Did you know that you might have easy ingredients for marinating your chicken right in your fridge? Milk is actually a fantastic marinade. It helps tenderize chicken and creates a juiciness to your meat. This recipe marinades the chicken for delicious flavor, thread it onto skewers and grill it up. Make the sesame brittle for a crunch, and the yummy green sauce. This is popping with flavor and is such a good summer recipe.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Chicken Thigh Marinade

• Easy: I love an easy recipe that is made with just pantry staples. This marinade for chicken thighs is made with simple, easy ingredients and still packs so much flavor.
• Grilling Friendly: You can make these skewers on your BBQ for the summer or you can bake them in your oven if you don’t have access to a grill.
• Healthy: This recipe is packed with protein, and it’s good for you. You can also pair it with your fav grilled veggies, corn, or whatever sides you wish.

🍲 Ingredients

Chicken Thighs – Chicken thighs are cuts of dark meat that are so juicy and flavorful. I find thighs lend itself better to barbecuing and slow cooking because it just gets better as you cook it (where breast can easily dry out). Chicken thighs are also nutrient dense – they’re packed with nutrients like iron and zinc, and the best part is, they’re budget friendly!

Sesame Seeds – For this recipe I used white sesame seeds to make a crunchy sesame brittle. They are nutty, crunchy, and packed with benefits such as being a good source to healthy fats, protein, and fiber. They also are rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium, so much is packed into these tiny seeds.

Plain Greek Yogurt – For the creamy green sauce that adds a little kick (from the jalapenos) and flavor, the base is Greek yogurt which is good for you and packed with protein. Greek yogurt is a staple in my kitchen because there’s so much you can do with it – use it as a marinate, use it in place of sour cream or mayo, and just eat it on its own! It’s also great for your gut, and helps improve digestion.

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👩‍🍳 How to Make Chicken Thigh Marinade

Marinate the chicken

1. Add all of the chicken marinade ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together to combine. Add all of the chicken thigh pieces to the marinade, toss to fully coat and let sit for 30 minutes on the counter or 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Make the sesame brittle

1. Preheat the oven to 275F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. To a bowl add the sesame seeds, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder and mix until combined.  Spread on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes (or could take 25-30) or until crispy and golden brown. Set aside to cool.

For the creamy green sauce

1. To a small frying pan over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
2. To a food processor, add the garlic and jalapeno and pulse a few times until you have fine pieces.
3. Next add the toasted cumin seeds, cilantro, parsley, chili flakes and salt. Pulse until everything is finely chopped. On low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or chili flakes for more heat.
4. Let the green sauce sit in the refrigerator.

Grill the chicken

1. Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers, allowing any excess marinade to drip off, dividing evenly between the skewers.
2. On the outdoor grill -Heat the grill to medium-high heat, about 400F.Oil the grill well and when heated, place the skewers on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked through (internal temperature reached 165F) and well browned.Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. On the grill pan / oven -Preheat the oven to 375F.When the oven is preheated, heat the grill pan to medium-high heat. Oil the grill pan well and when heated, place the skewers on the grill and cook 4-5 minutes, flip, and cook 4-5 more minutes (you may have to do these in batches). Place on a baking sheet to finish cooking in the oven, until cooked through (internal temperature reached 165F).

Assemble the dish

1. Once the chicken has rested, mix together the green herby sauce with the Greek yogurt. Spread the sauce on a platter and then place the chicken skewers on top. Garnish by breaking up pieces of sesame brittle and placing them on top and beside the skewers, add fresh herbs and enjoy.

🗒 Tips and Tricks

• Soaking: Allow your chicken breasts to soak in the marinade for at least 30 minutes. You can easily prep the chicken in advance and leave it in your fridge until it’s time to grill.
• Try Buttermilk: Any milk works for this recipe but buttermilk can be an extra nice addition for an extra tang to your chicken thighs.
• Season: You don’t just want to use only milk to soak your chicken, make sure you don’t skip on the other seasonings to really make your chicken full of flavor.
• Pat Dry: After soaking, remove the chicken breasts from the milk and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. This helps achieve a better sear if you’re pan-frying or grilling, and promotes even browning.

