• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

  • New? Start Here
  • Contact

Sweet Peas and Saffron

meal prep recipes for busy people

  • All Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Sides
      • Salad
      • Soups & Stews
      • Drinks
    • Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Instant Pot
      • Slow Cooker
      • Grill
      • One Pot Meals
    • Diet
      • Dairy-Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Carb
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Nut Free
    • Protein
      • Beans
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Lentils
      • Seafood
      • Pork
    • Recipe Index
  • Air Fryer
  • Instant Pot
  • Shop
    • Shop Meal Plans
    • Shop Favorites
  • Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

    Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Home Meal Type 30 Minutes
5
/5
25 minutes minutes

Greek Yogurt Chicken with Saffron and Garlic

Gluten Free Gluten Free Low Carb Low Carb Nut Free Nut Free Meal Prep Meal Prep
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard14 Comments
Posted: 5/10/16 Updated: 9/10/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This Greek yogurt chicken recipe is simple to prepare, perfectly juicy, and infused with delicious saffron, lemon and garlic flavors. Cook it on the grill or in the oven.

Yogurt is one of my favorite ingredients to use in a chicken marinade, as it tenderizes the chicken and infuses with so much flavor at the same time. This curry yogurt chicken marinade is often on the menu, but when we want something a little bit special, we whip out this greek yogurt chicken with saffron and garlic.

spooning saffron yogurt sauce over chicken

Infused with delicate saffron flavors that are complimented by lemon and garlic, this chicken marinade is simple to prepare and delivers big on flavors.

Serve it with a batch of perfect, fluffy rice and grilled broccoli for a delicious, healthy dinner.

Reasons you'll ♡ Greek yogurt chicken with saffron

  • you need a handful of ingredients and just 10 minutes to prep it
  • the marinade doubles as sauce you can spoon over veggies and rice
  • the chicken is tender and juicy, and infused with beautiful flavor

sliced greek yogurt chicken with saffron sauce spooned over top

What is saffron?

Saffron threads are the dried stigmas from crocus sativus, a flower that is grown in Iran, Greece, Morocco and India (1). Saffron is the world's most expensive spice, but don't let that deter you from cooking with it; a little goes a long way! Adding a pinch of saffron threads to this marinade is sufficient to infuse the chicken with a ton of flavor.

It's extremely difficult to describe the flavor of saffron; some say it is floral, but also that it has a slightly pungent flavor. Once you taste saffron, you will understand why the flavor is so difficult to describe!

Do not buy cheap saffron- I myself have been tricked into this in the past and was disappointed to find out it was not actually saffron at all. Purchase a brand you know! I use McKormick brand.

Simple ingredients for great flavor

Yogurt is the perfect base for this marinade and serves two purposes: to diffuse the spice flavors, and to tenderize the chicken. Since yogurt is acidic, it helps break down structural proteins within the chicken breast, helping it absorb more liquid.

In addition to yogurt, we are adding saffron, garlic and lemon zest to add flavor depth and dimension, lemon juice for extra tangy flavor and salt to enhance all the flavors.

How to marinate your chicken

The best way to get complete coverage of your greek yogurt chicken with the marinade is to use a bag; meal prep containers or bowls just done have the same surface coverage.

Over the years, I’ve phased out plastic bags in favor of reusable silicone bags. Here are my faves:

  • use the sandwich Stasher bags for 1 lb (2 chicken breasts)
  • use the ½ gallon Stasher bags for 2 lbs (4 chicken breasts)

*even after freezing this yogurt curry chicken marinade, the stasher bags washed clean and did not stain with the marinade!

Plan for at least 2 hours

My research tells me that yogurt can have a tenderizing effect on chicken in as little as 15 minutes, but for the full flavor effect, I recommend marinating for at least 2 hours.

On the other hand, I do not recommend marinating chicken breast for longer than 24 hours as marinade ingredients can sometimes make the chicken mealy in texture.

A note about freezing

Yogurt does not maintain it’s creamy texture after freezing and will break into small flakes. With that being said, the yogurt still does an amazing job at tenderizing the chicken and infusing the marinade flavors into it, so we simply scrape the flakes off and enjoy.

