Easy Greek Yogurt Chicken Recipe (Keto Friendly!)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

My favorite thing about this Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken recipe is that you only need 6 simple ingredients and a few spare minutes for prep. Most of the ingredients are staples in my kitchen: chicken breast, fresh lemon juice, Greek spices, fresh parsley, and Greek yogurt. That’s it! 

The enzymes in the yogurt tenderize the chicken as it marinates, making it juicy and full of flavor, plus a tender texture that my kids even love (no rubbery chicken here!). The resulting chicken has the silkiest coating that is packed with flavor and gets just crispy enough to add that light crunch you love. 

Serve with just about any side and save the leftovers for salads, sandwiches, pitas, and more. It’s a super versatile dish that goes with just about everything. 

Another 30-minute, easy recipe that requires minimal prep, and my oven does all the work? Yes, please! This Greek yogurt chicken recipe is a family favorite, and all of my boys, big and small, love it equally. Plus, it makes weeknight dinner planning a breeze! 

Depending on my week, I can prep it a couple of days in advance to marinate, then throw it in the oven while I prep a few quick sides. If your kids are obsessed with dipping like mine, make some extra marinade for dipping and save it in a separate container that avoids the raw chicken. Yum yum yum all around! 

• Rescue Recipes Tips: You can prep this chicken days in advance and let it marinate for up to 3 days before cooking. I love this because I prep it when I have time, then simply throw it in the oven or on the grill. From start to finish, it takes 30 minutes, and if you prep in advance, even less time! 
• Kid-Friendly Tips: My kids love this meal and love to dip their chicken in the yogurt marinade. I always make sure to have extra Greek yogurt marinade for their dipping pleasure. Besides the way I cut it, I don’t make any substitutions for the kids with this chicken. 
• Carb-Friendly Tips: This chicken is just 2 net carbs on its own! Serve with your favorite low-carb keto sides like this cauliflower rice, these french fries, or roasted vegetables.

• Greek Yogurt: I use whole milk plain Greek yogurt, but low-fat and non-fat work as well.
• Fresh Parsley
• Greek Seasoning: I love Primal Palate’s Super Gyro Greek seasoning. It’s perfect! If you want to make your own, combine the following spices: 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon marjoram, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• Fresh Garlic Cloves
• Lemon Zest: You’ll only need the zest for this recipe, so save the zested lemon in the refrigerator for lemon juice for another recipe, or squeeze it in your tea or water. 
• Chicken Breast: I prefer this with boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. They may need an additional 5 minutes of cooking time. Similarly, the cooking time may need to be adjusted if you choose to use bone-in chicken thighs. 
• Salt & black pepper to taste

Step 1: Make the marinade in a large bowl by combining the Greek yogurt, parsley, greek seasoning, garlic, and lemon zest. Stir the yogurt mixture to combine. 

Step 2: Prep the chicken by slicing it into 1″ x 2″ strips. This will help it to cook faster and have an even better marinade-to-chicken ratio. (optional)

Step 3: Marinate the chicken by adding it to the Greek yogurt chicken marinade ingredients and stir to combine. Marinate for as little as 5 minutes or up to 3 days. Whatever you have time for.

Step 4: Preheat your oven to 400ºF with the oven rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Step 5: Arrange the marinated chicken in an even, single layer on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Step 6: Bake the chicken until it has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer for best results. 

Step 7: Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Step 8: Serve in your preferred method. I love it in a bowl with baby greens, cooked cauliflower rice, cucumbers, bell pepper, tomato, and a yogurt dipping sauce (from doubling the yogurt marinade and saving half for dip). Also great in a salad, in a pita or wrap, served on its own along with roasted veggies, etc.

Expert Tips

• Dipping Sauce: If you want a yogurt dipping sauce to serve with your chicken, double the marinade recipe and save half for a dipping sauce!
• Chicken Check: I like to check the chicken at the 15-minute mark. It tends to have some accumulated water that the chicken has released. I’ll gently tilt the rimmed baking sheet over the sink to pour out the excess juices. Then return it to the oven to brown and lightly crisp up for 5 more minutes.
• Double Batch: This is a recipe I love to double because the leftovers are so good cold the next day. Great for lunches, salads, sandwiches, and more. 
• Yogurt Dip: If you want a yogurt dipping sauce to serve with your chicken, double the marinade recipe and save half for a dipping sauce. Delicious!
• Simplified Marinade: I’ve made this marinade with just the Greek yogurt and Greek seasoning before when low on ingredients. Still delicious! 
• Dairy Free: I haven’t tested this, but this should work with plain coconut yogurt. If you try it, let me know how it turned out in the comments!
• Outdoor Grill Method: For grilled chicken, follow the same instructions to make the marinade and prep the chicken from Steps 1-3. Heat your grill and use olive oil or avocado oil (or cooking spray) to grease the grill grates so the chicken doesn’t stick. On our Traeger, I cook at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. For a gas/charcoal grill, cook on medium-high heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the grill and rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Serving Tips

Serve this Greek yogurt chicken in your preferred method. I love it in a bowl with baby greens, cooked cauliflower rice, cucumbers, bell pepper, tomato, and a yogurt dipping sauce (from doubling the yogurt marinade and saving half for dip). 

More Serving Ideas: On a salad, in a pita or wrap, or served on its own, along with roasted veggies, keto french fries, and more!

Storage Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Unfortunately, this Greek yogurt chicken recipe does not freeze well. Your best option is to make what you can eat within the week and store leftovers in the fridge. Since it has so many uses (see serving tips above), this should be pretty easy to do!