I love yogurt. In fact, I might even say I'm obsessed with it. I eat a bowl of yogurt every day and never get tired of it. When I tasted Greek yogurt in Athens earlier this year, I was head over heels. Yup, the love is real people. When I'm not having it for breakfast, I often times incorporate it into dishes. Yogurt is great for salad dressings, sauces, and even marinades. Use it to tenderize meat like in this herby yogurt grilled chicken recipe for one delicious chicken dish. Serve it with green chutney rice, fresh cucumbers, and charred peppers and you have one fantastic meal!
Herby Yogurt Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
Herby yogurt chicken
- 2 lb chicken thighs or breast boneless, skinless
- 1 cup Greek yogurt plain
- ¼ cup parsley
- ¼ cup dill
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Green chutney rice
- ¼ cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup wild rice blend
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup cilantro
- ½ cup mint
- 1 jalapeno stem removed
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- salt and pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 12 ounces mini sweet peppers
- 1 tablespoon oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 Persian cucumber sliced
- fresh dill and mint for garnish
Instructions
- Marinate chicken. In a blender combine yogurt, parsley, dill, oregano, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, cumin, coriander salt, and pepper. Puree until smooth. Pour marinade over chicken, turning to coat. Let sit for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Make green chutney rice. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add rice and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover pot and reduce heat to low. Continue to simmer for 25 minutes or until all of the liquid is evaporated and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make green chutney. In a blender, combine remaining ¼ cup oil with cilantro, mint, jalapeno, lime juice, garlic, and ginger. Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
- Fluff rice with a fork and add green chutney, stirring to combine. Keep rice warm.
- Remove chicken from marinade. Cook on grill until juices run clear, about 20-25 minutes, turning chicken over halfway through. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Toss mini sweet peppers with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook until charred and softened, rotating peppers as they cook. Remove from grill.
- Assemble the dish. Place rice on serving platter and top with grilled chicken, roasted peppers, and sliced cucumber. Garnish with fresh dill and mint and serve immediately.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Truth be told, you can marinate chicken with just yogurt, lemon, and garlic, and it'll taste good. But I'm not looking for good, I'm looking for great. So we're going to take the basic marinade and incorporate plenty of fresh herbs, cumin, and coriander.
Puree all of the ingredients until smooth and pour it over the chicken. You can also swap out the chicken for lamb or beef.
Let the chicken sit for at least 3 hours or better yet, overnight.
Meanwhile, make green chutney rice. I highly recommend making the rice with herby yogurt grilled chicken. The pairing is unbeatable.
Heat oil in a sauce pot and saute onion and garlic until softened. Then, add the rice along with chicken stock and simmer until the grains are tender. I used a wild rice blend for the hearty and nutty texture. The green chutney adds moisture to the grains so you want to use a heartier type. You can also use pearl couscous, orzo, brown rice, or farro.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the green chutney. All you have to do is simply puree all of the ingredients until smooth. I chose to keep the jalapeno seeds in the chutney for a bit of a kick. If you want a milder version, omit the seeds or omit the jalapeno completely.
Fluff up the rice and add the green chutney, tossing to combine. You can start with half of the green chutney and add extra as you stir. Depending on the grain or starch you use, you may not need all of it.
Now it's time to get back to the chicken. I grilled the chicken for that lovely char but feel free to bake it or cook it on the stove. If you're baking the chicken, I recommend placing the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet. Then, roast the chicken at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the juices run clear.
You can also cook the peppers in the oven instead of on the grill. Roast them alongside the chicken for the same amount of time at the same temperature.
Let the herby yogurt grilled chicken rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve the chicken with green chutney rice, roasted mini peppers, and fresh cucumber slices. Garnish with fresh mint and dill for extra herby goodness.
I loved this dish so much that I've been enjoying it once a week for the past month. The flavors are well-balanced with a little sweet, spicy, and herby. The green chutney rice alone is delicious but serve it with the grilled chicken and sweet peppers and it's absolute heaven.
For more grilled chicken inspiration check out these halal chicken skewers!
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