on Jan 03, 2023, Updated Apr 01, 2024 Many Bulgarians claim yogurt was accidentally discovered in Bulgaria thousands of years ago when nomadic groups roamed the land. In Bulgaria, yogurt is everywhere. You’ll find it on 🥙 falafel wraps, slathered on moussaka, and lined up in supermarket refrigerators. It is a key ingredient in traditional Bulgarian dishes such as “Tarator,” a cold soup made of yogurt, water, 🥒 cucumber, and dill; and “Snezhanka,” a salad consisting of yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and dill. People sip yogurt drinks in the streets and we dip fried zucchini slices into yogurt dips too. We love yogurt with sweet bread, in soups, 🍲 stews, and so many other recipes as well. There is a type of bacterium that can only be found in Bulgarian yogurt. Our particular yogurt is a combination of bacteria that characterizes the thickness, acidity, taste and aroma of the yogurt and it’s more tangy. Bulgarian yogurt is prepared using a unique combination of the two strains: Lactobacillus Bulgaricus and Streptococcus Thermophilus. Discovered by a Bulgarian scientist 🔬, this specific bacterium causes milk to naturally turn into yogurt. As you can see, we are very passionate about cooking with it, so I hope you love it too!
Why You’ll Love Chicken Thighs in Yogurt Marinade
This 🍗 Chicken Thighs in Yogurt Marinade recipe will save you during the week. Just 6 simple ingredients to the juiciest chicken ever. The marinade is so simple and totally foolproof thanks to the secret ingredient: tangy plain yogurt! PLUS it’s a great make-ahead, you can mix it all together and marinade overnight. The results are juicy, tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken thighs, with a perfectly crisp skin that everyone will love.
How to Prepare
🍗 First, add the chicken to a mixing bowl with the oil, yogurt, salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Massage well. ❄️ Now, let the chicken sit and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. (You can bake it right away but it will be so much more tender if you let it marinate.) 🔥 Next, preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and remove the chicken from the fridge. Then, transfer the chicken and juices to an oven-safe baking dish. 💧 Now, push the chicken to the side with a spoon and add some water or broth. Then, move the chicken around to evenly distribute all the juices. 🌡️Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the thighs, or until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer measures at least 165F. ⏲️ To crisp up the skin further you can broil the chicken on top for 1 to 2 minutes but keep a very close eye on it. 🥗 Enjoy on salad, mashed potatoes, in wraps, with rice, or with any side you like.
Variations and Substitutions for Chicken Thighs in Yogurt Marinade
Best Served With
A big, beautiful salad 🥗 such as my Simple Green Salad or Green Goddess Salad. A slice of warm, crusty homemade 🍞 Bread. My delicious Crispy Parmesan Potatoes or 🍠 Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes are the perfect side dish with juicy chicken.
Common Questions
