Hi Friends!
I’ve got a new recipe to share with you today:
Greek Yogurt Chicken
I created this recipe on behalf of the National Dairy Council. I’m working with them as part of a blog tour to help educate people (you guys!) about lactose intolerance. Because I’m slightly lactose intolerant myself, I always love the opportunity to help people gain a better understanding of what it means.
So what is lactose intolerance?
- It’s a type of food sensitivity characterized by a deficiency in lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose (a sugar naturally found in milk).
- People who are lactose intolerant don’t have enough lactase, and therefore may experience gastrointestinal issues following the consumption of an amount of lactose greater than their body’s ability to digest and absorb.
- Lactose intolerance is not the same as having a cow’s milk allergy, meaning that those who are lactose intolerant can consume dairy products.
People can handle different amounts of lactose and dairy foods contain varying amounts of lactose. Some, like lactose-free dairy milk have had the lactose removed, and others, like certain cheeses (Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella and Swiss), low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt (including Greek-style varieties) and cottage cheese, are naturally lower in lactose.
I personally started having trouble digesting lactose my junior year of high school. Adults tend to produce less lactase than children, which is why some people can develop LI in adulthood. I noticed I was having abdominal pain, gas and bloating particularly after drinking a lot of milk and eating certain cheeses. After working with my doctor to determine what the issue was (they can perform a lactose tolerance test), I set about determining what worked for ME in terms of consuming dairy products.
The NDC has some tips to help you enjoy dairy again if you suffer from lactose intolerance:
LI is different for everyone and it’s a trial and error process to figure out what works for you. For me, it means not going overboard with milk (unless it’s lactose-free), not drinking milk by itself and limiting the amount of cheese I eat. I typically have no problem with Greek yogurt, eating one bowl of cereal or enjoying dishes with moderate amounts of Colby, cheddar or mozzarella cheese!
I love the #beyondLI campaign because it’s helping people with LI realize they can still get the nutritional benefits found in dairy products. I was asked to create a lactose-intolerance friendly recipe and decided to use Greek yogurt…since you all know how much I love it 🙂
This is a quick, simple dish with minimal ingredients that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Greek Yogurt Chicken
A quick, easy weeknight dinner that's moist and full of flavor! Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 c mashed avocado
- 3/4 c low-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp Sriracha
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Add yogurt mixture to the bowl with the chicken and stir to coat.
- Spoon chicken onto a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Pretty easy right? I made this expecting it to be pretty spicy and it wasn’t quite spicy enough for my taste…so next time I’ll up the spices.
Taste the yogurt mixture before adding it to the chicken and adjust seasonings as needed. You could also add additional spices to the mix! Try cumin, curry powder or chili powder for a different twist!
I served mined with roasted veggies and brown rice, but it was also be great on a salad or in a wrap!
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
This post was sponsored by the National Dairy Council. The recipe and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Ohhh this actually makes me wanna eat chicken and I do NOT eat chicken very often (read: almost never). I do have chicken breasts in the freezer though and all I’d need to buy is greek yogurt. Awesome and easy recipe! Love it!
This looks amazing — making me really hungry for a midnight snack! 🙂
Definitely on my to make list- I love using greek yogurt for tandoori style marinades!
Looks awesome as usual!
This looks delicious!! 🙂
greek yogurt chicken?! interesting! all the ingredients sound good though!
Thanks for the information on lactose-intolerance! And this recipe looks absolutely delicious. I love Greek yogurt, so marinated my chicken with it sounds like a great idea to me! 🙂
I love how simple this recipe is. Any time I just have to combine ingredients and put everything in the oven is a win for me! Vishnu would love this. Definitely going to try it out soon. Thanks!
woohoo! enjoy! i make a similar version with cumin and curry powder that’s also delicious!
Yum! We make a curry that cooks the chicken in yogurt and tomatoes and it keeps it so tender, it’s delicious!
So informative!!! Brian absolutely loves chicken tikka masala, and I think this may be a great “healthy” option that is similar…I will have to cook it up for him and let you know how it turns out!! 🙂
yes! let me know for sure!
