Discover the Magical Fridge Ingredient That Makes Chicken Ultra Tender!

Like magic, this simple trick transforms overly dry chicken into delightfully juicy poultry! Our Sunday magic-maker, Sneji, swears by her marinade’s enchanting effects. Better known on social media as The Modern Nonna, she’s discovered a little trick for perfectly tender meat. On her blog, Sneji shows us how it’s done. No magic dust needed: the miraculous ingredient is probably already in your refrigerator. Here’s a hint: our chef of the day was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria. So, to prepare her chicken, she uses a product for which her country is famous…

It’s plain yogurt! To make chicken juicy and tender, she always rubs the meat with this ingredient, then lets it rest in the fridge for at least an hour. The culinary enthusiast explains: “Truthfully, yogurt isn’t really a secret in Bulgaria. Countries like India and many other regions around the world have long used yogurt to tenderize and marinate meats and other dishes”. For her, it’s even the “ultimate tenderizer…” Imagine that! “Although many cultures use yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise, or buttermilk to soften meat, many are unaware of the magic these ingredients can bring to marinades”, she laments.

To make your chicken both juicy and tender, you will need chicken thighs, plain yogurt, lemons, garlic, and olive oil. Here are the recommended amounts:

• 8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• ¼ cup of plain yogurt (Bulgarian or otherwise), about one or two tablespoons
• ½ tablespoon of dried oregano
• 2 lemons
• 6 cloves of unpeeled garlic

1. Place your chicken thighs in a baking dish, and coat them with olive oil. Then massage the yogurt onto the chicken by hand. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.

2. Add the juice of 2 lemons and also place the squeezed lemon pieces in the dish. Arrange the garlic cloves among the thighs. Massage everything well to evenly distribute the spices.

3. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or even overnight. “If you don’t let it marinate for an hour, it will still be delicious, but less tender”, Sneji adds.

4. Preheat the oven to 392°F. Cook uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the thighs.

To check if the chicken is done, Sneji recommends inserting a cooking thermometer into the thickest part of the piece. The ideal temperature? 165°F. “To make the skin even crispier, you can broil the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes, but watch it very closely,” the Bulgarian chef also advises. The result? A beautifully golden exterior and supremely tender interior when you slice into it.