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Grilled Yogurt & Parsley Marinated Chicken Thighs

August 25, 2021 by Mary 11 Comments

Who doesn’t LOVE grilled chicken? I remember one friend of mine, Anne Maxfield of the Accidental Locavore, announced at a dinner party one night at my house, that she loved ANY grilled chicken ANYTIME! She declared, “Who doesn’t?” I do too, but I’m always searching for new flavors (as I am for fish as well). This Grilled Yogurt & Parsley Marinated Chicken Thighs is definitely worthy enough to share with you. It was easy, different and DELISH! Or De le le – as my friend Barbara says.

It’s important that you use full fat, sheep’s milk yogurt, lots of garlic and ample amounts of parsley. The marinating time works with just 3 hours so do this in the afternoon. Once that’s done, grilling it is easy peasy.

One warning though, be sure to oil your grill well and do not have your heat too high – 375 degrees is perfect.

The marinade

It’s the yogurt marinade that makes the chicken creamy and on thighs, super moist as well. And the ample garlic, well you know I love anything garlicky and garlic keeps you healthy. Now it is super important to stay strong with the new Delta strain of Covid. And the parsley at this time of year is so flavorful. I am growing it in my garden and it tastes amazing.

For me, the problem with many marinades is that they don’t really seem to permeate and flavor the meat deeply. Here, I made 3 slashes on the skin side of each thigh, not too deep but going through the skin and penetrating the meat just a little. And then rubbing the marinade into each thigh while it’s in the bag.

Smashed Juniper Berries and Parsley for Yogurt and Parsley Marinated Chicken Thighs.

I don’t know, penetrating, rubbing, sounds a little sexual, don’t you think? I have been watching Sex/Life on Netflix – super steamy at times…

But I digress.

My Love of Lime

It is also important to squeeze some fresh lime on these Grilled Yogurt & Parsley Marinated Chicken Thighs, just before serving. I have been using lime a lot as a finishing touch as it imparts just the right amount of acid with a little lovely mysterious side kick. You’re not quite sure what that flavor is…

I learned about lime just recently from a neighborhood Latin and South Asian restaurant. They finished off a grilled spice-rubbed cauliflower slice with lime and it was so delicious! So I have been taking that cue and using it.

Make this chicken soon – It really is delish!

GRILLED YOGURT & PARSLEY MARINATED CHICKEN THIGHS – serves 4 

4 bone-in, chicken thighs with skin, fat removed, lightly scored in 3 places on the skin side
¾ cup Plain Sheep Milk full fat yogurt – I used Bellwether Farms
¼ cup minced garlic smashed with
1 tsp. Kosher salt
¼ tsp coarse ground black pepper
1½ TBS. lemon juice
1 cup chopped parsley leaves
12 juniper berries, smashed
1 lime quartered in 4 wedges

Smash the minced garlic with the teaspoon of salt using the side of a large chopping knife to break it up more, making a rough paste. Take a large ziploc bag and add in everything except the chicken thighs and lime. Close the bag and mix up everything thoroughly.

Wash and dry the chicken thighs. Trim off the excess fat. Lightly score the skin side in 3 places on each thigh. Add the thighs to the marinade bag and move around the yogurt mixture to get it into the chicken.

Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 3 hours or even overnight, every once in a while mushing everything together and turning the bag over.

Remove the bag 30 – 45 minutes before grilling. Light the grill to be 375 degrees. Oil the grill grates thoroughly. 

I get the grill very hot – to 500 – 550 degrees, scrape off the food residue from the previous grilling, then I coat a folded paper towel with canola oil and using the scraper brush, rub the oiled towel all over the grill racks. This does two things – it cleans the grill of any residual wire pieces from the brush and oils the grate.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for about 15 minutes per side. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer.

Serve with fresh squeezed lime juice and LOVE. Enjoy!!

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Filed Under: Dinner, Poultry Tagged With: chicken thighs, Dinner, easy chicken recipes, grilled chicken recipes, yogurt marinated chicken

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Comments

  1. Jovina Coughlin says

    August 25, 2021 at 11:30 AM

    This looks fantastic. Have to make your recipe soon.

    Reply
    • Mary says

      August 28, 2021 at 4:20 PM

      Thanks Jovina – I think you would LOVE it!

      Reply
  2. Margaret Brown says

    August 25, 2021 at 2:02 PM

    Mary: This looks MAH-velous!! But, my darling husband does not enjoy grilling, nor do I. If I baked it, or baked and then finished under the broiler, would that work?

    Reply
    • Mary says

      August 28, 2021 at 4:20 PM

      I think roasting and then broiling would work. You could also use a grill pan on the stovetop.

      Reply
      • Margaret Brown says

        August 28, 2021 at 5:15 PM

        Shall do. I forgot about my grill pan. Time for cleaning out my cabinets!!

        Reply
  3. Anne says

    August 25, 2021 at 6:35 PM

    Thanks for the shout out! Yes, I love any chicken done on the grill! This one looks yummy but sadly we can’t grill in our apartment. I love using yogurt as a marinade, and the grill pan is a decent substitute.

    Reply
    • Mary says

      August 28, 2021 at 4:18 PM

      Apartment?! Where are you?

      Reply
      • Anne Maxfield says

        August 28, 2021 at 10:27 PM

        Poughkeepsie near Vassar

        Reply
  4. Patrick says

    September 7, 2021 at 5:26 AM

    I love this and will give it a try as garlic and parsley just go so well together and lemon on chicken is one of my favourites too. Lime juice afterwards is new to me too but I’ll give it a go. Can I just ask though, why you specify bone in thighs? Do you not think it would work well with boneless thighs?
    Patrick recently posted…The Best Japanese Knives to Buy in 2021My Profile

    Reply
    • Mary says

      September 29, 2021 at 3:57 PM

      Hi Patrick! Welcome! Since you are new in commenting, I had to approve you which is why your comment did not show up right away.
      You could use boneless thighs and cook them less, but I believe bone in (in anything) is always tastier and with thighs, makes a neater presentation. Plus, then you can throw those bones in a ziplock bag and freeze until you have enough of them and make homemade chicken broth!

      Reply
      • Patrick says

        September 30, 2021 at 5:30 AM

        Hey Mary, thanks for getting back to me. I’ll keep that in mind. I know what you mean about presentation. I usually cook boneless thighs if I’m going to chop them up and put them in a wrap, which is something I thought your recipe would be perfect for. If you’re serving them on a plate though, they will definitely present better with the bone in. Thanks again!

        Reply

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