Coconut yogurt freeze/thaws great, and may work in place of the dairy yogurt, however I have not tested this yet.

overhead view of saffron chicken on cutting board with lemon slices

Cooking your chicken

This greek yogurt chicken recipe is written to bake in the oven, however you can cook it using any number or methods:

  • oven– Cook uncovered in a baking dish at 425°F for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through
  • grill– I recommend pounding the chicken flat before marinating to ensure it cooks through evenly. See my perfect grilled chicken breast recipe for full details.
  • frying pan– here’s a good tutorial
  • air fryer– again I do recommend pounding the chicken before marinating. We cook 4 minutes + 2 minutes (flipping half way). Full details here.

For pounded chicken, I make sure it cooks to 155°F before allowing to rest (carryover cooking helps it reach 165°F). For un-pounded chicken, cook to 165°F. Always allow chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing into it.

This is my favorite digital thermometer!

More tasty chicken marinades

  • 7 Freezer Chicken Marinades
  • 7 More Freezer Chicken Breast Marinades
  • Greek Chicken Marinade
  • Jamaican Jerk Marinade (shortcut)
  • Lemon Ginger Chicken Marinade

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

saffron garlic yogurt chicken sliced on parchment with spoon drizzling dressing

Greek Yogurt Chicken with Saffron and Garlic

5 from 1 vote
Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
Total Time: 25 minutes mins
Print Rate
This Greek yogurt chicken recipe is simple to prepare, perfectly juicy, and infused with delicious saffron, lemon and garlic flavors. Cook it on the grill or in the oven.
4

Ingredients

  • 1 pinch saffron threads
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice fresh
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts roughly 2 large breasts

Instructions 

  • In a small measuring cup or bowl, stir together the lemon juice and saffron threads. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  • Combine the lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper and yogurt in a medium bowl. Add the saffron/lemon juice and mix together.
  • *Remove ¼ cup of the yogurt and save to serve over chicken.
  • Add the chicken to the yogurt mixture and allow to sit for 2-24 hours to marinate.
  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • Place chicken in a shallow baking dish or lined baking sheet, discarding excess yogurt.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for 10-15 more minutes (15 minutes for large chicken breasts, 10 for smaller), or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the chicken reads 165°F.
  • Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving with reserved yogurt sauce.

Tips:

Storage
Store cooled chicken in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat
Reheat in a covered dish in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through.
Other cooking methods
  • grill– pound the chicken flat; marinate as directed. See my perfect grilled chicken breast recipe for full details/cook times for grilling.
  • air fryer– pound the chicken flat; marinate as directed. Cook at 390°F for 4 minutes + 2 minutes (flipping half way). Full details here.
 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/2 chicken breast (3.5 oz), Calories: 85kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 48mg
Author: Annie Holmes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did You Make This?Don't forget to leave a review below, and tag us on Instagram using @SweetPeasAndSaffron or #sweetpeasandsaffron
Tag Me On Instagram Rate Recipe

 

  • Share
  • Flipboard
  • Email

Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Read more...

You May Also Like...

  • Close up of sliced chicken with the honey garlic chicken marinade on it
    Honey Garlic Chicken Marinade (with sauce)
  • Sliced chicken with greek marinade on gray plate with a lemon slice
    Greek Chicken Marinade
  • Sliced curry yogurt chicken on a wood cutting board with lime slice
    Curry Yogurt Chicken Marinade (5 Ingredients)
  • Overhead shot glass meal prep containers filled with Greek chicken meal prep bowls
    Greek Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
pasta with asparagus leeks and white beans in blue bowl with a fork
Previous Post
One Pot White Bean Pasta with Leeks and Asparagus
overhead shot of four raspberry swirl meringue nests and fresh raspberries on gray counter
Next Post
Swirled Raspberry Meringue Nests

Reader Interactions

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe Rating




  1. Sam says

    Posted on 7/9/19 at Posted on 7/9/19

    Hi
    What might you suggest as a side dish?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 7/22/19 at Posted on 7/22/19

      Hi Sam, one of these 7 Rice Recipes might be good with it (coconut or maybe turmeric) https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/rice-recipes/
      Also some grilled naan bread would be nice. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Mary says

    Posted on 4/14/19 at Posted on 4/14/19

    This turned out weird and bland.

