Garlic and yogurt marinade (for chicken, pork or lamb)

Portion size: Serves 4-6 (makes about 250ml)
Prep time 10 min
Difficulty: easy

Gluten-free

Vegetarian

Emily Gussin

Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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Treat chicken, pork or lamb to this rich and creamy triple-garlic marinade. All you need is 10 minutes prep time, then this marinade can keep in the fridge for up to a week, ready to give a garlicky, zesty lift to your meat dishes.

Why it’s so good: Fresh, smoked and powdered garlic make this yogurt marinade a triple threat. Balanced with lemon zest and cumin, it’s a real crowdpleaser.
Versatile marinade: The garlic marinade works best with chicken, fish, pork loin, lamb, cabbage, cauliflower and root vegetables.
Make ahead: Keep the marinade for up to a week in a sealed container in the fridge.

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Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 smoked garlic cloves, crushed (see Easy Swaps)
1 tsp garlic powder or granules
¼ tsp ground cumin
Finely grated zest ½ lemon
200g full-fat greek yogurt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

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Method

Whisk together all the ingredients in a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper (see Make ahead).
Season what you’re marinating with salt and pepper first, then coat in the marinade for at least 30 minutes before cooking, but ideally 6-24 hours in the fridge. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before grilling.

Nutrition

80kcals Calories
6.5g Fat
3.5g Protein
1.7g (1.3g sugars) Carbs
trace Fibre
0.1g Salt

Quick wins & tips

Easy swaps: If you can’t find fresh smoked garlic, use 1 tsp smoked garlic granules.

Cook smarter

Yogurt marinates more gently than citrus or vinegar. This is ideal for chicken and more delicate cuts, as the yogurt tenderises slowly, leaving the meat juicy and easy to pull apart. Hence it’s best left on for 12-24 hours (but it will still have an effect after an hour).

Once cooked, the marinade forms a crisp outer and soft inner coating. With barbecued chicken, it keeps the meat juicy and creates a charred exterior.