on May 14, 2022, Updated Apr 16, 2024 In Bulgaria, we are known for cooking and baking with yogurt. Plain yogurt makes for the perfect marinade and makes many of our baked goods so incredibly delicious, fluffy, and moist. 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.
Why You’ll Love Lemon Yogurt Chicken
This Lemon Yogurt Chicken 🍗 is based on my original recipe with a slightly different flavor profile. This delicious take uses fresh 🍋 lemon juice, dried oregano and lots of garlic for Greek-inspired flavors that are always a hit on the table. These chicken thighs are super juicy thanks to the yogurt marinade which is the ultimate tenderizer.
How to Prepare Lemon Yogurt Chicken
🍗 Begin by adding the chicken to a baking dish with olive oil and yogurt. 🧂 Now, season with salt, pepper, and oregano. 🍋 Add the juice of 2 lemons and then add the squeezed lemon pieces to the dish as well. 🧄 Next, add 6 cloves of garlic to the baking dish. ✋ With clean hands, massage the mixture well to evenly distribute the spices. ❄️ Now, let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. (If you don’t let it marinate for 1 hour it will still be delicious but not as tender.) 🔥 Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). 🌡️Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of the thighs. The chicken is fully cooked when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a piece of chicken registers 165F (74C). ⏲️ 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.
Variations and Substitutions for Lemon Yogurt Chicken
Best Served With
Serve this Lemon Yogurt Chicken with a big salad 🥗 such as my Simple Green Salad or Green Goddess Salad A side of delicious potatoes is a must here. Try my delicious Crispy Parmesan Potatoes or 🍠 Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Use this chicken in lunch wraps and sandwiches all week long.
Common Questions
