Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Thighs

Say goodbye to dry, boring chicken—this Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken is here to shake up your dinner routine. Made with simple ingredients like garlic, lemon juice, and Greek yogurt, this easy marinade adds bold, zesty flavour while keeping the chicken thighs incredibly juicy.

Don’t worry if you’re not into creamy dishes—this one isn’t saucy or heavy. The Greek yogurt acts as a tenderizer, locking moisture into the chicken and creating a light, garlicky coating that crisps up beautifully in the oven. With a bright kick of lemon and simple pantry spices, it’s full of flavour and incredibly easy to pull together. This is the kind of reliable, go-to dinner that works just as well for busy weeknights as it does for meal prep.

I’ll admit, the first time I mentioned using Greek yogurt as a marinade, my husband and kids were completely skeptical. “Greek yogurt? On chicken? That sounds totally gross.” But I talked them into giving it a chance—and now it’s one of their most requested meals. This marinated chicken turns out tender and juicy every single time, with bold, garlicky flavour that wins everyone over. It’s officially earned a permanent spot in our dinner rotation along with these Tandoori Chicken Skewers, and not a single bite ever goes to waste. I love serving it alongside this simple yet flavourful Roasted Kale and Napa Cabbage or these buttery Green Beans with Cashews to round out a healthy, satisfying meal.

Star Ingredients

• Chicken – I like to make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken thighs but you can use just about any chicken, even turkey. I find chicken thighs are always more juicy than breasts, but both work well. If you do use chicken with bones, you may need to adjust the cooking time up a little.
• Greek Yogurt – Make sure you use plain Greek yogurt. Flavored yogurt or regular yogurt will not work well. Greek yogurt is thicker and drier than regular yogurt so it coats the chicken much better.

Step-By-Step Made Simple

Make sure the chicken is cooked to a temperature of 165°F. When I use bone-in chicken thighs, I usually need to add another 7-10 minutes of cooking time.

Before serving, sometimes I like to squeeze some lemon juice over the top of the chicken or serve this marinated Greek yogurt chicken with some lemon wedges to give the recipe a little extra pop of color and flavor.

Lefovers? No problem!

When I do have leftovers, I just place the chicken in a resealable bowl or cover my serving platter with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, just pop it in the microwave. You can place the chicken back in the oven to reheat, but you likely won’t have a ton of leftovers that will warrant heating up the oven again.

Make It Ahead

If you like to meal prep, this recipe is perfect! You can marinate the chicken the night before, so all you need to do is pop it in the oven when you get home from work. Or, add the chicken and the marinade to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months for a future meal. Just thaw and bake!