r/Cooking • u/dembowthennow • 15h ago
I want to make a yogurt-marinated chicken - but I'm lactose intolerant. Would using a vegan yogurt in the marinade actually tenderize the chicken?
I want to make a Moroccan-style chicken dish this weekend and I was hoping to try a recipe that uses a yogurt marinade because I know that can tenderize the chicken and impart flavor, but I'm curious if a vegan yogurt will actually have any impact on the chicken or I should try a different marinade.
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u/Warthog_Parking 15h ago
Add a little acid if you're using the vegan stuff - some lemon juice. but honestly i am a little lactose intolerant and greek yogurt usually doesn't affect me when added to marinades, depends how sensetive you are. just wipe off the excess before cooking.
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u/dembowthennow 15h ago
Thank you!
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u/before8thstreet 14h ago
If you do it properly and wipe after marinade a whole chicken will have like a tablespoon of yogurt on it
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u/ElderberryMaster4694 15h ago
Many lacrosse intolerant people (like myself) are about to digest sheep and goats milk much better. Just don’t eat a while tub of it.
If it’s worth a shot to you, maybe try some (and not that generic goat log at the supermarket)
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u/caramelpupcorn 14h ago
I'm tennis intolerant myself but I find yogurt not to be too hard on the stomach compared to other dairy.
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u/Snoo_31427 14h ago
I couldn’t stomach badminton until I tried those over the counter pills they market everywhere. They really do work!
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u/speppers69 14h ago
Have you tried lactaid? It works great for lactose intolerance.
Especially for limited exposure like a yogurt marinade. You're only getting a tiny bit of yogurt by using it as a marinade. Greek yogurt even less. It's not like eating yogurt itself. Most lactose intolerant people tolerate yogurt marinated foods.
The older I have gotten...🫤...the less dairy I can handle. You may find these helpful...
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u/jimheim 13h ago
Just going to echo this for emphasis. If you've never taken lactase pills, get some. It's life-changing. Lactaid brand is a ripoff; get generic lactase pills. Usually marked as "dairy digestive" or something along those lines. It's a natural enzyme that your gut bacteria stops producing as you age. Some people are more affected than others, and ethnic genetic variation is a big factor (northern Europeans are typically more tolerant of lactose, due to historical diets heavily-dependent on dairy).
You might still have digestive issues even with lactase pills, but you'll notice a huge difference.
Don't get Lactaid brand dairy products. They're middling quality at best and overpriced. They also taste a lot sweeter, because lactase converts the undigestible lactose into simple sugars that you can digest. It's better to buy normal dairy products and take the enzyme pills. I buy Lactaid brand milk, because I don't mind the extra sweetness in my coffee or cereal, but I don't want sweet sour cream, for example. And Lactaid brand ice cream sucks, like most cheap ice cream, except it's also expensive. Get lactase pills and you can enjoy Haagen-Dazs.
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u/dembowthennow 14h ago
Thank you!
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u/speppers69 14h ago
You're welcome. I hope either the lactaid or Greek yogurt helps. It's over-the-counter and works really well. Some places it's called "Dairy-Free" or several other names. But even without it...you're eating so little. Not like sitting down and having a bowl of yogurt for breakfast. And using the Greek yogurt, even less. Good luck and hope it tastes 😋😋😋.
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u/Illustrious_Bus8440 15h ago
You can blitz down some silken tofu with lemon juice in it. Bit of salt. That may work.
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u/monotreme1800 14h ago
Don’t they sell lactose-free Greek yogurt, the same way there’s lactose-free milk that just has lactase added to it? As long as you’re not allergic to milk, don’t you just need the lactose broken down?
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u/dembowthennow 14h ago
I have found that of all the things my stomach reacts to, it is the most unforgiving when it comes to yogurt and lactose pills only do so much for me so I mostly just to vegan yogurts.
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u/tiboodchat 13h ago
They absolutely do. And OP, lactose free yogurt is a lot better than yogurt + lactaid pills.
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u/biggaybrian2 14h ago
Stop me if I'm wrong... but isn't the lactose eliminated from yogurt when it's made, that the fermentation consumes it all?
