Grilled Chicken with Yogurt Sauce
Submitted by donkaminski
Grilled chicken breast marinated in garlic-yogurt with lemon and mint, then grilled and served with the boiled marinade thickened into a warm sauce. A Mediterranean-style dinner ready in about 2 hours.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
2 hrsCOOK
20 minREADY
2 hrsThe smart move in this grilled chicken recipe is what happens to the marinade after the chicken comes off the grill.
A paste of garlic crushed with salt in a mortar and pestle forms the backbone of the yogurt marinade, which the chicken sits in for 1 to 2 hours with lemon juice, olive oil, mint, and black pepper. When the chicken goes on the grill, that marinade goes into a saucepan. Bring it to a full boil, cook it for a minute, then thicken it with cornstarch dissolved in cold water. You end up with a warm, tangy yogurt sauce that spooned over each serving ties the whole dish together.
The chicken cooks 5 to 7 minutes per side over medium heat. You’re looking for thorough doneness rather than a char, so the yogurt coating can set rather than burn.
Kitchen Tips
- Crushing garlic with salt in a mortar and pestle gives a smoother, more evenly distributed paste than mincing alone.
- Make sure the marinade reaches a full boil before adding cornstarch. This destroys any bacteria from the raw chicken and ensures a clean-tasting sauce.
- Dried mint flakes work well here. Fresh mint can be substituted but use twice the amount.
Ingredients
Directions
Put chicken breasts in a single layer in a shallow glass baking dish .
Pour lemon juice over chicken.
Turn chicken twice to coat it well.
Use a mortar and pestle to crush garlic and salt to form a smooth paste.
In a separate bowl, whisk together garlic paste, yogurt, olive oil, mint and black pepper.
Pour yogurt mixture over chicken, turning chicken twice to coat it with the marinade.
Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.
When ready to grill, remove chicken pieces from marinade; reserve marinade.
Grill chicken over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes on each side (depending on thickness) until thoroughly cooked.
While chicken is grilling, transfer marinade to a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a full boil.
Boil for 1 minute.
Remove pan from heat.
Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon cold water and stir it into the sauce.
Return pan to stove and cook for 1 minute over medium heat, stirring constantly, to thicken sauce.
Serve chicken hot, with warm yogurt sauce spooned over each serving.
Comments
Followed the ingredients and directions exactly, and the result was fantastic, the chicken breasts were just cooked well, very juicy, yogurt sauce definitely enhanced the good flavor, definitely will make it again.