Yogurt Marinated Spiced Chicken Breast

This delicious, Moroccan inspired yogurt marinated chicken is packed full of flavour and super easy to make. This is an all-season healthy recipe that's perfect for entertaining as well as a family dinner.

Marinating chicken in yogurt is an easy way to tenderize the meat and add flavour.  Plus it's very uncomplicated and the only ingredient that requires chopping is the chicken.  Grilled yogurt chicken is juicy, with a slight tang and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

I used skinless, boneless chicken breast which I sliced lengthways into thick strips (3-4 for each breast depending on the size of the chicken) to reduce cooking time.  

In addition to the low fat yogurt (use regular if you prefer) the marinade contains 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a selection of Moroccan inspired spices and seasoning. 

Yogurt chicken marinade

The marinade takes seconds to put together! Simply combine the yogurt, oil, spices and seasoning and whisk together until smooth.  I used garlic and onion granules (rather than fresh) so there is no chopping involved.  

The chicken needs to be left in the yogurt marinade for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight so this recipe is perfect for busy people who like to enjoy great food.  You can marinate the chicken the night before or in the morning and enjoy a quick and delicious meal later!

How to cook yogurt marinated chicken 

For me the easiest way of cooking marinated chicken breast is by using a non-stick griddle pan.  This is because you can easily control the temperature of the pan to ensure the chicken doesn't brown too quickly before it's cooked through.  But if you love outdoor grilling it's absolutely fine to use this method, too. 

If using a griddle pan coat it with oil spray and heat up then lower the heat and add the chicken strips, not too close to one another.  Do not scrape the marinade off the meat before grilling.  Cook over a low to moderate heat for about 5 minutes then turn over and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Cooking times may vary depending on the size of your chicken pieces and whether the chicken is barbecued outside or cooked in a griddle pan.  Using a griddle pan tends to be quicker but the main thing to remember for both methods is to cook the meat over a low/medium heat. 

Top tips and FAQs

• Leave the chicken in the marinade for a minimum of 4 hours (up to overnight).
• Do not scrape the marinade off before grilling the meat. It's where the flavour. 
• Cook the chicken over a low-medium heat so that it has enough time to cook through. You my have to cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. 
• Try not to overcook the chicken. Remove from the pan/barbecue as soon as the juices are clear. Even marinated, tenderized chicken can end up being tough if cooked for too long.
• Best served immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days. See Serving Suggestions below.
• Not suitable for freezing.

Serving suggestions

These healthy chicken kebabs can be served with rice or couscous. You can slice the chicken and serve over crispy salad or in a wrap, with a nice dip such as ranch, beetroot hummus or red pepper hummus.  Delicious served with roasted cauliflower salad as well as cauliflower tabbouleh and beetroot salsa.

This is one of those recipes that taste delicious the next day too, so if you've got leftovers - great! Because you can combine the chicken with either pasta, quinoa or rice and enjoy it as a salad meal. Or you could chop it up and turn into a delicious coronation chicken pineapple salad.

You might also like

• Easy Apricot Chicken Tagine with Chickpeas
• Moroccan Spiced Crispy Chicken Legs Recipe
• Grilled Chicken Pineapple Salsa Tacos
• Chicken Quinoa Salad with Sriracha Dressing

Check out also this collection of 13 healthy easy one pot chicken recipes.

Keep in touch!

If you make this yogurt chicken recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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Yogurt Marinated Spiced Chicken Breast

This delicious yogurt marinated chicken is packed full of flavour and super easy to make. This is an all-season healthy recipe that's perfect for entertaining as well as a family dinner.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: gluten free, Moroccan Fusion

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Marinating: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Monika Dabrowski

Equipment

• ▢
  Non-stick griddle pan or outdoor barbecue

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 medium chicken breasts skinless, cut lengthways into 3-4 strips each
• ▢ ½ cup (115 g) yogurt natural or Greek
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin and paprika powders each
• ▢ ⅔ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion and garlic granules, ground coriander each
• ▢ ⅓ teaspoon cayenne pepper and ginger powder each
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground allspice and cinnamon each
• ▢ Cooking spray for coating the pan

Instructions

• In a large bowl combine the yogurt, oil, all the spices and stir. Place the chicken pieces in the marinade, stir thoroughly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (up to overnight).
• If using a griddle pan coat it with oil spray and heat up then lower the heat and add the chicken strips, not too close to one another.  Do not scrape the marinade off the meat before grilling.  Cook over a low to moderate heat for about 5 minutes then turn over and cook for another 4-5 minutes (or until fully cooked and the juices are clear). 
• Serve immediately. See the post for serving suggestions.

Notes

• Leave the chicken in the marinade for a minimum of 4 hours (up to overnight).
• Do not scrape the marinade off before grilling the meat. It's where the flavour. 
• Cook the chicken over a low-medium heat so that it has enough time to cook through. You my have to cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. 
• Try not to overcook the chicken. Remove from the pan/barbecue as soon as the juices are clear. Even marinated, tenderized chicken can end up being tough if cooked for too long.
• Best served immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days. See Serving Suggestions in post.
• Not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 537mg | Potassium: 726mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 67IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg

*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

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