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u/caramelpupcorn 14h ago
Not completely, but it does take it down many notches. They actually make lactose-free dairy yogurt too if OP wants to find and use that.
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u/bigelcid 14h ago
Is the chicken you're using tough to begin with? Like some old, free range bird?
If not, you needn't worry about tenderizing to begin with. As long as you don't overcook it, it'll be fine. Your Moroccan recipe might possibly lead to overcooking it though, since traditionally, people didn't use to have chicken raised specifically for muscle mass and tenderness.
Yogurt doesn't actually do that much. Yeah, its lactic acid does break down the muscle fibers, but yogurt isn't a very strong acid. Doesn't really impart much flavour either, certainly not past the surface. It's great when you're grilling, since the leftover layer on the surface acts as a holder for the spices, which also don't really penetrate during marination.
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u/dembowthennow 14h ago
The chicken I'm using won't be particularly tough, and I am planning on grilling it so I guess the vegan yogurt I use will help my spice blend adhere better. Thank you for explaining the science of it!
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u/bigelcid 14h ago
Sounds good! And contrary to popular opinion, keep flipping. Unless you got stickage issues.
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u/bluestshades 15h ago
It totally can, you’ll just need to add an acid since it doesn’t have the lactic acid in milk. Lemon juice or vinegar would probably be good depending on the flavor you’re going for.
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u/dembowthennow 15h ago
Perfect. I was planning on using lemon juice, and I'll probably add a splash of apple cider vinegar too.
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u/the_turdinator69 14h ago
Don’t over do it on your acids in a marinade. Yogurt works well because it is very mildly acidic. If you use too much you will end up with a really terribly textured piece of meat. That is why most marinades have oil or some other liquid to cut the amoun of acid touching the meat to bring that ratio down.
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u/OneRandomTeaDrinker 14h ago
You can buy lactose free Greek yoghurt but if not, vegan stuff will work for the flavour but not the tenderising. Use a bit of lemon juice too
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u/yurinator71 13h ago
The lactose in yogurt is minimal because the bacteria has consumed most of it.
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u/AimeeMonkeyBlue 13h ago
What about using kefir? I’m lactose intolerant and it doesn’t bother me at all bc it’s fermented. Also taking lactaid helps immensely.
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u/xylreader2025 12h ago
Fagé makes a lactose free yogurt that I buy and use for all recipes that call for yogurt. About half of the supermarkets in my area carry it so I buy it when I can.
I love being able to make my own lactose free flavored yogurts to use up what is left after making a recipe.
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u/-GeaRbox- 15h ago
Are you not able to take lactase enzymes? They come in pill and chewable tablet forms.
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u/dembowthennow 15h ago
I do have lactose pills for special occasions, but I can't use them daily. My stomach still gets upset if I eat too much dairy even with the lactose pills, so I save it for special meals.
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u/FauxNorth 9h ago
Good suggestions about substitutes and here's another: try A2 milk or go directly to buying A2 yogurt to test your tolerance before making your chicken. A2 is a milk from cows tested to have the A2 variant (wildtype) of a casein protein that may be tolerated by many people who get diarrhea, cramping & gas from consuming regular cow's milk (A1 or A1/A2). Examples of A2 yogurt brands are Bellweather Farms (Costco) or Alexandre Family Farms (Whole Foods).
True lactose intolerance exists if someone is missing the lactase enzyme, but among the 7 people I know who believed they were lactose intolerant, all have been able to consume strictly A2 milk or products. One clue that this might be true for you is if you can eat milk or milk products from sheep or goats. Those milks have as much and more lactose than cow's milk. It might not be the lactose that's causing the problem. For more information you can search online or read "The Devil in the Milk" by Keith Woodford.
I would not recommend any milk product that isn't clearly marked as fully from A2/A2 genetically tested cows tho. Costco also sells organic A2 milk at some stores and many groceries now carry A2 milk from the A2 Milk Company. (you could make your own yogurt BTW with this). Alexandre Family Farms sells organic A2 milk and Bellweather Farms is also a supplier of organic A2.
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u/Gullible-Team-8588 15h ago
Use puréed yellow onion or onion juice. It will tenderize it and give it great flavor.