Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Halves

A chicken recipe that is anything but boring yet requires very little effort. The secret to this incredibly juicy and tasty roast chicken is the yogurt marinade. Mixed with salt and water and poured over chicken overnight, it tenderizes the meat, makes it moist and juicy, and adds a salty tartness to it.

Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Halves

Recipe by Anna BembryCourse: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Simple
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

45

minutes
Resting time

6-8

hours

Simply scrumptious! Roast chicken halves in a yogurt marinade.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plain full-fat yogurt

  • 3 tablespoons salt

  • 4 chicken halves (or 2 chickens, backbones removed, cut in half through the breastbone)

Method

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, salt, and 1 cup of water. Place chicken halves in a gallon-size resealable bag and pour the yogurt mixture over. Seal, pressing out all air, and toss to coat chicken well. Chill overnight or for up to 2 days.
  • When ready to roast, remove chicken from the fridge and let warm slightly while you heat the oven to 400 F / 200 C. Remove chicken from the bag, shake off any excess yogurt, and arrange, skin side up, in a single layer on a sheet pan.
  • Roast the chicken in the top third of the oven, rotating the pan halfway through cooking, until the skin is golden brown and crisp, 35 – 45 minutes. Let the chicken halves rest on the pan for at least 15 minutes and up to 30. Serve on a cutting board with a sharp knife, or cut into quarters and transfer to a serving platter.

Notes

  • For this particular recipe, chicken halves are easier to handle than whole birds. Simply remove the backbone with kitchen shears, then divide the bird through the breast.

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