Curry Grilled Yogurt Chicken with Light Pickled Salad

Curry grilled yogurt chicken with a light pickled salad of kale and cabbage with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Disclosure: Thank you to one of our favorite products, siggi’s for partnering on this recipe.

Pull out the shorts and fire up the grill (or grill pan). Today’s recipe is for yogurt marinated chicken over a filling, cruciferous veggie salad. We call it a fridge salad. It’s the kind of salad that you can eat for lunch and then the left overs hold up perfectly in the fridge, even with dressing. I find these especially perfect for warmer months when I’m in more of a small bites snack mood. 

The salad is cabbage and kale, which are incredibly high in fiber and perfect for withstanding dressing for long periods of time. No soggy leaves. I think they get better with a few hours actually. Also in the salad is fresh cilantro to add brightness and some crispy little sesame seeds. The dressing is a dijon vinaigrette. It’s like a gentle pickling (kind of like you drinking rosé all summer). 

To round out the salad we’re adding protein. The chicken is coated with a spiced yogurt marinade. And actually, yogurt might be your new hack for grilling. Instead of a typical marinade that’s mostly vinegar or citrus, yogurt works more effectively and gently to slowly tenderize vs toughen the chicken. Yogurt is a perfect fridge staple for summer grilling. Siggi’s is only made with simple ingredients and is lower in sugar and higher in protein than other yogurts, making it my go-to. I used the Touch of Honey flavor for the marinade because its one less ingredient I need to whisk into my seasoning. If you’re not looking for salad right now, make this chicken no matter what. It has curry spices and ground coriander making it a fun alternative to bland grilled chicken or maybe your typical BBQ. Life is about options. You should opt for this one. 

Grilled Honey Yogurt Chicken Over Cabbage Kale Salad

INGREDIENTS

Yogurt Chicken

• 1 cup siggi’s Touch of Honey
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• juice of 1 lemon
• a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder (madras-style)
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (although thighs would be great too)

Salad

• 1 bunch Tuscan kale (aka dino kale)
• 1/2 medium red onion, minced
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
• 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

Salad Dressing

• 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk yogurt chicken ingredients (except for chicken) to combine.  
2. Cut chicken into pieces and toss in marinade.
3. Cover refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
4. To make salad : De-stem kale and chiffonade. To chiffonade, stack kale leaves, roll tightly and slice the roll to create ribbons (like cutting a baguette into slices).
5. Add kale, onion, cabbage, cilantro and sesame seeds to a large bowl.
6. To make dressing: whisk to combine in a small bowl and pour over salad. Toss and refrigerate while chicken is cooking.
7. To cook chicken: grease a grill pan over medium high heat or heat grill to medium high heat. Add chicken in batches and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip chicken to other side and continue to cook until browned with an internal temperature of 165 F. 
8. Add chicken to salad and serve.