiced yogurt roast chicken a try. You are going to love it!

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