I was in the mood for major comfort food so I made a big pot of Pasta Fagioli. Pasta Fagioli (Pasta e Fagioli) means “pasta and beans”, and is a traditional Italian soup. It is made with tomatoes, vegetables, beans, herbs, and pasta. Basica…
I was in the mood for major comfort food so I made a big pot of Pasta Fagioli. Pasta Fagioli (Pasta e Fagioli) means “pasta and beans”, and is a traditional Italian soup. It is made with tomatoes, vegetables, beans, herbs, and pasta. Basically all of my favorites in one pot! It is 100% cozy…
Yogurt has become one of the most versatile ingredients in my kitchen. While it’s more common in the U.S. for yogurt to be served sweet, yogurt is just as useful and delicious in savory dishes, like this Yogurt Marinated Chicken. This delicious chicken is tangy, garlicky, full of warm spices, and can be served several different ways. It’s definitely one of my favorite go-to chicken marinades!
Why Yogurt Makes a Great Marinade
Aside from giving the chicken a deliciously tangy flavor, yogurt contains a lot of lactic acid, which works to tenderize the chicken and help keep it moist while it cooks. You’ll find yogurt marinades used a lot in Middle Eastern recipes, like this recipe for Shish-Tawook from my friend, Yumna, at Feelgoodfoodie.net.
What Kind of Yogurt Should I Use?
Make sure you buy plain flavored yogurt, nothing sweetened or with flavors added. I suggest buying regular yogurt, not Greek-style, because Greek is very thick and dry and will not coat the chicken the same way. You can get around this by thinning out the yogurt with a little water, broth, or milk, but plain, regular yogurt works best. You’ll also want to make sure your yogurt has at least some fat, which is important for carrying the fat-soluble flavors in the marinade. Full-fat is best, but you can go down to 2% fat if needed.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Yes, this recipe is also awesome with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Because chicken thighs are already fairly thin and cook quickly, you will not need to slice the thighs into thinner pieces, as I do with the chicken breasts in the recipe below.
Can Yogurt Marinated Chicken be Grilled?
Yes! Yogurt marinated chicken is perfect for grilling! Just cook in the same manner as you would with chicken marinated in any other mixture. You’ll get wonderful browning on the meat when using a grill. You can also use an indoor, countertop style grill, like a George Foreman grill.
How to Serve Yogurt Marinated Chicken
I love, love, LOVE this chicken in so many different dishes. It’s great for adding to bowl meals (pictured above with spinach rice, tomatoes, and feta), you can stuff it into a pita, like a chicken schawarma sandwich, use it to top a fresh green salad, or even a pasta salad. Or, just serve it up with a couple of sides and make it your main dish! It would go great alongside a marinated white bean salad, or a super fresh cucumber salad and maybe some hummus.
Yogurt Marinated Chicken
This tangy and garlicky Yogurt Marinated Chicken is full of warm spices and can be served several different ways!
Combine the yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, cinnamon, oregano, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl.
Slice the chicken breasts into two thinner pieces so they cook quickly and evenly in the skillet. If slicing is too difficult, you can cover the chicken breasts with plastic and use a rolling pin or mallet to pound the chicken into an even thickness (1/2-3/4 inch thick), then slice the breast across into two smaller portions.
Place the chicken in a shallow dish or zip-top bag and pour the yogurt marinade over top. Make sure all sides of the chicken are coated in yogurt, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
When you're ready to cook, heat ½ Tbsp cooking oil in a large skillet (preferably some sort of non-stick surface) over medium heat. Once hot, add two pieces of chicken and cook on each side until deeply browned. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean cutting board and repeat with the rest of the cooking oil and second two pieces of chicken.
Let the chicken rest for five minutes, then slice and serve!
Notes
*You can purchase thin-cut chicken breasts, chicken tender, or chicken thighs to avoid needing to slice or pound the breasts into thinner pieces (step 2).
How to Make Yogurt Marinated Chicken – Step by Step Photos
Make the yogurt marinade first. Combine ½ cup plain yogurt, 2 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 Tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, and ¼ tsp ground cloves.
Filet two boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 lbs. total) into two thinner pieces. This helps it cook quickly and evenly in the skillet. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thin-cut chicken breasts, or even chicken tenders.
Place the chicken in a shallow dish or a zip top bag and pour the yogurt marinade over top. Make sure the yogurt coats all sides of the chicken, then marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours (refrigerated).
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat ½ Tbsp cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat (a non-stick surface works best). Once hot, add two pieces of the chicken and cook on both sides until it is well browned and cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean cutting board and repeat with another ½ Tbsp oil and the second two pieces of chicken.
