Greek Grilled Chicken Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

It's always good to have a practical chicken recipe on hand for when you don't want to think about what to make or when you don't have a lot of time. This grilled chicken recipe checks all the boxes for a few reasons:

1. It's easy: As easy as make the marinade, marinate the chicken and then grill it. Pretty simple, right?
2. Very practical: You can make this recipe using a charcoal or gas grill. If the weather doesn't permit, you can easily cook the chicken in a grill pan or a skillet.
3. Use any cut of chicken: I made this recipe using boneless skinless chicken breast, but it would also work with tenders or boneless skinless thighs.
4. Endless options: You can serve this dish with any kind of side dish you fancy. From a simple piece of bread to salads, rice, veggies or potatoes. It's always delicious!

The Marinade

Everything I love about this recipe lies within the marinade. Just like our Greek chicken marinade, the ingredients are simple yet work so well together and the Mediterranean flavor shines in each and every bite of this chicken. Here is what you need to make the marinade:

• Olive oil: My suggestion is to use a quality extra virgin olive oil. With deep color and flavor, good quality olive oil makes all the difference.
• Lemon: If it's possible, always use fresh lemon to make the marinade. If you have a zester, add some lemon zest to the mixture too.
• Garlic: There is no such thing as too much garlic in my book. the classic combination of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil gives such bright flavor to the dish.
• Spices: The main spice to add here is the oregano. Add a bit of salt and pepper and you're good to go.

How To Make Greek Grilled Chicken

It's very easy to make this Greek grilled chicken recipe. I've included both outdoor and indoor grilling methods.

• In a large bowl mix olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper and oregano. Add the chicken to the marinade and make sure it's coated on all sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
• Prepare the gas/charcoal grill to about 400°F. Take the marinated chicken out of the fridge and place it on the counter.
• Once the grill is hot, it's time to grill the chicken. Using tongs, take the chicken out of the marinade and place it on the grill. Cook for about 5 to 8 minutes on one side. Then flip and cook for about 6 minutes on the other side until cooked. The chicken is cooked when the juices run clean and the internal temperature registers at 165ºF.

Serving suggestions

As I mentioned before, there are endless ways to serve grilled Greek chicken. Here are three ways to serve this dish:

• Serve it with dishes such as Greek lemon rice, Greek spinach rice, Lebanese vermicelli rice or spinach pesto pasta.
• With a side of vegetables such as grilled asparagus, Mediterranean grilled vegetables, briam (roasted vegetables) or roasted artichokes.
• Make it into a sandwich with homemade pita, tzatziki, hummus and fresh Greek salad.
• Turn it into a salad by making our classic Mediterranean salad, grilled peach salad or green bean salad and top it with chopped grilled chicken and some homemade pita chips.

Frequently asked questions