Fage Yogurt Marinated Chicken + an easy Tzatziki Sauce

This post was sponsored by Fage Yogurt, but (as always!) all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Lake Shore lady possible!

Any Greek yogurt fans out there?! It’s in one of those things that’s in our fridge at all times – and for good reason! I love a good yogurt bowl in the morning with fruit and almond butter, but it’s actually really useful in savory dishes, too! This yogurt marinated chicken and tzatziki sauce are two of my favorite ways to use it for lunch or dinner.

When it comes to Greek yogurt, FAGE has been a go-to of mine for a long time. Especially when it comes to plain Greek yogurt, they’re really hard to beat. They use 100% natural ingredients, no GMO’s, no rBGH (growth hormones), no artificial flavors or sweeteners, and no preservatives. Oh, and you can get a big tub to last you all week long… plus it’s always rich and creamy and delicious every time. YUM.

Yogurt Marinated Chicken

So, we all know that Greek yogurt is great with berries and honey… but did you know you could marinade chicken with it?! It’s true! It works in a similar way to buttermilk – the calcium in the dairy apparently activates enzymes in the meat that breaks down proteins. In simpler terms, it’s a natural tenderizer!

Sometimes cooking chicken stresses me out a little bit. It’s SO easy to end up with super tough chicken that no one wants to eat. Luckily, this marinade really helps avoid that issue.

Ingredients

1 lb chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup FAGE Total 0% Greek Yogurt
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Whisk together yogurt, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Cut chicken and add to the bowl. Stir to coat. Cover and keep in the fridge for 1-3 hours.
2. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
3. Thread chicken onto skewers.
4. Cook the skewers for about 6 minutes on each side, or until the meat is fully cooked.

Easy Tzatziki Sauce

And of course, FAGE Greek Yogurt is the perfect creamy and slightly tangy base for a tzatziki sauce. Plus, you don’t have to worry about any hidden sweeteners in there messing with your flavors… it’s a blank canvas for you to play with!

Tzatziki sauce is traditionally made with dill, but I added mint in there too because I really love that flavor in Mediterranean dishes. Feel free to omit one or the other based on your preference!

Ingredients

1.5 cups FAGE Total 0% Greek Yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled and grated
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
a pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Start by peeling and grating the cucumber. (You can also pulse it in a good processor!) Either place on a fine sieve or spoon onto a cheesecloth. Either way, you want to squeeze out all of the excess moisture from the grated cucumber. Once drained, set aside.
2. Add minced garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, dill, and garlic to a bowl. Add Greek yogurt and grated/drained cucumber.
3. Stir to combine and garnish with dill or mint. (Or both!)

Tomato Cucumber Salad

To add some extra brightness to this meal, I also whipped up a quick tomato and cucumber salad. You can put it in your pita/naan or just eat it as a side salad – there are no rules here!

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh mint, roughly chopped
salt and pepper

1. Add tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and mint to a bowl.
2. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
3. Pour oil/lemon over the tomatoes and cucumbers. Add fresh mint and stir until everything is combined.
4. Adjust salt and pepper seasoning if necessary.

How To Put It All Together

Now it’s time to assemble! I got naan bread this time, but pita bread works great, too. This is how I like to put it all together:

• Spread tzatziki sauce over your naan or pita – don’t be shy here!
• Add a skewer (or two!) of chicken.
• Top with a little bit of greek salad.
• Finish with feta cheese!

I mean… doesn’t that look AWESOME?!

Also, anyone else see Luna passed out behind me?! ? A playdate with Lily, plus the excitement of this shoot wiped her OUT!

Have you guys ever tried yogurt marinated chicken before?

Do you use Greek yogurt in any other savory dishes? And of course I have to ask – have you tried FAGE Total 0% Greek Yogurt? If not, get on that… and let me know what you think! Spoiler: you’re going to love it ?

Greek Chicken Gyros (with Yogurt Marinated Chicken + Tzatziki Sauce)

Yield: 3-4

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

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Ingredients

Yogurt Marinated Chicken

• 1 lb chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 cup Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

Tzatziki Sauce

• 1.5 cups Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt
• 1 cucumber, peeled and grated
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• a pinch of salt

Greek Salad

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, roughly chopped
• salt and pepper

Extras

• naan or pita bread
• feta cheese

Instructions

1. To make the chicken, whisk together yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Cut chicken and add to the bowl. Stir to coat. Cover and keep in the fridge for 1-3 hours.
2. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
3. Thread chicken onto skewers.
4. Cook the skewers for about 6 minutes on each side, or until the meat is fully cooked.
5. To make the tzatziki sauce, start by peeling and grating the cucumber. (You can also pulse it in a good processor!) Either place on a fine sieve or spoon onto a cheesecloth. Either way, you want to squeeze out all of the excess moisture from the grated cucumber. Once drained, set aside.
6. Add minced garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, dill, and garlic to a bowl. Add greek yogurt and grated/drained cucumber.
7. Stir to combine and garnish with dill or mint. (Or both!)
8. To make the greek salad, add tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and mint to a bowl.
9. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
10. Pour oil/lemon over the tomatoes and cucumbers. Add fresh mint and stir until everything is combined.
11. Adjust salt and pepper seasoning if necessary.
12. Now it's time to assemble! Spread tzatziki sauce over your naan or pita (Don't be shy here!) Add a skewer (or two!) of chicken. Top with a little bit of greek salad and finish with feta cheese!

PS. You might also like How To Make Pizza On The Grill and My Birthday BBQ!