Looks like I’ve found a contender for my fave grilled chicken recipe. Move over, Crazy Easy Lime Chicken , there’s a new dish in town! Aromatic, savory, tender, and so, so tasty — this yogurt marinated Indian chicken smells divine from the second you put it together.
There’s hot sauce and soy sauce to spice things up, along with curry powder*, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and cilantro. That’s a ton of flavor, but it all mellows out with the addition of yogurt.
Yogurt, as we already know, is super versatile. It’s there for you at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and every snack in between. As ‘health’ foods go, it’s tops. Ironically, even though I’m a dietitian and yogurt should be my love language, my least favorite way to eat yogurt is straight up as itself. Ha! However, I love it in my favorite banana bread recipe , in dips like this easy tzatziki, and in the dressing of this apple cabbage slaw. Now, thanks to this fab recipe for yogurt-marinated chicken, I also love it as a prep ingredient.
Why marinate with yogurt?
If you’ve not used yogurt as a marinade before, you’re in for a treat. t’s doubly effective First, a yogurt’s live cultures and lactic acid both work to gently break down the proteins in meat. That’s job #1 of any functional marinade. As a bonus, though, where standard marinades (ie., oil mixed with citrus or vinegar) do their job and then dribble off, the yogurt marinade clings lovingly to the meat all the way to the grill. You can read more at Bon Appetit about why yogurt marinating is the best marinating.
Outdoor grill or indoor grill?
Some people can access their outdoor grill year-round. (color me jealous) In the milder New England winters, this is possible for us. Sometimes, though, it’s just easier to plug in the George Foreman grill and skip the trudging out to the cold deck.
In the case of this particular recipe, I do think you get superior results with actual flames. So, if you can get at your outdoor grill and it’s not acting psycho (like mine does at times), I recommend you grill the yogurt marinated chicken there. However, an indoor grill is a totally acceptable back-up plan if that’s what you have. Whatever you do, you’ll have tender, flavorful chicken with a gentle spicy kick.
Recipe Tips and Ingredient Substitutions
As you scan the ingredient list, don’t be alarmed by the number of different spices. You’ve got options! As I describe below, you can use garam masala in place of thecurry powder and cumin. And if you don’t have corainder on hand, no worries! You can replace it with oregano, or just skip it altogether.
When it comes to what kind of yogurt to use, definitely stick with plain, unflavored yogurt. I like lowfat yogurt the best, which is liquidy enough as a marinade. However, if you need to use either Greek yogurt or a fuller-fat plain yogurt, just thin it a bit with some lemon juice.
Yogurt Marinated Indian Chicken
This savory yogurt marinated Indian chicken grills up perfectly. The result is a tender spiced chicken packed with flavor from curry powder and cumin.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken thighs
- 1 cup plain yogurt, low fat
- 3 tbsp soy sauce, less sodium
- 2 tbsp hot sauce (like Frank's)
- 1 tbsp dried cilantro or 1/4 cup fresh, chopped
- 2 tsp chopped garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander optional
Instructions
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Place the chicken thighs in the bottom of a large zip lock bag. Place the bag upright in a bowl.
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In a separate bowl, make the marinade by combining the remaining ingredients (yogurt, soy sauce, hot sauce, and spices). Mix well and taste the marinade; adjust seasoning as needed.
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Pour the marinade over the chicken, then seal the bag completely. Squeeze the bottom of the bag in a few places to ensure the marinade completely surrounds the chicken pieces. Place the bag back in the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to 12 hours.
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Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill on medium-high heat.
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Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and discard marinade. Put the chicken thighs on the grill, cooking about 5 minutes on each side. Chicken is done when it is firm and no longer pink in the middle (or internal temperature has reached 165 F). Serve alongside whole grains and grilled vegetables, or on a salad, or in a wrap. It's a flavorful and versatile grilled chicken!
Recipe Notes
*Plain low fat yogurt has just the right texture and liquidity in this recipe. If you are using Greek yogurt or whole milk yogurt, thin it out by whisking in a couple tablespoons of lemon juice or olive oil.
* The marinade can be made up to 2 days in advance; just store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to marinate the chicken.
*If you have garam masala on hand, you could use a tablespoon of that in place of both the curry powder and cumin.
*Boneless chicken breasts work well in place of chicken thighs.
Made this over the weekend – HUGE hit!! Not quite ready to give up the honey lime recipe (also yours!!) but we definitely gave thanks to Mrs. Robarts at our dinner table! At this point I can try all kinds of new stuff, and if I say it’s your recipe, everybody’s on board.
Thank you so much for your faith in me 🙂 I made this again recently and we all were reminded how much we love it.
Wouldn’t it be your chicken hole instead of pie hole?
Nah – then it would be ‘pie beak’ which just doesn’t work, does it?
I’m definitely going to try this!!! 😀