Published by Best Fitness Routine. Editorial standards · Report a correction. Educational guidance; no individual clinical review is claimed unless a qualified reviewer is named.
About This Healthy Recipe
Cooking Greek yogurt chicken skewers in the oven gives small pieces of breast a lightly tangy coating without requiring a barbecue. This version serves the chicken with bulgur, a crisp cucumber-tomato salad and a separate lemon-yogurt sauce. The 30-minute refrigerated marination is included in the planning time.
The 90-minute planning total includes 35 minutes for preparation and assembly, 30 minutes of chilled marination and up to 25 minutes of oven cooking. Bulgur cooking and oven heating overlap marination.
The yogurt for serving never touches raw chicken. Discard any marinade remaining in the raw-contact bowl; counting all listed marinade makes the estimate conservative when some is not consumed. For another preparation, see Greek Chicken Orzo Bowl with Tzatziki and Vegetables.
Why Readers May Like It
- 1Measured portions, clear cooking guidance and practical doneness checks.
- 2Clear dry, cooked and drained ingredient weights.
- 3Four measured meal portions with skewers, sauces and listed sides included.
Recipe Summary and Estimated Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated from the listed ingredient weights and the specific USDA records or manufacturer references linked below. Weights labeled dry, raw, cooked or drained must be matched to that state.
4 servings
One serving is one quarter of the base batch. Values are estimates rather than laboratory analysis.
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Brands, drained weights, substitutions and final serving sizes can change these values.
Ingredient-by-Ingredient Nutrition Breakdown
Gram weights are the calculation basis; household measures are approximate. The table includes all listed oil, sauce and toppings. All listed marinades, oil, sauces and sides are included. The estimate counts the full measured amounts, even if some remain on cooking equipment. Discarded plain cooking water is not counted as food.
| Ingredient | Amount used | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skinless boneless chicken breast, raw, cut into 2.5 cm pieces | about 1 lb 5 oz raw | 600 g | 720 kcal | 135 g | 0 g | 15.7 g |
| Plain nonfat Greek yogurt: 120 g marinade, 120 g serving sauce | about 1 cup total | 240 g | 142 kcal | 24.5 g | 8.6 g | 0.9 g |
| Lemon juice, raw: 30 g marinade, 20 g sauce, 10 g salad | 1/4 cup total | 60 g | 13 kcal | 0.2 g | 4.1 g | 0.1 g |
| Garlic, raw, peeled and finely grated | 3 cloves, all for marinade | 12 g | 18 kcal | 0.8 g | 4 g | 0.1 g |
| Dried oregano for marinade | about 1 tablespoon | 3 g | 8 kcal | 0.3 g | 2.1 g | 0.1 g |
| Olive oil: 12 g marinade, 4 g trays, 8 g salad | about 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons total | 24 g | 212 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | 24 g |
| Table salt: 1 g marinade, 1 g bulgur, 1 g salad | about 1/2 teaspoon total | 3 g | 0 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Ground black pepper for marinade | about 1/2 teaspoon | 1 g | 3 kcal | 0.1 g | 0.6 g | 0 g |
| Medium bulgur, dry | about 1 1/3 cups; follow packet | 180 g | 616 kcal | 22.1 g | 136.6 g | 2.4 g |
| Water for bulgur | about 1 2/3 cups; adjust only plain water to packet | 400 g | 0 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Cucumber with peel, raw, diced | about 2 1/4 cups | 320 g | 48 kcal | 2.1 g | 11.6 g | 0.4 g |
| Tomatoes, raw, diced | about 2 cups | 320 g | 58 kcal | 2.8 g | 12.4 g | 0.6 g |
| Full recipe estimate | 4 servings | — | 1838 kcal | 187.9 g | 180 g | 44.3 g |
How This Nutrition Estimate Was Prepared
- Match each listed ingredient to its linked food record or stated label reference.
- Multiply the per-100-g values by the listed gram weight and add the unrounded ingredient values.
- Divide the full calculation by four servings, then round for the cards.
- Recalculate if you change the ingredient brand, amount or serving yield.
Ingredient cells are rounded independently. The footer sums displayed cells; per-serving cards use the unrounded calculation, so small rounding differences are expected. Final cooking yield and brands can change the estimate.
Ingredients
Measured ingredients
Step-by-Step Preparation
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Equipment links are paid affiliate links; use suitable tools you already own.