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 4/18/19 at Posted on 4/18/19

      Sorry you didn't enjoy 🙁

      Reply
  3. Eilia says

    Posted on 9/29/16 at Posted on 9/29/16

    I'm wondering if this would make a good pasta sauce - maybe add some grated parmesan and mix with shrimp or crab? What do you think?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 9/29/16 at Posted on 9/29/16

      Hi Eilia, funny you should ask! I was trying to make a saffron-greek yogurt pasta sauce about a year ago, but had so many problems preventing the sauce from breaking. I have seen others use Greek yogurt in alfredo so there must be a way to get it to stay smooth. I think the flavors would be great together!

      Reply
  4. Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says

    Posted on 5/11/16 at Posted on 5/11/16

    I don't think I've ever cooked with saffron before! I've always been of the mindset that it's too expensive haha Someday soon I'll experiment with it and this chicken will be what I make!

    Reply
  5. Helen @ Scrummy Lane says

    Posted on 5/11/16 at Posted on 5/11/16

    What a lovely idea, Denise! I really love cooking with Greek yoghurt - I find it unbelievably versatile, so I'm not surprised you were able to double purpose it in this recipe. 🙂

    Reply
  6. Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C says

    Posted on 5/11/16 at Posted on 5/11/16

    Haha! I'm cracking up about your son "springing a massive diaper leak." Ah, those were the days. And, I guess I'm a bit slow, because if you didn't point out that your blog name includes saffron, I totally would have missed that connection. 🙂 This chicken sounds so good and easy to prepare!

    Reply
  7. Ashley - The Recipe Rebel says

    Posted on 5/11/16 at Posted on 5/11/16

    I can't believe I've never tried cooking chicken in Greek yogurt before! I am obsesssssed with cooking chicken in milk because it's so juicy, and I bet Greek yogurt is just as amazing! Happy Mother's Day Denise! I've never been a fan of eating in my bed anyways... 😉

    Reply
  8. Medha says

    Posted on 5/10/16 at Posted on 5/10/16

    This saffron chicken is gorgeous! Love the Greek yogurt 🙂

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 5/10/16 at Posted on 5/10/16

      Thanks so much, Medha!

      Reply
  9. Rachel @ Bakerita says

    Posted on 5/10/16 at Posted on 5/10/16

    Haha, how sweet of Ben to make you waffles, but funny evacuation reason! This chicken looks SO incredibly flavorful and moist and delicious. When I was in elementary school, my best friend who also lives across the street from me was from Iran, and her mom always cooked with sooo much saffron and I LOVED it! They gave us a big old container one time after they got back from a trip to Iran and we had years of saffron-y food, but I haven't used it since then. I need to invest it some ASAP to try this!!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 5/10/16 at Posted on 5/10/16

      Oh that's so cool, I worked with a girl from Iran and she brought me some Iranian saffron...it was SO good! I need to use saffron more often. A little does go a long way. Thanks, Rachel!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

photo of annie meal prepping ingredients

Hi, I'm Annie

Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too! Read more ...

Meal Prep

Instant Pot

Air Fryer

Freezer Meals

Slow Cooker

Breakfast

Popular

overhead shot of sweet potatoes lined up with text showing number of minutes to cook each

PERFECT Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

overhead shot of 7 easy stir fry sauces on gray background

7 Easy Stir Fry Sauce Recipes

overhead shot of a variety of seven easy rice recipes with text description

7 Easy Rice Recipes (Stove Top & Rice Cooker)

5 minute asian salad dressing in a mason jar on gray background

5 Minute Asian Salad Dressing

Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Reader Faves

overhead shot of blue mason jar filled with crispy chickpeas

ULTRA Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas

a stack of fluffy protein pancakes with blueberries on top and syrup being drizzled over them

Perfect Fluffy Protein Pancakes (no banana!)

ingredients to make greek seasoning blend with labels on white background

Easy Greek Seasoning Blend

collage image that says 25 popular meal prep ideas

25 Most Popular Lunch Meal Prep Ideas

As seen on:

Wondering where to start?

Get my Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Join My Free Meal Prep Challenge!
  • Browse Recipes
    • Dinner
    • Lunch
    • Breakfast
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
    • Air Fryer
    • Instant Pot
    • Freezer
  • Meal Prep 101
    • Shop Meal Plans
    • Meal Prep Basics
    • Meal Prep Challenge
    • Quick Start Guide
Back to Top

Privacy Policy

Disclaimers

Contact

Accessibility

Causes

About

© 2025 Sweet Peas and Saffron
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Logo by Wooden Spoons

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.