Although some may think this is in bad form, hosting friends is when I love to try out new recipes. Luckily, I get more hits than misses, but it’s always fun to experiment with friends who are up for the adventure.

So when we recently hosted a bunch of friends at our house for the weekend, I decided to try this Grilled Zaatar Chicken recipe. I love a good prep ahead recipe (and a good On the Grill recipe!) so that I can get a bunch of things done ahead of time, and this Grilled Zaatar Chicken tastes best when allowed to marinate overnight.

If you’re unfamiliar with za’atar, it is a Middle Eastern spice blend. The ingredients in the blend can vary, but the blend I used, Pereg Za’atar (paid link), contains quinoa flour, coriander, olive oil, hyssop (a mint-like herb that has a slight bitterness to it), parsley, salt, and sour salt.

Ingredients (makes 4-6 servings):

Marinade:

1/2 cup whole plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped
6 garlic cloves, pressed (paid link) or minced
the zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons za’atar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2-3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Yogurt Dip:

1/2 whole plain Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, pressed (paid link)
the juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon za’atar (I used Pereg Za’atar – paid link)
salt and pepper, to taste

Other, for serving:

olive oil
the juice of 1 lemon

To make the grilled zaatar chicken, first, make your marinade. Add the Greek yogurt, cilantro leaves, oregano leaves, pressed garlic cloves, lemon zest, za’atar, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a large bowl.

Stir to combine. Reserve the zested lemon for your yogurt dip.

Add the chicken and stir to coat evenly in the yogurt mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, heat your grill to medium-high. Add the chicken to the grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is slightly charred and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (using a thermometer is helpful here – paid link.)

Remove the chicken from the grill and set aside.

In a small serving bowl, combine the yogurt dip ingredients (Greek yogurt, pressed garlic clove, lemon juice, za’atar, salt, and pepper.)

Before serving, drizzle the chicken with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

Serve with grilled pita, rice, or grilled vegetables.

The flavor of the lemony za’atar herb yogurt marinade is absolutely delicious! It has nicely well-balanced flavor, and the extra fresh lemon juice at the end before serving keeps it nice and bright.

I strongly suggest not skipping making the yogurt dip as well. Despite its simplicity, it is the perfect addition to the chicken!