Buzz
My fridge is stocked with all kinds of dairy products: cheese, sour cream, labneh, yogurt, milk, and even heavy cream. One thing you won’t typically find in my fridge, though, is flavored yogurt. I usually buy plain yogurt and mix in some strawberry jam or honey. However, I recently grabbed a tub of Tillamook strawberry yogurt on sale, planning to use it for protein shakes and other similar things.
The issue with flavored yogurt is that it’s often limited to a sweet, fruity flavor, which is fine for a quick breakfast or snack. However, I thought marinating meat in it would be strange. Turns out, you can marinate meat in flavored yogurt, and it actually tastes amazing.
I picked up some boneless, skinless chicken thighs (also on sale) and coated them generously with strawberry yogurt, adding a pinch of salt. I let them sit in the fridge for eight hours. After roasting them in a hot oven, I finished them off under the broiler, and the strawberry yogurt chicken was a success.
It was incredibly tasty, with an impossibly juicy and tender texture—thanks to the lactic acid—along with a hint of fruity sweetness. The yogurt’s sugars caramelized under the broiler, creating crispy, flavorful bits. I made a sauce by processing fresh strawberries and basil with a touch of olive oil, sugar, and salt, but in the end, it seemed unnecessary, and I found myself bypassing the sauce to focus more on the chicken’s taste.
You’re definitely not limited to using just strawberry yogurt or chicken. Pineapple or cherry yogurt would be amazing with pork, and lemon yogurt would be fantastic for lamb. Simply apply the yogurt, let it sit, then roast or sear as usual. Your meat will come out tender, juicy, and golden-brown, with a light touch of fruity flair.
Strawberry Yogurt Chicken
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine the yogurt and salt in a bowl, then toss the chicken in the mixture to coat it thoroughly. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the excess yogurt from the chicken and arrange it on the baking sheet, spreading it out evenly. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Turn on the broiler for a few minutes to achieve a golden brown finish, then take the chicken out, slice it, and serve immediately.
