Grilled Za’atar Chicken with Garlic Yogurt and Cilantro

When I saw this recipe on the NYT Cooking app, I knew I needed to give it a go in the Delaney Test Kitchen. Turns out I was absolutely right. This dinner was awesome!  SO yummy. No leftovers. My son even went back for seconds before I was done eating.

And this is absolutely a 30 minute meal – the catch is that the chicken needs to marinate a bit. You could prep it a day before and let it marinate in the fridge overnight. I prepped it (which did not take long at all) when we got home from our soccer game, and  let it marinate for an hour before cooking (vs the 2 hours recommended in the recipe) and it was still great.  I also know that my family doesn’t love chicken thighs (which the recipe calls for), so I used thin chicken breasts and they cooked perfectly and in the same amount of time on the grill.

I served them with a nice salad of everything from the farmers’ market – fresh arugula, radishes, cucumber, and heirloom tomatoes with a light oil and vinegar dressing. It was perfect – and so easy. Alternatively, I'd also suggest a quick pickled cucumber and tomato salad as a great side dish for this. Enjoy!
 
Grilled Za’atar Chicken with Garlic Yogurt and Cilantro
 
INGREDIENTS:
 

• 6 garlic cloves, finely grated, pressed, or minced
• 2 lemons, zested
• 1 Cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• ¼ Cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more sprigs for garnish
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1½ Tbsp za’atar, plus more for serving
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or marjoram, plus more sprigs for garnish
• 1¾ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

 
PREPARATION:

Step 1:
In a large bowl or container, stir together 5 of the grated garlic cloves, half the lemon zest, ⅓ cup yogurt, the cilantro, oil, za’atar, oregano or marjoram, salt and black pepper. Add chicken and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Step 2:
When ready to cook, light the grill to medium or heat your broiler with the rack 3 inches from the heat source. Remove chicken from bowl, shaking off any excess marinade, and grill or broil on one side until charred in spots, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and grill or broil for another 5 to 8 minutes, until just cooked through.

Step 3: While the chicken is cooking, place remaining ⅔ cup yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserve grated garlic clove and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut one zested lemon in half and set aside for serving (save the other zested lemon for another use).

Step 4 :
To serve, place chicken on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and a large squeeze of the zested lemon. Top with cilantro and oregano or marjoram sprigs and serve with yogurt sauce.

TIP

• If you’re broiling instead of grilling, you can line your sheet pan with foil for easier clean up. Don’t use parchment paper, it may burn.