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This easy yogurt-marinated chicken recipe makes the most flavorful baked chicken ever. Tender, juicy, and coated with a crunchy golden crust, this simple chicken breasts recipe is a winning dinner idea!
Serve it with a side of roasted vegetables or a refreshing watermelon salad for a complete meal, or slice it up and add it to your favorite Mediterranean bowl for a satisfying lunch option.
I love no-fuss dinner ideas that deliver big on flavor. In fact, this yogurt-marinated chicken recipe is exactly what you need on a busy weeknight when all you really want is a delicious meal everyone will devour. This recipe makes the most flavorful chicken breasts, thanks to my easy yogurt marinade with garlic and thyme.
If you’re a fan of chicken breast recipes, you’ll appreciate how convenient this dish is—marinate the chicken breasts in the morning, then bread them and pop them in the oven when you get home after work. The end result is ultra-tender chicken that’s juicy on the inside and perfectly crunchy on the outside.
Why We Love This Yogurt-Marinated Chicken
- Easy. Simple pantry ingredients, a baking pan, and an oven are all you’ll need to make these chicken breasts. There’s nothing complicated or fussy about this recipe!
- Perfect for meal prep. Since the chicken is marinated for hours, it’s the perfect make-ahead meal.
- Goes with many sides. These golden, baked chicken breasts go with so many sides: mashed cauliflower, roasted veggies, Asian cucumber salad; you name it. I’ve shared some of my favorite ideas below.
What Does the Yogurt Marinade Do?
The marinade takes just a few minutes to put together and does a couple of things to your chicken; the acidity of the yogurt helps to tenderize the meat, making it more tender and juicy. It also infuses the chicken with tangy flavor and moisture, resulting in succulent baked chicken.
In addition to the yogurt marinade, we will pound the chicken before marinating it. This further tenderizes the meat by breaking down the muscle fibers. It also ensures that your chicken cooks evenly in less time.
How to Make Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Are you ready to make this easy chicken dinner? Here’s a quick overview. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for step-by-step instructions and the full ingredients list.
- Make the yogurt marinade. It comes together in a snap.
- Marinate the chicken. I recommend marinating it for a few hours, but as little as one hour works. You have to give the yogurt time to work its magic!
- Add the panko breading and bake. The chicken is done when it is light golden, and the juices run clear when pierced with a knife. It should register 165˚F with an instant-read thermometer. Note that the cooking time will always depend on the size and thickness of the chicken.
Serving Suggestions
This is a serious, melt-in-your-mouth chicken dinner. I can’t even begin to tell you how often this yogurt-marinated chicken appears on our table. It goes with many different side dishes, too, so you can serve leftovers again later in the week and switch up what you serve with it.
I love serving these chicken breasts with crunchy green goddess salad or Jennifer Aniston’s bulgur salad. These grilled veggies with halloumi are incredibly good with chicken. You also can’t go wrong with crispy air fryer potatoes or creamy mashed turnips.
You can slice up these breaded chicken breasts and serve them on top of pasta! I love this Mediterranean baked feta pasta with chicken as well as this garlic butter pasta with spinach.
More Chicken Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta
- Easy Baked Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Italian Dressing Chicken
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Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts,, (4 chicken breasts total)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper,, to taste
- 6 cloves garlic,, minced
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves,, or your favorite blend of fresh herbs
- ¼ cup panko crumbs
Instructions
- Lightly pound chicken just enough to even it out; do not pound it thin.
- Place the chicken in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine garlic, yogurt, and thyme; mix until combined.
- Pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken; mix around until the chicken is thoroughly coated.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
- Grease a baking dish/pan with cooking spray.
- Remove the chicken from the bowl and shake off any excess; discard the yogurt mixture.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to the baking pan.
- Sprinkle panko bread crumbs over the chicken breasts.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is done. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check for doneness; chicken is cooked through when its internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
- Remove from oven and let stand for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Serve.
Notes
- Ideal for Meal Preparation: The long marinade time makes this chicken perfect for prepping meals ahead of time.
- Versatile Pairings: Pair these golden, baked chicken breasts with a variety of sides, be it mashed cauliflower, roasted vegetables, or a salad.
- To Store Leftovers in the Fridge: Let the chicken cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: Place the cooled chicken in an airtight, freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat: You can reheat your chicken in the microwave on a plate lined with a paper towel, which will help prevent moisture from building up below your chicken. I recommend reheating single servings in the microwave. You can also reheat your chicken in an oven preheated to 400F for 7 to 10 minutes or until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Made this for dinner last night and had to use two substitutes: greek yogurt and regular breadcrumbs as this was what I had in stock. Came out great, only I would suggest that if using regular bread crumbs to use half of a 1/4 cup suggested for the panko because mine didn’t seem get the “look” like the ones pictured here. Delicious meal and my husband LOVED it.
That is great, Ruthy!!! I am SO happy you all enjoyed it! THANK YOU!
What is the spice sprinkled over the lemon?
Thanks! Looks amazing!
HI! Sometimes, to make the photo work, I start throwing things on there to add contrast, color, etc… SO, I’m thinking it’s probably a bit of red paprika? 🙂
Can I use a different brand name bread crumbs? I have Progresso Italian Style bread crumbs in my house… Or will that throw the flavor off?
Hi Jaclynn! Yes, you can definitely use those bread crumbs – it will still taste just as good.
Bone in chicken breasts? Or boneless?
Hi Laurie! That would be, boneless. 🙂
So do you mean two whole chicken breasts cut into four halves or four whole chicken breasts cut into eight halves? I’m trying to double the recipe
Hi Michaela!
Yes, two whole chicken breasts cut in half. And, yes, double it – the more, the better! 😉 ENJOY!
I made this for dinner. Wow!! Loaded with flavor. I did use Greek yogurt & dried thyme as that is what I had on hand. May cut back 5 min on cooking time, otherwise very happy. Extremely flavorful even my 4 yr old asked for seconds 🙂
Hi Katerina, just made this for dinner along side Foxes love lemons loaded potatoes recipe and salad. It was amazing. The thyme in it brought everything together nicely. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Gorgeous, girl!! This needs to go on my menu plan. 🙂
Are those oranges or lemons? And how long do you cook the veggies and citrus? Skinless chicken? Looks great!
Hi! Yes, the chicken is skinless. The citrus is actually slices of lemon. Put everything in at the same time – together with the chicken breasts. Roasted veggies are the best! 🙂 Let me know how it goes! Have a great day!!
I love it, we’re preparing it tonight!
ENJOY!! 🙂