19/02/2020

Best Ever Chicken Marinade

Name: Best Ever Chicken Marinade
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 800 g Chicken thigh; ⅓ cup Greek natural yoghurt; 3 tbs Extra virgin olive oil; 2 clove garlic (crushed); 1 lemon (zested and juiced ); 2 tbs oregano; Salt and pepper (to season )

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This is hands down the best ever Chicken marinade. You can call off the search as this is the only recipe you will ever need.

In our family we love chicken. If the kids had a choice they would chose chicken over steak and so we have it weekly if not twice a week.

This chicken marinade has been my go to for some time now and it just works every time.

Why I love this chicken marinade recipe

First of all when you have three kids, are working 3 days a week, writing a monthly food column and trying to run a blog on top of that, time is very precious.

I love how quick and easy this marinade is to put together. If I have time I will prepare it the night before.

I have also used this recipe as an emergency dinner on loads of occasions without any time to let the chicken rest in the marinade and it still turned out really good.

This marinade will give you incredibly tender chicken which is full of flavour. (TICK)

The ingredients are simple and you would have most of the items already (TICK)

It makes for a healthy dinner in under 30 minutes (Tick)

Its all done in a zip lock bag so Its mess free (TICK)

The whole family is going to love it! and love you for making it (DOUBLE TICK)

What type of chicken can you use?

For this recipe I have used chicken thighs as they are my favourite cut of chicken. However, this recipe works well with any cut of chicken that you are either grilling, baking or BBQing.

How long should you marinate the chicken for?

The longer the chicken is left in the marinade the more tender it is going to be.

If you are in a rush do not fear! I have made this recipe countless times by cooking it straight away and I have still had tender, juicy chicken. Even 15 minutes can make a big difference.

If you have the time, prepare it the night before and leave the chicken to marinate overnight in the fridge.

For a rough guide anywhere from 2-8 hours is good.

What you will need to make the best ever chicken marinade

Greek style natural yoghurt: If you have been reading my blog you will know that I love using yoghurt in cooking. Yoghurt is perfect for marinades. Many marinade recipes Iv’e tried in the past called for vinegars but I found when used for chicken it actually toughened the meat and left it dry. Yoghurt has the opposite affect.
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon: Just like the yoghurt, this works wonders to tenderise the chicken as it aids in breaking down the tough fibres in the chicken
Oregano: because lemon and oregano are the perfect pair!
crushed garlic
Salt & freshly cracked pepper

How to make the best ever chicken marinade

Ready for the really hard part…There isn’t one because this is so super easy.

All you need to do is place all the ingredients in a bowl and give it a good mix.

Next transfer the marinate to a large zip lock bag, add the chicken and then once It’s zip locked gently massage the marinade into the chicken.

It’s literally that simple.

Grilling or Baking

In the recipe below I have placed the chicken onto a lined baking tray and placed it in a hot oven until cooked.

You can also use the same recipe and instead of baking, grill the chicken on either a griddle pan or a BBQ.

Baked chicken thighs in the best ever marinade

What can I do with the leftover chicken

Leftover chicken? well your in luck because it’s going to taste even better the next day!

I love to add the chicken to my favourite salads:

Its also pretty amazing in a wrap or sandwich!

I really hope you enjoy this delicious chicken marinade. You really must try it just once and I bet it will become your go to marinade!

If you have made this recipe be sure to leave me a comment below. I love hearing your feedback.