Putting chicken in yogurt before cooking is a method that has been used for hundreds of years in many different types of food around the world. But what does yogurt really do to chicken, and why does it change the texture and taste so much? Let’s look at the science behind this easy marinade trick.
How Yogurt Tenderizes Chicken
One of the main benefits of marinating poultry in yogurt is that it helps tenderize the meat. Yogurt contains lactic acid, which acts as a mild acid that breaks down tough collagen fibers over time. This allows the chicken to absorb more moisture and become more tender.
Instead of using something very acidic like vinegar or lemon juice, yogurt slowly softens the meat without making the outside too soggy. Marinating chicken in yogurt-based sauces for up to 12 hours won’t hurt it in any way. The slow tenderizing process makes the meat juicy and tender without falling apart.
Yogurt Creates a Unique Crust
If you grill, bake, or pan-fry chicken that has been marinated in yogurt, the milk sugars in the yogurt turn into caramel, which gives the meat a beautiful browned crust. Because the milk solids have been caramelized, this crust is slightly soft and sweet.
If you use a marinade without dairy, the crust you get is different from the crust you get with yogurt marinade. It gives the chicken a rich flavor and a nice texture that goes well with its juicy inside.
Yogurt Enhances Flavor
In addition to its tenderizing effect, yogurt also infuses chicken with lots of flavor. The lactic acid reacts with the proteins in the meat, helping it better absorb the seasoned flavors in the marinade.
You can mix almost any blend of herbs, spices, garlic, etc. into yogurt to create a marinade. The yogurt will carry those flavors deep into the chicken. Popular additions include ginger, curry spices, lemon, garlic, and chili powder.
The natural tang of yogurt also complements the flavor of chicken. When cooked, the milk sugars caramelize to add a slight sweetness and richness.
Best Practices for Marinating Chicken in Yogurt
To get the most out of yogurt’s marinating power, here are some tips to follow:
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Use plain, unsweetened yogurt – Avoid yogurt with added flavors or sugars which could burn. Greek yogurt works too but may need thinning with lemon juice.
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Marinate for 8-12 hours – Overnight is ideal to let the yogurt work its magic. 1-2 hours will still impart some flavor and moisture.
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Use a sealed plastic bag – This ensures the yogurt contacts all surfaces of the chicken. Remove as much air as possible.
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Use thinner cuts of chicken – Such as breasts, cutlets or boneless thighs so the marinade can penetrate effectively.
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Discard used marinade – Don’t reuse marinade after raw chicken has soaked in it due to contamination.
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Pat chicken dry before cooking – This will help it brown and crisp up nicely.
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Cook over high heat – Grilling, broiling or pan-searing work best to caramelize the yogurt crust.
The Best Cuts of Chicken to Marinate in Yogurt
The thinner the cut of chicken, the better it will absorb flavors from a yogurt marinade. Here are some of the best options:
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Chicken breasts – An ideal choice. Pound them to an even thickness so the marinade penetrates evenly.
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Chicken cutlets – Already thin and cook quickly. Great for weeknight meals.
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Boneless chicken thighs – Will become very juicy and tender after marinating. Remove skin for best results.
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Chicken tenders – Let kids customize their flavor with fun marinades.
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Boneless wings – More surface area than drums or thighs absorbs more flavor.
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Cornish game hens – Small enough to marinate easily in a bowl or zipper bag.
Thicker cuts like bone-in breasts, drumsticks, quarters or a whole chicken work too. Just be sure to slash them deeply a few times to allow marinade into the meat.
Different Ways to Cook Yogurt-Marinated Chicken
There are endless possibilities when it comes to cooking chicken after it’s been soaked in a yogurt marinade. Try out these quick and easy cooking methods:
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Grill – Creates nice charred bits through the yogurt crust.
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Broil – For easy oven “grilling” any time of year. Great for chicken breasts or kebabs.
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Pan sear or sauté – Cook over high heat to brown the marinated exterior.
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Bake – Good for bone-in chicken or whole birds. Bake until crispy.
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Air fry – Gives amazing crunch to boneless cuts soaked in yogurt.
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Poach – For ultra moist, falling-off-the bone chicken in curries or soups.
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Smoke – Adds incredible depth. Use reserved marinade as a sauce.
The options are endless! Just be sure to pat the chicken dry first and use high heat to achieve a nicely caramelized crust.
Delicious Yogurt Marinade Recipes
From Mediterranean to Indian, here are some delicious international marinades that let the flavor of yogurt shine:
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Tandoori chicken – Yogurt plus Indian spices like coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger and chili powder
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Tzatziki marinade – Greek yogurt with lemon, garlic, dill and olive oil
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Cumin lime marinade – Yogurt with cumin, lime juice, cilantro and chili powder
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Mediterranean marinade – Yogurt, garlic, olive oil, oregano, mint and black pepper
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Jamaican jerk marinade – Yogurt, jerk seasoning, thyme, brown sugar and habanero peppers
Get creative and use your favorite seasoning blends too. Yogurt makes the perfect background to let spice mixes, herbs and zesty flavors shine.
