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Congratulations – you just found your new favorite chicken marinade! Greek yogurt is the key to a marinade that makes every bite tender and juicy. Notes of lemon and herbs make this a truly outstanding marinade.
It’s always a good idea to have a few trustworthy chicken recipes on hand. You can put together a complete meal with some juicy baked chicken, Greek style grilled chicken or a quick skillet chicken recipe that’s ready in no time, along with a couple of easy side dishes. This Greek chicken marinade recipe is my go-to that always comes out perfect. You can use it to pan sear, grill or bake chicken. Follow along to learn how to make one of the most delicious chicken marinades ever.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Tender chicken: Yogurt acts as a natural tenderizer, making the chicken incredibly moist and juicy. We’ve previously used yogurt in marinades for whole roasted chicken, chicken gyro and shish tawook.
- Great flavors: This Greek marinade for chicken offer the combination of lemon juice, garlic and oregano which is hard to beat. We use the same combination to make chicken souvlaki as well.
- Bake, grill or sear: Just like our Mediterranean salmon marinade, this Greek marinade recipe can be used with different cooking methods. Once the chicken is marinated, you can bake it in the oven or sear it in a pan. If the weather allows, I recommend grilling it outdoors.
- Quick and easy: This Greek yogurt chicken marinade takes less than 5 minutes to prepare, but that’s not all. Even though you can marinate the chicken for up to 8 hours, it absorbs the flavors and is ready to be cooked after 30 minutes if you’re in a pinch.
Ingredients
- Lemon: You’ll be using both the zest and the juice of the lemon, so go with the best ones you can find. Bottled lemon juice won’t be as tasty for this recipe.
- Garlic: You need 4 to 6 cloves of garlic that should be minced or grated using a microplane.
- Spices: Use dried oregano, chili flakes, salt and pepper.
- Greek yogurt: Not only would the yogurt tenderize the chicken, but it would also add a subtle tangy flavor that goes well with the lemon and herbs.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil works so well in this recipe. I don’t suggest using any other oil because the flavors won’t match.
Additions and Substitutions
- Spices: You can use some other spices such as smoked paprika or dried thyme.
- Herbs: Chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, dill or rosemary add a lot of flavor to the marinade.
- Yogurt: Greek yogurt works very well for marinating, however, you can use any other plain yogurt (including plant based) for this recipe.
- Acid: Instead of lemon juice, you can use red wine vinegar.
How to Make the Perfect Greek Chicken Marinade
- Place the boneless skinless chicken breasts in a large bowl.
- Using a microplane, zest the lemon. Then cut the lemon in half and add the juice to the chicken as well.
- Add in the minced garlic, oregano, chili flakes, salt and pepper.
- Finally, add the Greek yogurt as well as olive oil and mix using a pair of tongs. Make sure the chicken is well coated with the marinade.
- Cover and marinate for 30 minutes up to 8 hours.
- Cook the marinade chicken using your favorite cooking method.
One Marinade, 3 Cooking Methods
What I love the most about this marinated Greek chicken recipe – besides being extremely easy and quick – is the consistency: it turns out perfectly every time. Here are 3 cooking methods you can choose from:
To Grill Marinated Chicken
- Preheat the grill to medium high and place the marinated chicken on the counter for it to come to room temperature.
- Once the grill is ready, place the chicken breasts on the grates and grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side. The chicken is ready once the internal temperature registers at 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the chicken and it’s no longer pink inside.
- Let it sit for 2 to 4 minutes before slicing.
To Bake Marinated Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Take the chicken pieces our of the bowl using a pair of tongs and shake them to get rid of the excess marinade.
- Place the chicken on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until fully cooked.
To Pan Sear Marinated Chicken
- Heat a cast iron skillet or a heavy bottom pan over medium high heat. There is no need to add oil to the pan.
- Place the marinated chicken pieces in the pan and sear for 5 to 8 minutes on one side, undisturbed. Don’t move the chicken around so a nice crust can form.
- Flip and sear for 5 to 8 more minutes until it’s cooked completely.