That looks really yummy, healthy and easy — totally my style!
I just made Greek yogurt chicken for the first time a few weeks ago and am now hooked. I love how crazy moist it makes the meat. Definitely adding sriracha next time!
Thanks for this post! I am lactose intolerant and have been drinking almond milk for about 2 years now (it’s delicious!).
Im glad you offered the clarification that being lactose intolerant doesn’t mean that you can’t have milk. I thought I wasn’t lactose intolerant for a long time because I thought I should be having some kind of allergic reaction that I wasn’t having. I just felt sick to my stomach or had a gassy feeling after having milk.
After doing a little more research I found that it was pretty specific to the individual. I have to find the balance for me. I can’t sit and drink a glass of whole milk, but I can have cheese most of the time. Find what works for you. Thanks again!
totally agree! glad you found what works for you!
Love these tips! I’m like you, if I eat too much dairy, mostly cheese or cream/milk, I have stomach issues. I’ll have to try some of your suggestions since I haven’t quite figured out what the threshold is yet.
yeah it’s definitely a trial and error process! took me forever!
I developed an intolerance over the past couple of years and felt so out of sorts because I ate dairy so much. Once I started eating greek yogurt and switched to almond milk it got a lot better. I’ve never thought to use greek yogurt with chicken. Sounds delicious!
you should definitely try it! keeps it super juicy!
This looks delicious – I think this weekend I’m going to try it!!
yay! let me know what you think!
I definitely need to pass this information on to my mother. She has the worst problem with dairy products because she has LI. I tried to convince her Greek Yogurt would be her best bet, but she wasn’t sure. I’m glad you helped clear it up by saying it’s one of the “better options” for those with LI.
hope it works for her!
There’s a reason our bodies produce less lactase as we age: we aren’t supposed to be consuming lactose. Humans are the only animals who do that after infancy, and you’d think people would realize it doesn’t make any sense. We can get the same benefits, without any negatives, by eating whole foods that are actually meant for us (cow’s milk is for baby cows, human milk is for baby humans, goat’s milk is for baby goats).
Looks delicious! I’m always looking for new ways to cook chicken to mix things up!
Thanks for the fabulous recipe and tips!
My mother in law is lactose intolerant so I’m going to send this post over to her- she’ll learn a lot and will love this recipe. Thanks!
awesome!!
Love this idea! I baked some whole chicken breasts with Greek yogurt and they came out really tender and juicy. I love all the things you can do with it.
Def on the meal plan for next week!!!! Looks super easy and delicious!
woohoo! let me know what you think!
Really great post & being LI, loved it! LOVE that recipe!
comment luv does not like me today…
What People NEED to Know about Weight Loss – Follow Up http://truth2beingfit.com/2013/09/24/what-people-need-to-know-about-weight-loss—follow-up.aspx
There is something about the combination of yogurt, avocado and chicken that I really dig. I posted a recipe with hemp crust and avocado and greek yogurt last year and it was one of my favorite recipes of all time. SOOO, I’ll have to try this!
i remember that recipe! looked amazing!
This looks delicious!! I’m bookmarking it now as it seems like a great Sunday food prep recipe too 🙂
yep! it’d be perfect for sunday food prep!
I just made this dish for dinner and it tastes so good!!! I forgot to get the avocado so I used store bought guacamole that’s in my fridge. I can’t believe how easy this is to make. The chicken is so tasty and tender. Delicious!! Thanks for creating this recipe. Love it!!
yay! so glad you liked it!
Just made this, served with Persian dill rice and roasted veggies. Added some cumin and tandoori spice to both the chicken and roasted veggies. It was excellent!
I made this last night for dinner and it was great! I used up some really good, all-natural, store bought guacamole, and added some chili powder and fresh cilantro…sooo good! I mixed the chicken with brown rice and roasted veggies, and it resembled the Broccoli/Cheese Casserole typically served at Thanksgiving. To me it was just as good as the casserole but guilt-free! Thank you for this recipe! I will definitely keep this in the rotation.
yum! so glad you liked it!
I love this!