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Say goodbye to boring chicken and try this flavorful Greek Yogurt Chicken instead! It’s marinated in Greek yogurt along with paprika, cumin, and ginger for a bold main course that’s packed with protein.
Often, when people consider changing their diet for weight loss, they’re afraid that they will have to limit themselves to bland chicken and broccoli. This Greek yogurt chicken recipe proves that you can eat healthy while still enjoying delicious food.
This chicken is gluten-free, has 29 grams of protein, and is still less than 200 calories. The spices make it flavorful, while the Greek yogurt ensures the chicken is tender and juicy. Add this chicken to wraps or salads, or enjoy it on its own with a side of veggies!
If you like low-carb and flavorful chicken recipes, you will love my Everything Bagel Chicken and Healthy Chicken Marinades!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No Boring Chicken Here: Just because you’re trying to lose weight, or just eat healthier in general, doesn’t mean you have to eat bland, boring chicken. The Greek yogurt marinade this chicken soaks in is full of bold spices, like paprika and ginger, which makes it so flavorful.
- Tender and Juicy: Yogurt acts as a tenderizer for chicken because its lactic acid gently breaks down the proteins and collagen in the meat. It also helps seal in the moisture. Both of these qualities result in juicy and tender chicken.
- The Perfect Addition to Any Dinner: This delectable Greek yogurt-baked chicken makes an excellent main course, but you can also use it in salads, wraps, or sandwiches. It’s incredibly versatile, which makes it great for meal prep.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Just note, chicken thighs have more calories and fat than the breasts.
- Greek Yogurt: A low-fat Greek yogurt adds additional protein to the chicken without many extra calories. It also acts as a tenderizer and helps seal in the moisture of the chicken.
- Lemon Juice: Add a little acidity and bright flavor to the marinade with lemon juice. The acid will also help tenderize the chicken as well.
- Paprika: This earthy, slightly smoky spice adds bold flavor to the marinade.
- Ginger: This zesty, spicy spice is full of flavor that stands out alongside the paprika, lemon juice, and Greek yogurt.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Easily Made Dairy-Free: Use a plain, dairy-free Greek yogurt to make this recipe dairy-free. Fage, Kite Hill, and Siggi’s are all great dairy-free Greek yogurt options.
- Grill It: Deepen the flavor of the chicken and skip turning on the oven on hot days by grilling the chicken instead. Follow the recipe for this Greek yogurt chicken marinade, then grill the chicken over medium heat for 6-8 minutes instead of baking it. Throw some veggies on the grill as well to make a full meal.
- Make It Spicy: Add some cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper to the marinade to make the chicken a little spicy.
How to Make Greek Yogurt Chicken
This Greek yogurt marinade for chicken adds so much flavor without a lot of extra calories or sugar. It tenderizes the meat, makes it juicy, and, when combined with bold spices, adds so much flavor.
- Step 1: Slice the Chicken In Half. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board with the flat side down. Put the palm of your non-cutting hand on top of the breast and, using a very sharp knife, slowly cut horizontally through each breast.
- Step 2: Pound the Chicken. Place plastic wrap on top of each chicken breast and pound them down with a mallet. Each chicken breast should be about ½” to 1” thick. Pat them dry.
- Step 3: Make the Marinade. Combine the Greek yogurt, paprika, cumin, ginger, garlic, and lemon juice. Add the chicken breasts one at a time to the bowl of marinade and coat them thoroughly. Place the marinated chicken on a plate, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Step 4: Roast the Chicken. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking and preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken on a roasting pan or baking dish in a single layer. Nestle lemon halves between the chicken. Roast the chicken at 400°F for 25 minutes. Then switch the oven to high broil and broil them for 5-6 minutes to char and caramelize the top and edges. The chicken is finished cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Expert Tips
- Marinate the Chicken for at Least an Hour: Give the chicken time to tenderize, seal in its moisture, and soak up the spices by marinating it for at least an hour in the refrigerator. It can marinate for up to 24 hours, but don’t exceed that time or the chicken will break down.
- Bring the Chicken to Room Temperature Before Baking: After the chicken marinates in the fridge, you need to let it come back to room temperature before placing it in the oven. Cold chicken will take longer to bake and may not cook evenly.
- Pat the Chicken Dry: Pat your chicken dry before adding it to the marinade to prevent dilution of the marinade’s flavor and to ensure the yogurt and spices actually stick to the outside of the chicken.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 60 days.
