Chicken In Greek Yogurt Sauce (6 Ingredients)

So easy. There are just 6 main ingredients and 2 main steps to this yogurt chicken recipe. Step one – roast the chicken with just lemon juice, wine, chicken broth (stock) and thyme. Step two – stir in yogurt!

Creamy… but on the lighter side. The creamy lemon sauce is made with yogurt instead of cream. And nope, the yogurt doesn’t curdle, as long as you heat it gently.

Intensely lemony. The juice of one lemon makes for a simple and yet rich and flavorful dinner your whole family will love!

Only one pot. Always a bonus, right?

Chicken thighs. I like to use skin on and bone in thighs for this recipe for maximum flavor in the sauce. The chicken also looks beautifully golden on top. You can however use skinless boneless chicken thighs if you prefer. In fact they’ll take around 15 minutes less to cook.

I think that smaller thighs work best. You can also use drumsticks, or a mixture of thighs and drumsticks, if you like.

Chicken broth (stock). I recommend using a good quality e.g. free range or organic broth for the best flavor.

White wine. This adds more great flavor to the sauce. Can you just use more chicken broth instead if you don’t want to use wine? Sure!

Lemon juice. I find the juice of one small lemon to be perfect for a fairly lemony sauce. Simply reduce the amount if you prefer a more subtle flavor.

Fresh thyme. To remove the leaves from the tough stalks, simply hold them at the top and slide your fingers down them. As you do, the leaves will easily come off. Or it’s fine to use dried thyme instead.

Greek yogurt. My favorite is an authentic brand containing just milk and yogurt cultures such as Chobani. I like the light (0.5% fat). However, any kind of Greek yogurt will work. I don’t recommend substituting with regular yogurt however as it generally has a thinner consistency.

Cornstarch (conflour). Sometimes the sauce can need a little help to thicken up. A little cornstarch is all you need to do this.

Salt and black pepper. As always in recipes that don’t have a lot of ingredients, the right amount of seasoning is key.

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven.

Step 2: Pour the chicken broth, white wine and lemon juice all over the chicken in a wide pan, skillet or baking dish (I like a stove-to-oven cast iron pan). Then sprinkle the thyme and salt and pepper all over the dish.

Step 3: Bake for around 40 minutes until golden and at least 165F/74C in the thickest part (use a meat thermometer to test).

Step 4: Remove the chicken from the pan and put onto a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm.

Step 5: Stir the Greek yogurt into the sauce left in the pan. Warm gently on the stove (either in the same pan, or transfer into a saucepan).

Add between 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornflour mixed with a little water to thicken it up (if necessary). Simply continue warming until slightly thickened.

Serving ideas

My favorite way to serve this Greek yogurt chicken is with tagliatelle and these quick sautéed green beans or sautéed broccoli (just cook straight from frozen). Or simply serve with this super quick 5-minute sauteed frozen broccoli or fresh green salad leaves dressed with a simple vinaigrette – or even just olive oil.

If you aren’t in the mood for pasta, try this incredible Greek potatoes recipe (since you have the oven on already), quick and easy cubed potatoes (potatoes parmentier), rice (try this Greek rice), or just bread with olive oil.

More one pan chicken dinners

• This amazingly delicious Greek chicken and potatoes makes it onto our dinner table regularly. We always have it with a Greek salad and Greek yogurt or tzatziki, and it hits the spot every single time!

• Ever tried orzo? This creamy lemon chicken soup with orzo will be on the table in just 30 minutes.

• We’ve been making this baked chicken and chorizo with cherry tomatoes for years. Try it once and it just might become one of your go-tos as well.

• Chicken and rice is the ultimate easy dinner and crowd pleaser, so why not try this 30-minute stove-top chicken and rice?

Or browse all easy one pan meals.