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Chicken With Spring Onions, Chilli and Greek Yogurt

by . Featured in HOW TO EAT
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Introduction

The sauce borrows from the idea of tsatsiki and all those Middle-Eastern yogurt salads — it is a cool, pungent accompaniment to the tender, but not strongly flavoured, chicken.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

The sauce borrows from the idea of tsatsiki and all those Middle-Eastern yogurt salads — it is a cool, pungent accompaniment to the tender, but not strongly flavoured, chicken.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Chicken With Spring Onions, Chilli and Greek Yogurt
Photo by Lis Parsons

Ingredients

Serves: 4-6

Metric Cups
  • 6 skinless chicken breasts
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 75 millilitres olive oil
  • 500 grams Greek yoghurt
  • 6 thin spring onions (or 4 fat ones)
  • 1 fresh green chilli
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cucumber (peeled and cut into cubes)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
  • 3 tablespoons chopped mint
  • 6 skinless chicken breasts
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups Greek yoghurt
  • 6 thin scallions (or 4 fat ones)
  • 1 fresh green chile
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cucumber (peeled and cut into cubes)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons chopped mint

Method

  1. Open out each chicken breast, and cut into about 3 lengthways so that you have thinner, smaller pieces. Put them into a freezer bag, or dish, with the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of oil, and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, get on with the sauce.
  2. Tip the yogurt into a large mixing bowl and, letting everything drop on top of it, slice the spring onions finely and deseed and chop the chilli finely, too.
  3. Peel and mince the garlic into the yogurt and also add the peeled cubed cucumber and most of the freshly chopped coriander and mint, reserving a little to sprinkle on top later.
  4. Mix all these ingredients together, and taste for seasoning; I like to add a fair bit of salt. Pour the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil into a large pan to heat up.
  5. Take the chicken out of the marinade and fry for 3-5 minutes a side or until golden outside in parts, and wholly cooked through. At the last minute, tip in about half of the lemony marinade to add sharpness and gloss.
  6. Remove the chicken pieces to a serving dish, and scrape the yogurt mixture into bowl, with a spoon to dollop, and sprinkle with the remaining chopped herbs.
  1. Open out each chicken breast, and cut into about 3 lengthways so that you have thinner, smaller pieces. Put them into a freezer bag, or dish, with the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of oil, and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, get on with the sauce.
  2. Tip the yogurt into a large mixing bowl and, letting everything drop on top of it, slice the scallions finely and deseed and chop the chilli finely, too.
  3. Peel and mince the garlic into the yogurt and also add the peeled cubed cucumber and most of the freshly chopped coriander and mint, reserving a little to sprinkle on top later.
  4. Mix all these ingredients together, and taste for seasoning; I like to add a fair bit of salt. Pour the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil into a large pan to heat up.
  5. Take the chicken out of the marinade and fry for 3-5 minutes a side or until golden outside in parts, and wholly cooked through. At the last minute, tip in about half of the lemony marinade to add sharpness and gloss.
  6. Remove the chicken pieces to a serving dish, and scrape the yogurt mixture into bowl, with a spoon to dollop, and sprinkle with the remaining chopped herbs.

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the sauce and chicken separately. The sauce may become thinner as it stands. Eat cold.

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the sauce and chicken separately. The sauce may become thinner as it stands. Eat cold.

Tell us what you think

What 12 Others have said

  • Hi Nigella and Team, thank you so much for posting this. As I had all the ingredients either in the freezer or the garden I could make this in the heatwave, cooking the chicken outside. Really tasty, will make again. (I can make tzatziki now - yeah!)

    Posted by klook on 26th June 2019
  • Just made this dish which went down a treat with all the guests. The yoghurt did need, as Nigella suggests, a lot of sea salt and this did make a positive difference. I would advise tasting every time some seasoning is added. Great dish!

    Posted by Keithesh on 25th June 2019
  • I don’t usually eat Greek but this was doable and delicious. My partner and friend couldn’t stop complimenting!

    Posted by Min728 on 9th April 2019
  • Really Yummy, everyone loved it with green salad and flatbreads!

    Posted by Heney on 19th June 2018
  • Just made this with chicken thigh fillets for dinner and it was really delicious. Nigella is the master of recipes that are so much more than the sum of their parts - and this is certainly one of those. Did equal quantities of mint, coriander and dill in the sauce - as per a slight variation in one of my Nigella books. Husband and children all enjoyed (quite an achievement!). Served with home made flatbreads and Imam Biyildi. Will definitely be making this one again :-)

    Posted by VerbenaGirl on 31st August 2015
  • Loved it! Easy and delicious!

    Posted by maria_057 on 27th April 2014
  • Totally DELICIOUS! Prepared this for dinner this evening and everyone loved it - the sauce/dip was divine! Quantity of sauce to chicken was excessive but that just leaves more for another use - keeping this one!

    Posted by twittrock on 28th March 2014
  • Just made this for guests coming over this evening. Some nibble food. Had a sneaky taste and its gorgeous. So simple and easy to make. Tastes so healthy and fresh.

    Posted by sammym5 on 8th December 2012
  • Oh oh oh... looks soooo yummy!

    Posted by on 8th November 2012
  • Oh this looks delicious and so easy and quick to make!

    Posted by manuciao20 on 8th November 2012
  • i love it.....its excellent to make this as a pre dinner snack:) love u

    Posted by ishitarishi on 26th April 2012
  • Mmmmm, I bet this would be lovely served with some couscous with mint, spring onion, baby spinach, feta and pomegranate forked through. Might have to be tried tonight!

    Posted by nicola_b85 on 5th January 2012
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