Let the yogurt marinated chicken rest on the cutting board for five minutes before slicing and serving.
Serve over rice, a salad, stuffed into a pita, or just on its own with a couple of sides!
Okay, I know a Lentil Salad doesn’t sound all that exciting, BUT hear me out. Lentils are GOOD…if you’ve tried our Lentil Soup, you know of their goodness:) This Lentil Salad is one of my very favorites. Seriously! I make it all of th…
Okay, I know a Lentil Salad doesn’t sound all that exciting, BUT hear me out. Lentils are GOOD…if you’ve tried our Lentil Soup, you know of their goodness:) This Lentil Salad is one of my very favorites. Seriously! I make it all of the time and eat it for days because it’s so good! Lentils…
Today, we are talking about Tzatziki! If you aren’t sure how to pronounce tzatziki, let me help you out, all of those Zs are a little tricky. Tzatziki is pronounced tuh-zee-kee. It comes from a Persian word that means “herb mixture.&#…
Today, we are talking about Tzatziki! If you aren’t sure how to pronounce tzatziki, let me help you out, all of those Zs are a little tricky. Tzatziki is pronounced tuh-zee-kee. It comes from a Persian word that means “herb mixture.” Tzatziki is a dip (sauce) that originated in the Middle East. It has a…
We recently shared a comprehensive Instant Pot Guide that included how to cook green split peas (no soaking required!). But since split peas aren’t the most flavorful on their own, we’re sharing how to put them to use in this delicious split pea soup! …
We recently shared a comprehensive Instant Pot Guide that included how to cook green split peas (no soaking required!). But since split peas aren’t the most flavorful on their own, we’re sharing how to put them to use in this delicious split pea soup!
This soup is enhanced with creamy potatoes and coconut milk (swoon), plus fragrant fresh and dried herbs. Just 1 pot and simple methods required. Let us show you how it’s done!
This Turkey Taco Salad is an easy, light, and fresh dinner that’s flexible enough to feed all your family members. Mix and match your favorite taco salad toppings, or just use up what you have in your fridge!
Winter is full of lots of heavy, slow cooked, or stewed comfort foods and right around this time every year I start craving something lighter and more fresh. Enter this super simple Turkey Taco Salad. It comes together quickly, it gives me all the flavors I need, and it’s still super filling. Oh, and did I mention how flexible it is? Read on for tons of ideas for substitutions and add-ins!
Dressing Options
I used my homemade Creamy Avocado Dressing for this taco salad, but you can definitely swap that out with your favorite creamy salad dressing. A taco or chipotle flavored ranch, green goddess dressing, or even a tangy Catalina dressing would all be great.
Can I Substitute the Ground Turkey?
Yes, this recipe works great with ground beef or pork, or you can even make it vegetarian using tempeh. To use tempeh, simply crumble the tempeh into a skillet, add a cup of water, and let the tempeh simmer until the water mostly evaporates, then add the taco seasoning and continue to sauté for a couple minutes more.
Other Add-ins and Substitutions
Taco salads are so flexible! Here are some other ingredient ideas that you can use in place of or in addition to anything listed in the recipe below:
Make the salad dressing first so the flavors have time to blend. Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Add the avocado to a food processor or blender along with the sour cream, garlic (minced), salt, lime juice, cilantro, and water. Purée until smooth. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.
Next, cook the taco seasoned turkey. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it into pieces as you stir. When it's about half-way cooked, add the taco seasoning and continue to stir and cook until the turkey is cooked through.
Thaw the frozen corn (I use the microwave). Wash and chop the romaine lettuce, rinse and drain the black beans, slice the grape tomatoes in half, slice the jalapeño, and shred the cheddar cheese.
To build the salad, lay a bed of the chopped lettuce in each bowl, top with beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, seasoned turkey, and a few slices of jalapeño. Drizzle the creamy avocado dressing over top and enjoy!
Notes
*I used my own homemade taco seasoning, but you can use a store-bought taco seasoning packet, if you prefer.
How to Make Turkey Taco Salad – Step by Step Photos
Make the creamy avocado dressing first, so the flavors have a few minutes to blend. In a food processor or blender, combine 1 avocado (peeled and pit removed), ½ cup sour cream, 1 clove of garlic (minced), ¼ tsp salt, 2 Tbsp lime juice, ¼ bunch cilantro, and ¼ cup water. Process until smooth. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.
Add ½ Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Add 1 lb. ground turkey and break it into pieces as it cooks. When it’s about half-cooked, add 2 Tbsp taco seasoning (or one store-bought taco seasoning packet) and continue to cook and stir until the turkey is cooked through.
