Chicken Thighs in Yogurt Marinade

Grilled chicken thighs garnished with herbs are served on a bed of mixed greens on a white plate. A small bowl of chopped herbs and a bunch of fresh cherry tomatoes are in the background.

4.86 from 35 votes

Chicken Thighs in Yogurt Marinade

In Bulgaria we are known for cooking and baking with yogurt. Plain yogurt makes for the perfect marinade and delicious tender, juicy chicken thighs every time.

Prep Time5

Cook Time45

Total Time1 50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Bulgarian

Keyword: baked chicken, chicken recipe, chicken thighs, easy chicken

Servings: thighs

Author: The Modern Nonna

Equipment

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs ( I used bone in, skin on) any cut of chicken works
¼ cup olive oil
⅓ cup plain yogurt Bulgarian, Balkan-style, or Greek
½ teaspoon salt to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon paprika to taste
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or dry oregano
¼ cup water or chicken broth

Instructions

Add the chicken to a bowl with the oil, yogurt, salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Massage well. Let the chicken sit and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. You can bake it right away but it will be so much more tender if you let it marinate for at least 1 hour.
When the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
Remove from the fridge and transfer the chicken and juices to an oven-safe baking dish.
Push the chicken to the side with a spoon and add some water or broth and move the chicken around so that the juices are distributed evenly.
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, on wraps, with rice, or with any side you like.

Video

Nutrition