Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Yogurt Marinated Chicken Recipe

Many months ago, I bought the wrong yogurt (plain instead of vanilla) for Em and Ro's breakfast.  Since I had purchased a large container, I used most of it for baking and had a bit left to experiment with.  This yogurt marinade recipe is probably the most tested and retested recipe I've ever done... trying to get it "just right" and so I hope you love it as much as we do.


A note on the ingredients, well, one ingredient specifically.  Everything in the ingredient list can be purchased at your local grocery store except for the Penzey's Sate Seasoning.  I found this spice mix quite some time ago and find it to be much much easier for quick mid-week dinners than using all the spices individually.  Penzey's is my own personal choice and I'm not paid or endorsed by them (oh how I wish!) and I feel having this in your kitchen will prove to be worth it.  Just my two cents.

Yogurt Marinated Chicken

Ingredients:
  • 2 Pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
  • 1/2 large red onion, chopped
  • 3 tbsp. (1/4 cup) Penzey's Sate Seasoning
  • 3 tbsp. crushed garlic
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt plus 1 more tsp. salt set aside
  • scant 1 tsp. white pepper
Directions:
  1. Combine yogurt, onion, Sate, garlic, olive oil, 1 tsp. of the salt & pepper in the smallest dish that will hold the chicken breasts.  Preserve 1/2 cup of marinade in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for basting later.
  2. Coat chicken breasts in remaining marinade, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.  6 would be better.
  3. When ready to grill, take chicken and remaining marinade out of fridge to come to room temperature while your BBQ is warming up.  Set BBQ to medium.
  4. The chicken will be thickly coated with the yogurt marinade and that is fine.  Place on BBQ and set your timer for 7 minutes.
  5. Turn chicken and baste with 1/2 reserve marinade and 1/2 remaining salt.  Set your timer for 7 more minutes.
  6. Turn chicken final time, baste with marinade and salt.  On average, the chicken will only need about 2-3 more minutes of time.  Transfer to a plate and let sit, covered for 5 minutes.
  7. Your chicken should be juicy, tasty and perfectly cooked!  Serve with BBQ'd potatoes, a sweet bowl of cut melon and a simple salad.
  8. If you have any chicken remaining, refrigerate pieces whole.  The flavor will be enhanced overnight and is a perfect cool accompaniment to a salad or warm Naan bread.

That's it!  Again, I hope you love it as much as we do.  And if not, feel free to change up the ingredients and concoct a marinade of your own!  :-)  Happy Grilling!