Last Updated on June 22, 2024 by Lisa Keys
Labne marinated grilled chicken is so delicious that I came up with two ways to serve it. The first is a new and creative spin on a chicken Caesar and the other features a refreshing cucumber-melon salad. Grill your chicken and then serve it in a variety of ways. You are only limited by your imagination.
As 1 of 30 bloggers chosen to compete in the Karoun Dairies Recipe Challenge I received 2 generous containers of labne to create out of this world recipes. Honestly, I had no idea what labne even was. Well, let me tell you! Labne, often referred to as yogurt cheese, is tangy and creamy and can be eaten in a variety of dishes. Smoother and thicker than Greek yogurt it works in both savory and sweet recipes. High in probiotics and protein, labne is definitely a part of a healthy Mediterranean diet. This is my main dish recipe entry using labne as a marinade, a salad dressing and a finishing sauce. It's so versatile. I now consider it a necessary kitchen staple.
First, let's make this tasty chicken marinade. It's so simple and I bet you have all the dried spices neatly tucked away in your pantry. Just mix labne with the spices, sugar and salt. Then coat the chicken, cover and chill for at least an hour or up to 4. The labne tenderizes the chicken allowing all that flavor to penetrate the meat. Grilling the chicken only takes 8 minutes. This tender, juicy chicken is perfect for a summer dinner salad.
Labne is also the base for a new Caesar dressing. It's so creamy. Simply blend labne with parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire, anchovy, garlic and a little salt, sugar and pepper. There are no raw egg yolks to worry about in this dressing as the labne brings the dreamy texture as well as the flavor. Just toss the salad greens with the dressing and place some grilled chicken on top.
But that's not all! Labne not only makes a great marinade and salad dressing, but also a delectable finishing sauce on the chicken. I kicked it up this spicy labne drizzle with chili powder, smoked paprika and chipotle to bring just a touch of well balanced heat to the recipe. Top with some pickled onions and dig in. And here is a tip: this finishing sauce is really good on tacos, too.
Now, if Caesar salad isn't your thing then please do try the labne marinated grilled chicken topped with this refreshing cucumber-melon salad. It's perfect for summer dining. Prepare the marinade for the chicken, but reserve two tablespoons to toss with diced watermelon, cucumber, kalamata olives and mint. Spoon the salad over the marinaded and grilled chicken and finish with a sprinkle of feta. It's so good.
Labne Marinated Grilled Chicken Salad 2 Ways
Ingredients
- ½ cup Karoun Dairies labne
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Labne Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup Karoun Dairies labne
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 small garlic clove, grated or finely minced
- 1 oil packed anchovy fillet, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Spicy Labne Drizzle
- ½ cup Karoun Dairies labne
- 1 teaspoon chipotle tabasco sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon water
- 1 (4 oz) container crisp salad greens
Optional Garnishes
- chopped pickled onions, parmesan cheese shards, crusty bread
Cucumber Watermelon Salad
- 1 ½ cups small dice seedless watermelon
- ½ cup small dice English cucumber
- 8 pitted kalamata olives, quartered
- 4 mint leaves, chiffonade
- 2 tablespoons reserved labne marinade
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- To make the marinated chicken, in a bowl, combine the labne with the salt, sugar and dried herbs and spices; blend well. (*Reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade if making the cucumber-melon salad).
- Coat the chicken with the marinade, cover and chill for at least 1 hour or as long as 4 hours.
- While chicken is marinating prepare the Labne Caesar Dressing and Spicy Labne Drizzle.
- For dressing, whisk the next 10 ingredients in a bowl; cover and chill until ready to serve.
- For drizzle, whisk the remaining labne spices and water in a bowl, transfer to a squeeze bottle and chill until ready to serve.
- Prepare a medium-high hot grill for direct heat grilling. Grease grill rack with vegetable oil. Place chicken on hot grill. Grill chicken, turning, 4 minutes per side, or until fully cooked. Transfer to cutting surface. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- Toss salad greens with dressing; arrange on serving plates.
- Top with grilled chicken. Drizzle Spicy Labne sauce over chicken.
- Garnish as desired with pickled onions, parmesan and/or crusty bread.
- *If preparing the cucumber-melon salad: just before serving toss all the ingredients except feta together. Arrange whole pieces of chicken on a serving platter and spoon salad over the top. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Garnish with fresh herbs.
Notes
Nutrition
Please check out my other entries in the Karoun Dairies Recipe Contest:
L Smith
Oh my gosh! This is outstanding. SO SO good. I love all of your recipes on your site. They are all wonderful. Thank you Lisa Keys!!!!
Lisa Keys
Thank you for helping me learn how to be a better blogger. You are such a precious person.