Chicken in yoghurt marinade is one of our favourite lunch dishes to take to work the next day. Tender chicken breast is marinated in Greek yoghurt with garlic and herbs, then fried or grilled to keep it juicy. It is served with Greek salad, red quinoa, and tzatziki sauce. I know it's a simple combination, but it tastes delicious. I recommend preparing a larger portion at once to have lunch ready for two days.
How to cook quinoa?
When cooking quinoa, we follow a process similar to preparing millet. First, rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve, several times in hot water, to remove its bitter aftertaste. Place the rinsed quinoa into a pot with a thick bottom and add enough water to completely cover it. Add ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook the quinoa covered, over low heat for about 20-25 minutes or until soft. If necessary, gradually add small amounts of water. By the end of cooking, the quinoa should be soft and have absorbed all the water.
How to prepare chicken breast to make it juicy?
I prepare chicken this way quite often, so I've become quite proficient at frying the meat so that it remains juicy. Below, I describe the method that works best for me. I usually choose small chicken breasts and fry them whole. If they are very thick, you can also cut them in half crosswise (then the frying time should be shortened accordingly).
I marinate the chicken for at least 2-3 hours and make sure to take it out of the fridge about half an hour before frying or grilling. This helps the meat come to room temperature, ensuring it cooks more evenly and stays juicy. I fry the chicken using a grill pan, but of course, using an actual grill would be even better.
First, I heat a small amount of olive oil in the pan and remove any excess marinade from the chicken. At the very beginning, I briefly fry the chicken over fairly high heat on each side to sear it. Then, I reduce the heat to low/medium and continue frying for about 5-7 minutes on each side.
After this time, I cut into the thickest part of one of the breasts. If the meat is still raw inside, I fry it for an additional few minutes until it is fully cooked. I remove the meat from the pan and set aside for a few minutes before cutting it into slices. Ready!
The most important thing is to adjust the temperature. If it's too high, the marinade will burn, and the meat will dry out. If it's too low, the meat will stew instead of frying. It's all a matter of practice.
If you enjoyed this chicken dish, be sure to try other recipes featuring chicken breast.
- Chicken with spinach | Baked
- Chicken pot pie with thyme biscuits
- Red pesto chicken | Only 5-ingredients
- Chicken in mustard sauce | Oven baked
Chicken in yoghurt marinade | Greek bowl
Ingredients
- 2 small chicken breasts
- 120 g red quinoa
yoghurt marinade
- 150 g tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ grated garlic clove
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
salad
- 2 handful of cherry tomatoes
- 2 small cucumbers
- ¼ small red onion
- 100 g feta cheese
- few black olives
- 1 tsp olive oil
- pinch of dried oregano
tzatziki
- 250 g tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 2 small cucumbers
- ¼ grated garlic clove (or more)
- pinch of black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Mix all the marinade ingredients together, then pour the mixture over the cleaned chicken breasts. Set them aside for at least 2-3 hours.
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve, several times in hot water. Then, place it in a pot, cover it with water, and add ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook covered, over low heat for about 20-25 minutes or until soft. If necessary, gradually add small amounts of water. By the end of cooking, the quinoa should be soft and have absorbed all the water.
- Prepare the salad: cut the cucumbers into smaller pieces (you can peel them if you prefer), halve the cherry tomatoes, thinly slice the red onion, and slice the olives. Mix the prepared vegetables together, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of oregano and crumbled feta cheese.
- Prepare the tzatziki: grate the cucumbers on a coarse grater (you can peel them if you prefer), then add the grated garlic, Greek yoghurt, salt, and black pepper.
- Heat a small amount of olive oil in a grill pan. Remove any excess marinade from the chicken, then briefly fry the chicken over fairly high heat on each side. Reduce the heat to low/medium and continue frying for about 5-7 minutes on each side. After this time, cut into the thickest part of one of the breasts. If the meat is still raw inside, cook for a few more minutes until it is completely cooked through. Remove the meat from the pan and set it aside for a while, then cut it into slices.
- Place the salad, quinoa, and chicken slices on plates. Serve with tzatziki sauce. Enjoy your meal!
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