Don’t Be Afraid to Try Yogurt Marinades!
Marinating chicken in yogurt may seem unorthodox, but it’s a time-tested technique that results in exceptionally moist, flavorful meat. The lactic acid tenderizes while the milk solids create a wonderfully caramelized crust.
Yogurt also serves as a blank slate for global marinade flavors. So don’t be afraid to experiment with spices, herbs and other seasonings to liven up plain yogurt.
Give your next batch of chicken an overnight bath in this unique dairy marinade. Your taste buds will thank you!
Effects of Different Acid-Based Marinades on Meat
In the first set of tests using yogurt marinades, there weren’t any statistically significant differences between chicken that had been marinated in yogurt alone overnight and chicken that hadn’t been. Adding salt seemed to reduce the amount of water lost after cooking in both yogurt-marinated and non-yogurt-marinated chicken.
But, as I said before, it’s hard to make sense of the results when I use yogurt in my simple experiment setup. So, for the next round, I set up two sets of separate experiments, one with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and the other with boneless leg of lamb. In each instance, the meat was marinated in a solution of an acid (either lactic, citric, or acetic acids) with and without salt overnight in the refrigerator and cooked sous vide.
The Basics of Marinating Meat
Before we start the experiments, let’s talk about the science behind marinating meat and how the sauce changes the texture and amount of water in the meat.
A marinade is typically a water-based mixture of various ingredients, each of which is meant to improve either the flavor or the texture (or both) of whatever is being marinated. But marinades also improve the “juiciness” of cooked meat by encouraging the absorption of water, which is another way of saying a marinade can improve meat’s water-holding capacity, that is, its ability to bind water.
About 5% of the water in animal flesh is bound to proteins; the remaining 95% is held between the filaments that make up the muscle. The proteins and amino acids present in meat determine how much water it can absorb during marination. For example, the muscle protein myosin can bind a large quantity of water because it’s rich in aspartic and glutamic acids, amino acids that have molecules that can bind at least four to seven molecules of water.
But a given piece of meat’s water-holding capacity can also be altered by raising or lowering it through chemical processes. The most obvious example of this is applying heat: During cooking, a large quantity of water is lost as proteins in the muscle—like collagen, myosin, and actin—shrink during denaturation and push water out, similar to the way water is released from a squeezed sponge.
Here are two of the primary ways marinades can alter a meats water-holding capacity:
- In addition to seasoning the meat, table salt (sodium chloride) can help break down some proteins, such as the muscle protein myosin, which can make the meat more tender. Adding phosphate salts to chicken breasts can make them soak up more water. Table salt can do the same thing, but not as much.
- Acids help denature proteins by changing their shape, which can sometimes make the meat more tender. However, as we already said, this effect can be so strong that it makes the meat mushy and tasteless. When proteins change shape, amino acids that were hidden may become visible. These amino acids make it possible for water to interact with and bind to meat proteins in new ways. What acids do to protein also depends on the type of protein. For example, acids help break down the collagen in meat, which makes meat high in collagen very tender.
This is the juiciest 6 ingredient yogurt marinated chicken (recipe in description)
FAQ
What is easy yogurt marinated chicken?
Easy Yogurt-Marinated Chicken made with grilled boneless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts) made in a Greek yogurt marinade for the most tender chicken. These grilled Yogurt-Marinated Chicken thighs (or breasts) are so juicy and delicious thanks to this easy yogurt marinade.
What is Greek yogurt chicken marinade?
The Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade consists of notes of zesty orange and is known for making the most tender and juicy chicken thighs or breasts. It’s a delicious recipe to enjoy all year long! This is the best Greek yogurt chicken recipe you will find.
How long do you marinate chicken in yogurt based marinade?
Pour over chicken in a bag and let marinade in the fridge. Grill over preheated medium-high heat about 5 to 7 minutes per side until cooked through. How long should chicken stand in this yogurt-based acidic marinade? Chicken breasts or thighs should stand in it for at least two hours to let some of the flavor soak in.
Why is it good to marinate chicken in yogurt?
Locks in moisture: Yogurt forms a protective barrier and prevents your chicken from drying out during roasting or grilling. Mar 14, 2025.
How long can you leave chicken marinated in yogurt?
The Power of Lactic Acid in Yogurt for Marinating Lactic acid is not as strong as acidic foods like vinegar and citrus juice, so it tenderizes meat more slowly. For up to 24 hours, this means you can leave chicken in yogurt without it getting tough or mushy.
Do you wipe off yogurt marinade before cooking?
Do you rinse off yogurt marinade before cooking? No! Doing so would wipe off a much of the flavour that the chicken took on in the marinating process.
Should I rinse chicken after marinating in yogurt?
You do not need to rinse off the marinade before cooking but you can discard any marinade left in the bag after you remove the chicken.