Equipment
- Oven-safe metal skewers (paid link)
- Thin-tip food thermometer (paid link)
- Two rimmed baking sheets (paid link)
- Digital kitchen scale (paid link)
- Lidded saucepan (paid link)
- Chef knife and board (paid link)
- Mixing bowls (paid link)
- Kitchen tongs (paid link)
- Oven gloves (paid link)
Before You Start
The 90-minute planning total includes 35 minutes for preparation and assembly, 30 minutes of chilled marination and up to 25 minutes of oven cooking. Bulgur cooking and oven heating overlap marination.
Allow about 90 minutes for preparation, cooking all batches and any stated resting. Some tasks overlap; doneness checks take priority over the clock. Measure the listed oil before cooking and keep the sides within the stated four portions. Use the raw, dry, cooked or drained state specified for each ingredient.
Measure the clean sauce and salad
10 minutesBefore handling raw chicken, stir 120 g yogurt with 20 g lemon juice in a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate. Dice the cucumber and tomatoes on a clean board and refrigerate separately. Measure the remaining marinade ingredients and keep 8 g salad oil, 10 g salad lemon and 1 g salad salt aside. A digital kitchen scale (paid link) helps keep the measured quantities consistent.
Coat uniform pieces of chicken
10 minutesCut the raw chicken into similar 2.5 cm pieces and weigh 600 g. Mix the other 120 g yogurt with 30 g lemon juice, garlic, oregano, 12 g oil, 1 g salt and black pepper in a different bowl (paid link). Fold the chicken through this marinade, then clean hands and all raw-poultry contact surfaces.
Marinate and start the bulgur
30 minutes chilled; bulgur and oven heating overlapCover the chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes; do not leave it on the counter. During this interval heat the oven to 425°F / 220°C conventional, or 390°F / 200°C fan. Simmer the bulgur with 400 g water and 1 g salt for about 12–15 minutes, following its packet, then cover off the heat for 5 minutes.
Arrange eight oven-safe skewers
8 minutesCheck that eight all-metal skewers about 30 cm / 12 inches long fit inside two rimmed trays without overhang and that their handles are oven-safe. Spread the remaining 4 g tray oil across the trays. Thread the chicken evenly onto the eight skewers, leaving small gaps; place four skewers on each tray. Discard raw-contact marinade left in the bowl.
Bake with room around each skewer
18–25 minutesBake for about 18–25 minutes, turning the skewers and exchanging tray positions halfway through. Use oven gloves: the metal handles become hot. Keep the chicken in a single layer and reduce crowding rather than stacking skewers. The light yogurt coating can color before the centers are safely cooked.
Check chicken temperatures
2 minutes within final cooking checkInsert a thin thermometer into the thickest chicken pieces from the side, avoiding the metal skewer. Check several pieces on both trays; all must reach 165°F / 74°C. Return underdone skewers to the oven and recheck, using a clean utensil and plate for cooked food rather than the raw chicken bowl.
Finish the measured accompaniments
5 minutesFluff the bulgur and divide it into four portions. Dress the cucumber and tomatoes with the reserved 8 g oil, 10 g lemon juice and 1 g salt. Keep the clean lemon-yogurt sauce chilled until serving. If a cooked component finishes early, keep it hot at 140°F / 60°C or above rather than leaving it on the counter.
Serve two skewers per person
2 minutesPlace two chicken skewers, one quarter of the bulgur and one quarter of the dressed salad on each plate. Add one quarter of the clean yogurt sauce. Remove food from the hot skewers before eating, especially when serving children; the metal remains hot even when the plate has cooled.
How to Know It Is Ready
Every chicken piece checked must reach 165°F / 74°C away from the metal skewer. Bulgur should be tender; color on the coating does not establish poultry safety.
Tender chicken with a lightly golden yogurt coating, fluffy bulgur, crisp chopped salad and cool lemon yogurt.
One quarter of the skewers, listed sides, sauce and measured oil.
What This Meal Provides and What to Consider
Meal Balance
- The measured batch supplies about 47 g protein per serving.
- Skewers, listed accompaniments and measured cooking oil are included in the complete portion.
Things to Consider
- Milk in Greek yogurt and wheat in bulgur. Check ingredient labels and cross-contact for the intended eater; a different grain alone does not remove the milk allergen.
- Energy, sodium and saturated fat still depend on ingredients and portion size. This meal does not guarantee a particular fitness or health result.