Set the cooked, seasoned taco meat aside.
While the turkey is cooking, you can begin to prepare the rest of the toppings. Rinse and drain one 15oz. can of black beans, thaw 1 cup frozen corn (I use the microwave), slice 1 pint of grape tomatoes in half, shred about 2 oz. of cheddar, and slice one jalapeño.
Also, wash and chop one head of Romaine lettuce. To begin building your salad, place the chopped lettuce in the bottom of a large serving bowl (or you can create four smaller single-serving salads).
Start adding the toppings: corn, tomatoes, shredded cheddar, and black beans.
Top with the turkey taco meat and sliced jalapeños…
And finally, drizzle your creamy avocado dressing over top and enjoy!
If you’re a fan of my Lime Crema, I think you’re going to also love this Creamy Avocado Dressing. It has the same bones as the Lime Crema, but is dressed up with a few more flavors to really make it a flavor bomb. This dressing comes together super fast, so you can make it fresh on the spot whenever needed.
P.S. It’s great on a lot more than just salads!
What’s in Creamy Avocado Dressing
This recipe is SO simple. It starts with the same ingredients as my Lime Crema: sour cream, garlic, lime, and salt. Then I added an avocado and fresh cilantro to freshen it up and make it a total flavor bomb. It’s so simple, but SO good.
Do I Need a Food Processor?
I found my food processor to be the easiest tool in my kitchen to make this dressing, but it is definitely soft and fluid enough to use a good blender if you have one. This recipe makes about one cup, so you’ll need something with at least a 1.5 cup capacity to allow for movement.
How to Serve Creamy Avocado Dressing
I used this avocado dressing on a really great taco salad (recipe coming later this week!), but I found myself dipping all sorts of vegetables into the jar throughout the rest of the day. This dressing is so good that I was looking for anything and everything to dip into it!
Try this dressing on your sandwiches, wraps, tacos, salads, nachos, bowl meals, fresh vegetables, and more!
Creamy Avocado Dressing
This tangy and creamy avocado dressing is great for both salads and for dipping your favorite vegetables. Mixes up in minutes!
Add the avocado, sour cream, minced garlic, salt, lime juice, and cilantro to a food processor or blender. Puré until smooth.
Add water, 1-2 Tbsp at a time, and purée again until it reaches your desired consistency (leave thicker for a dip, add more water for a pourable dressing).
How to Make Creamy Avocado Dressing – Step by Step Photos
Add 1 avocado, ½ cup sour cream, 1 clove of garlic (minced), ¼ tsp salt, 2 Tbsp lime juice, and ¼ bunch cilantro to a food processor or blender.
Purée until smooth. Add water, 1-2 Tbsp at a time, and purée again until the dressing reaches your desired consistency. To use as a dip, leave it thick and don’t add any water. For a more pourable dressing, add about ¼ cup water.
Serve over your favorite salad, tacos, nachos, wrap sandwiches, chips, or fresh vegetables!
Classic Minestrone Soup If you read our blog regularly, you know I LOVE a good soup. You can check out all of our soup recipes HERE, there are a lot:) Today, we are sharing a recipe for Easy Minestrone Soup. I am excited to share this easy, health…
Classic Minestrone Soup If you read our blog regularly, you know I LOVE a good soup. You can check out all of our soup recipes HERE, there are a lot:) Today, we are sharing a recipe for Easy Minestrone Soup. I am excited to share this easy, healthy, and comforting minestrone soup recipe because it is…
The idea for this pasta floated into my brain one day: sweet roasted butternut squash tossed with pasta and a garlicky white sauce. After a few rounds of testing, I knew I had something incredible to share. This is my favorite fall and winter pasta yet…
The idea for this pasta floated into my brain one day: sweet roasted butternut squash tossed with pasta and a garlicky white sauce. After a few rounds of testing, I knew I had something incredible to share. This is my favorite fall and winter pasta yet!
Squash is halved and roasted until caramelized with the skin for ease. The sauce requires just 5 pantry staple ingredients. And when topped with (optional) shiitake bacon, the salty-sweet flavor combination takes it to the next level!
Taco night is a weekly occasion at our house. We don’t always do Taco Tuesday, but I promise Taco Thursday or Taco Saturday is just as fun and just as delicious. Tacos are good any day of the week. We love mixing up the tacos we have: steak, swee…
Taco night is a weekly occasion at our house. We don’t always do Taco Tuesday, but I promise Taco Thursday or Taco Saturday is just as fun and just as delicious. Tacos are good any day of the week. We love mixing up the tacos we have: steak, sweet potato, shrimp, chicken, cauliflower, and more.…