This Stovetop Chicken with Yogurt Sauce is a weeknight winner!
Trimona provided me with samples of the company’s yogurt and will provide the winner of the giveaway with a case of 6 ounce containers of the yogurt. All view expressed in the post are solely my own.
When I was a kid, the only kind of yogurt I liked was flavored. But as a grown-up, I’ve learned to savor the taste of plain yogurt. Whether I mix it into a smoothie or add fruit and granola to yogurt for breakfast, I like the taste of the yogurt to shine through. Even if I add a dollop of jam, a slug of maple syrup, or a sprinkle or raw sugar to sweeten it, the quality of the yogurt matters.
Each brand of yogurt tastes different, even when they use the same, simple ingredients with no additives. Go ahead and try a spoonful of several brands of yogurt – you’ll see what I mean. Although I love homemade yogurt (and make it when I get the chance), I’m also a connoisseur of commercial brands.
When my friend Aviva of the Six O’Clock Scramble recommended Trimona yogurt (she has great taste in many things, including food), I agreed to try it. Made from the milk of grass fed cows and without any thickeners, yogurt has a distinctive, tangy flavor that kept me coming back for more. I ate it plain, tried it in various breakfast combinations and finally used it to make a chicken dish that was simply delightful. Trimona is a small company with a commitment to quality. My positive impression of the company grew when I found out that its founder, Atanas Valev, began by making batches of yogurt in his kitchen and asking his wife to taste them. If you are interesting in trying Trimona to find out where it is sold in your area, check the company’s site.
Trimona is offering one of my readers a case of 6 oz. containers of the company’s yogurt (retail value approximately $30) to see for yourself how special it is. For giveaway details, see the bottom of this post.
But first, here is the chicken recipe, adapted from Atanas’ version. Unlike most yogurt-marinated chicken recipes, you cook the chicken in this marinade. (By contrast, you scrape off the marinade before cooking tandoori chicken.) My taste-tester-in-chief gave this chicken dish a “two thumbs up,” as did I.
Stovetop Chicken in Yogurt Sauce
Servings – 4 Cost – $8-10
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup very finely diced or puréed cucumber
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried dill)
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup of Trimona Bulgarian yogurt
- 6 boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (not pictured)
Equipment
- 2 cutting boards (1 for vegetables & 1 for chicken)
- Knife
- Bowl
- Garlic press (optional)
- Mini food processor (optional)
- Large pan
- Large spoon
Preparation
- Dice or puree the cucumber, chop the dill and grate or mince the garlic. Put the vegetables in a bowl, add the yogurt and mix the ingredients together until fully combined.
- Cut the chicken thighs and marinate the cubes in the yogurt and vegetable mixture, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and as long as overnight.
- When ready to cook the chicken, heat the pan, add the coconut oil and wait until it is heated before adding the chicken. Cook the chicken cubes on medium-high heat until they are fully cooked all the way through. (Thigh meat remains slightly dark in the middle even when fully cooked inside because thighs are dark meat. However, no pink or raw meat should be visible when you cut open a cube.) The sauce turns dark, almost reddish, and will coat the cubes but much of it will cook off.
Serve with fresh yogurt for dipping, and spinach and rice as a side dish. (There is a recipe for spinach and rice dish on the Trimona site. I used one from Gourmet magazine on Epicurious.)
And here’s the giveaway (open to US residents only with a mailing address – no PO Boxes please – over 18 years of age):
tara pittman says
I love yogurt in my smoothie or with cereal
motherwouldknow says
Tara, I love yogurt both those ways.
Andrea Stone says
I like it with flaxseed
motherwouldknow says
Andrea – Flaxseed? Never thought of doing that combo. How interesting. For health reasons or does it taste good?
Sandra Meaders says
I like it with fruit.
motherwouldknow says
Sandra, Yogurt and fruit is such a simple, and wonderful combination.
Sharyl Wolter says
I like yogurt for baking – in cakes mostly.
motherwouldknow says
Sharyl, I do love yogurt in cakes. Mostly as a substitute for sour cream, though I do have one chocolate cake recipe that calls for yogurt.
brittany koelmel says
I love to use yogurt in dressings and to bake chicken with!
motherwouldknow says
Brittany, Yogurt dressings are great, both sweet and savory. And of course with chicken:)
Nikki says
I like to use it in baking instead of sour cream
motherwouldknow says
Nikki, Yogurt does so well as a substitute for sour cream.
Lori Williams says
I love to substitute yogurt for sour cream, milk & mayo in cooking. I also really love using yogurt when I make my hubbies breakfast bowl of oatmeal, fruit, cinnamon, nuts, almond milk and a dollop of yogurt!!
motherwouldknow says
Lori,
I’m with you on eating – and serving – yogurt for breakfast. And also substituting it for other dairy products in cooking – and for mayo too, which actually isn’t a milk-based dairy product.
Meghan Finley says
In a smoothie
motherwouldknow says
Yogurt smoothies are wonderful!
Crafts Onthego says
I use in when baking banana nut muffins
motherwouldknow says
What a great idea! My banana bread recipe uses eggs but no dairy. I’ll have to try adding yogurt.
David says
I almost always eat it plain right off the spoon. I know there are some frostings that we incorporate yogurt into, but I am not thew one who does it.
motherwouldknow says
David, I’m with you on eating yogurt "as is." It’s such a great breakfast or snack.
Dandi D says
I like to eat yogurt plain or in smoothies.
Atanas Valev says
It’s so nice to see all these comments of how yogurt could be consumed.
Thank you Laura, wonderful photos!
TAMARA says
I USE YOGURT INSTEAD OF SOUR CREAM IN MY CASSEROLE DISHES.
Annette says
My favorite way to use yogurt is on my face! A friend turned me onto a yogurt mask (with honey and ground raw oatmeal) and wow I was shocked. I only tried it to tell her it didn’t work. But boy did it ever work. My second favorite way to use yogurt is with honey.
Aviva Goldfarb says
I love Trimona yogurt, so tart and creamy. I use yogurt in my eggs and quiches to make them light and fluffy.
MotorCityMich says
I like to eat it with fresh fruit!
Dee Dee says
This look fantastic. I am addicted to using Greek yogurt in just about everything these days, so this is a great one to add to my recipe arsenal. Thanks!
Kiano says
Just a few months I had yogurt with a savory dinner dish. It was actually with a tikka masala. Instantly I loved it, and have been eagerly looking for more savory pairings for yogurt. This chicken would be so good in tons of dishes!
Dionne Baldwin says
I like the idea of soaking the chicken in the mixture. Inhope I can give this one a try.
Valerie Hoff says
I’ve never tried this yogurt but the recipes looks delicious! Yum!
Susan // the wimpy vegetarian says
I always marinate chicken with yogurt before cooking – it’s such a great tenderizer and moisturizer! I love how your yogurt sauce sounds, Laura, and I’ll keep my eyes open for Trimona Bulgarian yogurt!
motherwouldknow says
Susan, I know that tandoori cooking uses yogurt to tenderize, but I’d never done it myself. Truly wonderful. By the way, if you check the Trimona website, they have a list of stores where the yogurt is sold – it’s quite unusual (and delicious) tasting.
Lucy says
I love the combination of dill and yogurt! This chicken looks absolutely luscious. I used to get the most amazing thick homemade Greek yogurt from this place in Soho in NYC, but it closed. Oh, how I miss it!
Laura says
Thanks for stopping by Lucy. Sorry you can’t get your favorite yogurt anymore, but I’ll bet you could make a version just as good yourself – try using my blogpost on making your own yogurt:)