Who May Enjoy This Recipe?
Skewer meal planning
Home cooks looking for a measured poultry lunch or dinner.
Home cooking
The yogurt for serving never touches raw chicken. Discard any marinade remaining in the raw-contact bowl; counting all listed marinade makes the estimate conservative when some is not consumed.
Measured portions
People who want to understand how ingredient weights relate to a four-serving batch.
How to Adjust the Meal
Smaller appetite
Serve a smaller portion and save the rest safely. Recalculate nutrition for the portion you actually eat.
Larger appetite
Choose an appropriate larger portion or accompaniment and include those ingredients in the meal calculation.
Protein adjustments
If changing the main protein, marinade or side, use its product label and recalculate. The amount can also change texture and cooking requirements.
Substitutions, Dietary Notes, and Allergens
Practical Substitutions
- Cooked quinoa can replace bulgur only with its own dry or cooked weight, water, time and nutrient calculation. A dairy-free yogurt alternative changes coating and protein and needs a label-based calculation; do not assume it has the same behavior as Greek yogurt.
- Changing the protein, piece size or marinade changes cooking time and nutrition. Follow the safe doneness guidance for the replacement and recalculate the estimate.
Allergen Information
Milk in Greek yogurt and wheat in bulgur. Check ingredient labels and cross-contact for the intended eater; a different grain alone does not remove the milk allergen.
Check packaged ingredient labels for the allergens relevant to you. A substitution changes both the recipe and the calculation.
Storage and Meal Preparation
Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when surroundings exceed 90°F / 32°C. Use shallow containers and a refrigerator at 40°F / 4°C or colder. Follow the component-specific storage limits below; rice has a shorter storage window where specified. Reheat hot leftovers to 165°F / 74°C.
Keeping This Skewer Meal
Slide cooked food off the skewers with a clean utensil and refrigerate it and the grain in separate shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F / 32°C. Keep at 40°F / 4°C or below and use within 2 days of the earliest-cooked component, following an earlier ingredient use-by date. Do not leave a deep bowl on the counter to cool completely. Store the dressed salad and clean yogurt sauce separately; follow the earlier yogurt use-by date.
Reheating the Meal
Reheat only the portions needed. Put the cooked pieces and grain in a covered microwave-safe or oven-safe dish, turning or stirring for even heating. Check several areas for 165°F / 74°C, including the center of thick pieces; a fixed heating time is not a safety check. Keep any cold sauce or salad refrigerated and add it after reheating.
Follow USDA leftovers guidance. For another skewer and accompaniment combination, browse Chicken Tikka Skewers in the Oven with Brown Rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, keep it covered in the refrigerator and follow the poultry use-by date; this recipe allows 30 minutes in its stated total. A longer chilled marinade adds elapsed time. Do not marinate on the counter or treat yogurt as a way to make raw chicken safe.
The stated method uses all-metal oven-safe skewers. Follow the wooden product manufacturer’s temperature and soaking instructions if substituting; soaking does not make wood suitable for an unrestricted broiler flame.
Use only the separate clean yogurt sauce prepared before handling raw chicken. This method discards leftover raw-contact marinade rather than serving it or brushing it onto cooked food.
Use the serving controls to scale gram quantities and serving count. Use additional trays or cook more batches; cooking time does not simply double. Household notes describe the base four-serving recipe.
Nutrition Sources and Recipe Notes
These values are planning estimates, not individualized nutrition advice. Use labels for your exact products when precision is important. The recipe has not been kitchen-tested and the image is a generated illustration of the intended dish.
Nutrition Data Sources
See our Nutrition Calculation Methodology for weights, rounding and substitutions.
Food Safety Reference
Useful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Equipment links are paid affiliate links; use suitable tools you already own.
These tools fit the preparation above. Use suitable equipment you already own, or compare options if you need an item.
Oven-safe metal skewers
Use eight all-metal skewers about 30 cm / 12 inches long, sized to fit the trays; handles must also be oven-safe.
Compare on Amazon → (paid link)Paid link · opens in a new tabThin-tip food thermometer
Checks thick chicken or shrimp pieces away from the hot metal skewer and verifies reheated portions.
Compare on Amazon → (paid link)Paid link · opens in a new tabTwo rimmed baking sheets
Give eight skewers space in a single layer without crowding or overhanging the oven shelves.
Compare on Amazon → (paid link)Paid link · opens in a new tab