Tips To Make The Best Marinated Chicken
- Pound the chicken if needed: Make sure the chicken pieces are not too thick. If the chicken breast is too thick, slice it widthwise into 2 thinner pieces. You can also pound the chicken for even thickness.
- Bring to room temperature: Bring the marinated chicken to room temperature before cooking. This will assure that the chicken cooks evenly and quickly.
- Shake it off: When taking the chicken out of the marinade to cook, shake it off completely to get rid of the excess marinade. This would help you avoid flames when grilling.
- Check for doneness: Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken is fully cooked. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken and if it registers at 165 degrees F, it’s ready to serve.
- Let the cooked chicken rest: To keep the chicken juicy, let the cooked chicken sit for 2 to 4 minutes before slicing This helps with locking in the juices.
Serving Suggestions
We love to enjoy this Greek marinade chicken with Greek lemon rice, Greek potatoes or Mediterranean salad. If you’re looking for a simple side salad to go with this dish, try classic Greek salad, or turn it into a wrap with freshly baked pita and some tzatziki.
Of course, you can also use this Greek marinated chicken in salads, pastas, rice bowls, sandwiches, wraps and even paninis. Because of its versatility, this chicken recipe is perfect for meal prepping as well.
Storage And Reheating
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat using a microwave or in a pan over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
To freeze uncooked marinated chicken, transfer it to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and cook it using your preferred cooking method.
You can freeze cooked Greek marinaded chicken for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw it in the fridge and reheat in a pan over medium heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Discard the marinade once you’ve cooked all the chicken pieces. Don’t use it in any other way since it contains raw chicken.
The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees F which you will measure by inserting an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. If not using an instant thermometer, you need to slice the chicken to make sure it’s not pink inside and the juices run clear, which might result in the chicken to be a bit dry since it’s sliced while very hot.
Yes, you can use any cut of chicken with this marinade. My favorites are boneless skinless breast or thighs, wings and tenders.
You can make the marinade without adding the chicken up to 3 days in advance. If adding the chicken, you can marinate it for up to 8 hours in advance.
More Chicken Recipes
Greek Recipes
Greek Chicken And Potatoes Recipe
Greek Recipes
Greek Chicken Gyro
Mediterranean recipes
Greek One Pan Chicken And Rice
Mediterranean recipes
Mediterranean Garlic Chicken Recipe
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Best Greek Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts , boneless skinless
- 2 lemons
- 6 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a large bowl.
- Add the zest and the juice of the 2 lemons to the chicken followed by minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, olive oil and Greek yogurt. Using a pair of tongs, move the chicken around to make sure every piece is well coated with the marinade.
- Cover and marinate for 30 minutes up to 8 hours.
- Once ready to cook, bring the chicken to room temperature and use one of the following methods to cook the chicken.
To grill the chicken
- Preheat the grill to medium high. Once the grill is ready, take the chicken out of the marinade using a pair of tongs and shake off the excess marinade.
- Place the chicken on the grates and grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, flipping once. The chicken is ready once the internal temperature registers at 165 degrees F.
- Let the chicken rest for 2 to 4 minutes before slicing.
To bake the chicken in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Place the marinated chicken on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
To pan sear the chicken
- Heat a cast iron skillet or a heavy bottom pan over medium high heat. There is no need to add oil to the pan.
- Take the chicken out of the marinade and shake off the excess marinade. Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 5 to 8 minutes undisturbed on one side.
- Flip and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
Video
Notes
- You can serve this Greek marinated chicken with lemon rice, Greek potatoes or Greek salad. It also makes a great wrap with pita and tzatziki.
- Use this chicken on pizza, pasta, rice bowls, salad, sandwiches or paninis.
- You can use other cuts of chicken including boneless skinless chicken thighs, tenders or wings.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the chicken cut.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This really is the best marinade! So delicious and so great to have on hand for summer!
Oh my gosh, this is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.! The combo of Greek yogurt, lemon and herbs is so good. I’ll definitely be making this over and over again!