Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Potatoes
Jul 21, 2026
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This yogurt marinated chicken is a one-dish weeknight dinner that practically makes itself. Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and potatoes go into a single baking dish with a spiced Greek yogurt marinade and the oven does the rest. The chicken comes out with crispy skin and meat that falls off the bone. The potatoes are soft and almost creamy inside with golden, slightly crispy edges on the outside, having soaked up all the yogurt and spice while baking alongside the chicken.
I developed this recipe because I wanted a dinner that required almost no active time. You mix everything in the baking dish, slide it into the oven, and in about an hour and a half you have a full meal. I usually put it together before spending time with my family and by the time dinner is ready, all I need to do is throw together a quick salad.
Why Yogurt Marinade Makes Better Chicken
Yogurt is one of the best things you can marinate chicken in. The lactic acid in Greek yogurt breaks down the proteins in the meat gently, making it tender without turning it mushy the way harsher acidic marinades can. It also sticks to the chicken and helps the spices penetrate deeply rather than just sitting on the surface. Chicken marinated in Greek yogurt is flavorful all the way through, not just on the outside.
For this recipe, whole milk Greek yogurt is what works best. Low-fat or non-fat yogurt has too much water and not enough fat to give the chicken its deeply tender texture or help the skin get genuinely crispy in the oven. The result will be noticeably different, so it is worth using the full-fat version.
If you have made my baked Greek chicken or chicken souvlaki before, you already know how much yogurt changes the texture of marinated chicken. This recipe takes that same principle and turns it into a complete one-dish meal.
How to Make Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Place the chicken thighs and potato pieces in a 9×13 baking dish.
Add all the marinade ingredients directly into the dish.
Mix everything well until fully coated, then arrange the chicken skin side up.
If you have time, marinate for at least an hour, otherwise, just cover with aluminum and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake the chicken for another 45 to 50 minutes.
The chicken will be crispy and fall off the bone and the potatoes will be tender.
What To Serve With It
This is a complete meal on its own, but Greek lemon rice or Mediterranean yellow rice alongside makes it more filling for a larger table. A piece of homemade pita bread for scooping up the pan juices is also a very good idea. For a salad, fattoush works well. The brightness and crunch of the pita chips and lemon dressing contrast nicely with the richness of the chicken.
If you love this style of cooking, Greek chicken and potatoes is another one-dish baked chicken recipe in the same family worth trying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken legs work just as well and are equally forgiving in the oven. Cooking time will be similar.
You can, but the timing will be different and breast can dry out more easily than thighs. Keep a close eye on it and check for doneness earlier.
Bone-in thighs give more flavor and stay juicier during the long bake. Boneless thighs will work but the cooking time will be shorter, so check them earlier.
No. If you are short on time, you can mix everything and bake right away. The flavor will be slightly more developed if you marinate the chicken for a few hours.
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More Chicken Thigh recipes
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Entrées
Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs, bone-in skin-on
- 3 yukon gold potatoes, cut into pieces
- ½ cup whole Greek milk yogurt
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and grated or minced
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Place the chicken thighs and potato pieces in a 9×13 baking dish. Add the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, Aleppo pepper, sumac, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper directly into the dish.
- Use your hands or a pair of tongs to mix everything together until well coated. Arrange the chicken skin side up.
- If time allows, cover and marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerating, take the dish out 30 minutes before baking while you preheat the oven.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 45 minutes until the chicken skin is deeply golden and crispy and the potatoes are tender. The chicken is done when the meat pulls away from the bone easily.
- Serve hot directly from the baking dish.
Notes
- Use whole milk yogurt only. Low-fat or non-fat yogurt will not give the same texture or crispy skin.
- Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs are strongly recommended. They stay juicier and have more flavor than boneless cuts during a long bake.
- If using boneless chicken, reduce the covered and uncovered bake time and check for doneness earlier.
- Take the dish out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking if you have marinated it ahead. A cold baking dish goes into a hot oven unevenly.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the marinade for a subtle heat alongside the Aleppo pepper.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water or in the oven at 350°F covered with foil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