- Reheating: Reheat the chicken in the microwave in 30-second increments until it heats all the way through. You can also bake leftover chicken at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until it’s heated through.
Serving Suggestions
This Greek yogurt marinated chicken is an excellent main course for a weeknight meal, dinner party, or meal prepping. Bake a batch of flavorful chicken and serve it with veggies, or use it to top a salad. There’s no boring chicken here, just flavorful protein to help you stick to your health goals while still enjoying your meals.
- Enjoy your paprika Greek yogurt chicken for dinner with a side of healthy potato salad, especially if you’re grilling.
- Make low-carb wraps using my cauliflower tortillas recipe and add this chicken, along with low-calorie coleslaw, to make delicious, flavorful wraps for lunch.
- Add leftover chicken to this chickpea Mediterranean salad to make a fresh and protein-packed meal.
Greek Yogurt Chicken Recipe FAQs
If your chicken is undercooked in the center, then the breasts probably weren’t pounded into a uniform thickness. The chicken must be less than 1” thick, so it cooks evenly within 25 minutes.
It’s important to broil the chicken at the end of the baking time to ensure it caramelizes and browns on top. Don’t skip this step!
No, regular yogurt is thinner and won’t cling to the chicken as well. Greek yogurt is recommended for the best crust and flavor.
More Delicious Low-Calorie Chicken Recipes
Crockpot/IP
Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma
Dinner
Greek Chicken Bowls
Chicken
Healthy Lemon Garlic Chicken
Dinner
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
If you tried this Greek Yogurt Chicken recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Greek Yogurt Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breasts , boneless, skinless
- ¾ cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 2 Lemons, halved
- Cilantro for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Place each chicken breast on a cutting board, flat side down. Put the palm of your non-cutting hand on the top of the breast, and, using a very sharp knife, slowly cut horizontally through the breast, starting with cutting into the long, thick side. You should get 4 approximately equal slices of chicken. If some breasts are smaller, you do not need to cut them.
- Place plastic wrap on the top of each chicken breast, and pound with a mallet or cup on the cutting board. The goal is to get the chicken flat and thin about 1/2-inch to 1-inch thickness.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, salt, ginger, garlic, paprika, cumin and lemon juice. Add each chicken one at a time to the bowl and coat with the mixture. Place on a plate and repeat for all chicken breasts.
- Cover and refrigerate 1 hour – marinating longer is okay too.
- Remove chicken from the refrigerator 25 minutes prior to cooking so it is room temperature prior to cooking.
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Using a roasting pan or large glass baking dish, arrange chicken in a single layer nestling lemon halves in between.
- Roast chicken 25 minutes. Remove chicken from the oven and garnish with cilantro.
- Switch the oven to high broil. Place chicken under the broiler 5-6 minutes to blacken the edges a bit. Remove and serve!
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend you marinate the chicken for an hour to ensure it tenderizes, seals in its moisture, and soaks up the spices. You can marinate for less time, but it may not be as flavorful.
- Let the chicken reach room temperature by setting it out for 20-25 minutes after marinating before baking.
- Pat the chicken dry before adding it to the marinade to ensure the marinade sticks to the chicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
question: possible to cook on stovetop adding liquid?
I’m sure it can be done, but have not done it myself. If I were to do it, I would add broth and cover the pan.
great – best chicken ever – juicey, yes, thanks!
Is this baked with a lid on?
No, you don’t need a lid.
haha we grill indoors too. it’s already too hot here. but sorry about yours. I really don’t like grills. LOL! Grilled food on the other hand… YES!
Thankfully it’s been cooler here. This weekend it was just under 100. That’s cool for here, but I’ll take it!
I love roasting plain chicken with paprika, but I bet the yogurt adds such a nice tang. Will have to try!
You will love Dani!
I love paprika with anything and it’s especially good with chicken. Looks yummy!
Paprika is one of my favorite spices.
I can’t offer any advice about broken grills, but this chicken (and your photographs) look perfect! Love the turquoise plate, too. 🙂
Thanks! I think I got that plate at Crate & Barrel.
I need to fix my Soda Stream. But we’ve even gone the extra step of just putting it in storage, lol. This reminds me of a Mexica/southwestern tae on Indian style cooking! Sounds great!
At least you’re organized about it! I like your description, Mexican take on Indian. HAHA!