🗒 Variations

If you like this Chicken Thigh Marinade, try one of my other marinades:

• Greek Chicken Marinade
• Greek Yogurt Marinade

🗒 Substitutions

• Chicken: Swap the chicken thighs for chicken breasts if you prefer white meat over dark.
• Seasoning: Use whatever herbs and seasonings you want in the marinade.
• Milk: For this recipe I used regular milk but you can use plant-based milks, cream, or even buttermilk.
• Jalapeno: If you don’t like spice, you can use less jalapenos or you can eliminate them all together and just have a herb-based sauce.

🗒 Best served with

• Grilled Corn & Avocado Pasta Salad
• Grilled Peach & Orzo Salad
• Grilled Romaine Salad

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover chicken thighs in the fridge for up to 4 days. These are great cut up and used in salads or bowls. The green sauce will also store well in your fridge for up to 4-5 days and can be drizzled or spread over just about anything. It’s so good and flavorful!

🤔 Common Questions

Milk Soaked Chicken Thigh Marinade

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This milk soaked Chicken Thigh Marinade keeps your chicken so tender and juicy. This is a great summer recipe for BBQ season.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Marinating time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Mail Dish or Side

Cuisine Greek-Inspired

Servings 4 -6 people

Calories 703 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the chicken skewers

• 2 lbs (900 grams) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in strips length-wise
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp fresh minced cilantro
• 2 tbsp fresh minced basil
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground pepper
• 4 garlic cloves pressed
• ¼ cup tahini
• 10-12 small (6 inch) skewers

For the sesame brittle

• ¾ cup white sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp liquid honey
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

For the creamy green sauce

• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ lightly packed cup cilantro
• ½ lightly packed cup fresh parsley
• 3 jalapenos seeded and coarsely chopped
• ¼ tsp chili flakes
• 4 small garlic cloves smashed
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt

Garnishes

• Fresh Cilantro and basil for garnish

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Instructions

 

Marinate the chicken

• Marinate the chicken: Add all of the chicken marinade ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together to combine. Add all of the chicken thigh pieces to the marinade, toss to fully coat and let sit for 30 minutes on the counter or 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Make the sesame brittle

• Preheat the oven to 275F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. To a bowl add the sesame seeds, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder and mix until combined.  Spread on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes (or could take 25-30) or until crispy and golden brown. Set aside to cool.

For the creamy green sauce

• To a small frying pan over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
• To a food processor, add the garlic and jalapeno and pulse a few times until you have fine pieces.
• Next add the toasted cumin seeds, cilantro, parsley, chili flakes and salt. Pulse until everything is finely chopped. On low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or chili flakes for more heat.
• Let the green sauce sit in the refrigerator.

Grill the chicken

• Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers, allowing any excess marinade to drip off, dividing evenly between the skewers.
• On the outdoor grill –

  Heat the grill to medium-high heat, about 400F.

  Oil the grill well and when heated, place the skewers on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked through (internal temperature reached 165F) and well browned.

  Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
• On the grill pan / oven –

  Preheat the oven to 375F.

  When the oven is preheated, heat the grill pan to medium-high heat. Oil the grill pan well and when heated, place the skewers on the grill and cook 4-5 minutes, flip, and cook 4-5 more minutes (you may have to do these in batches). Place on a baking sheet to finish cooking in the oven, until cooked through (internal temperature reached 165F).

Assemble the dish

• Break the sesame brittle into pieces.
• Once Bthe chicken has rested, mix together the green herby sauce with the Greek yogurt and spread the sauce on a platter.
• Then place the chicken skewers on top. Garnish with pieces of sesame brittle on top and beside the skewers, add fresh herbs and enjoy.

Notes

• This is a great appetizer for sharing! Serve with our Fluffy Greek Pita Bread Recipe
• If you love this chicken marinade, try our Chicken Souvlaki or our Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade

Nutrition

Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 48.7g | Fat: 39.5g | Saturated Fat: 7.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19.9g | Cholesterol: 151.9mg | Sodium: 1003.1mg | Fiber: 4.7g | Sugar: 13.8g

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