Grilled Za’atar Chicken With Garlic Yogurt and Cilantro

By Melissa Clark

Published June 15, 2021

  • Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes, plus marinating time
Rating
5(7,885)
Comments
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This garlicky, herby chicken is full-flavored and very tender, thanks to its piquant yogurt marinade. It’s flexible, too — marinate the meat for as little as a couple of hours, or as long as overnight. And the chicken is just as good cooked under the broiler as it is on the grill (see Tip). You can serve this dish with almost anything, but it’s especially nice with pita or other flatbread and a big cucumber and tomato salad. And if you’re looking to substitute chicken breasts for the thighs, you can. Just watch them carefully; they’re likely to cook faster than the dark meat.

Featured in: For the Juiciest Grilled Chicken, Just Add Yogurt

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 6 garlic cloves, finely grated, pressed, or minced

  • 2 lemons, zested

  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more sprigs for garnish

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

  • 1 ½ tablespoons za’atar, plus more for serving

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or marjoram, plus more sprigs for garnish

  • 1 ¾ teaspoons salt

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

6 grams carbs; 165 milligrams cholesterol; 307 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 590 milligrams sodium; 36 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl or container, stir together 5 of the grated garlic cloves, half the lemon zest, ⅓ cup yogurt, the cilantro, oil, za’atar, oregano or marjoram, salt and black pepper. Add chicken and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

  2. Step 2

    When ready to cook, light the grill to medium or heat your broiler with the rack 3 inches from the heat source. Remove chicken from bowl, shaking off any excess marinade, and grill or broil on one side until charred in spots, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and grill or broil for another 5 to 8 minutes, until just cooked through.

  3. Step 3

    While the chicken is cooking, place remaining ⅔ cup yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserve grated garlic clove and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut one zested lemon in half and set aside for serving (save the other zested lemon for another use).

  4. Step 4

    To serve, place chicken on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and a large squeeze of the zested lemon. Top with cilantro and oregano or marjoram sprigs and serve with yogurt sauce.

Tip

  • If you’re broiling instead of grilling, you can line your sheet pan with foil for easier clean up. Don’t use parchment paper, it may burn.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
7,885 user ratings
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Comments

ScratchCook

My recipe for Za’atar - save for multiple uses. Mix w/EVOO for non dairy rub. Rub on and under skin. Ingredients 1. 1 tablespoon dried thyme- crushed (or sub oregano) 2. 1 tablespoon cumin (see instructions about whole or ground) 3. 1 tablespoon coriander. 4. 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds. 5. 1 tablespoon sumac. 6. ½ teaspoon kosher salt. 7. ¼ teaspoon or more aleppo chili flakes- optional. Aleppo substitute, mix regular paprika with a small measured amount of cayenne pepper. To taste.

Nathan

Yes, whole milk yogurt is a thing. Try Fagé yogurt and you’ll never buy another store brand again.

patrika

In a shocking development, I actually had every one of these ingredients on hand. Made it tonight, it was delicious. Definitely a keeper.

JMS

Great recipe! Last time that I made this, I was in a rush and used store bought tzatziki as a base for the marinade. I added lemon zest, za’atar and oregano. It worked pretty well. Added lemon juice and za’atar to more tzatziki to drizzle over the chicken. I also like it better as kebabs.

Deedee P.

I added a little extra Fage yogurt. I used both fresh marjoram and oregano from the garden, since they needed trims. I pounded chicken breasts so they were evenly thin (not too thin). I’ve learned my lesson to always do that for breasts. They come so big these days! Giggity. I marinated them for about 6 hours prior to grilling and that seemed to be enough. I think it took about a half an hour to cook them at 375°F then dropped to 350°F on the Traeger. I even rotated them to get fancy grill marks before flipping sides. They turned out insanely tender and flavorful!!! And beautiful!! The yogurt sauce is a must. I licked my plate when no one was watching. Ok I did that and didn’t care if anyone saw. It was too good. Adding this to the rotation. I served it with the green couscous recipe in Ottolenghi’s Plenty book along with a grilled carrots with cumin/mint/serrano/honey dressing and avocado recipe from Bon Appetit. My 4 hear old loved it even.

Shannon

Delicious! My only tweak was to throw the cut halves of the lemon on the grill before squeezing.

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