Need something easy and flavorful to throw on the grill this weekend? This Greek Marinated Chicken is it.
The marinade for this chicken (similar to what I used for this Chicken Shawarma ) takes just a few minutes to stir together and creates an absolute explosion of flavor. It’s incredible. I only marinated my chicken in this magical mix for 30 minutes, but the flavor was still loud and clear. Once marinated, you can grill the chicken outdoors over a gas or charcoal flame, or (if you don’t have a grill) you can bake it in the oven. Either way, you’ll get a super flavorful and moist end product.
I served this Greek Marinated Chicken with my Lemony Cucumber and Couscous Salad, which was the perfect cold summer side, and incorporated both starches and vegetables into the meal. Two birds with one stone!
Greek Marinated Chicken
Greek Marinated Chicken
Servings 8 piecesIngredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt ($0.63)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.32)
- 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano ($0.08)
- 1 medium lemon ($0.49)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley ($0.20)
- 3 1/2 to 4 lbs chicken pieces ($6.86)
Instructions
- To make the marinade, combine the yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl. Use a fine holed cheese grater or a zester to scrape the thin layer of yellow zest from the lemon skin into the bowl. Also add the juice from half of the lemon (about 1-2 Tbsp). Stir until the ingredients are well combined. Roughly chop a big handful, or about 1/4 bunch, of parsley and stir it into the marinade.
- Add the chicken pieces and marinade to a gallon sized zip top bag. Remove as much air as possible, close the bag tightly, and massage the bag to mix the contents and make sure the chicken is well coated. Refrigerate the bag for 30 minutes.
- After marinating for 30 minutes, either cook the chicken on a grill OR preheat the oven to 375 degrees in preparation to bake the chicken.
- To bake the chicken, place the chicken pieces in a large casserole dish (9×13). Bake the chicken in the preheated 375 degree oven for 45-60 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Step by Step Photos for Greek Marinated Chicken
First prepare the marinade. Combine the yogurt, olive oil, oregano, minced garlic, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl. Add the zest from one lemon and the juice from about half of it (1-2 Tbsp). Stir these ingredients until well combined.
Add a handful, or about 1/4 bunch, of roughly chopped parsley. This is your finished marinade (or a REALLY awesome dip!).
I used about 3.75 pounds of chicken pieces (drumsticks and thighs). You could easily half this Greek Marinated Chicken recipe, if needed.
Add the chicken pieces and the marinade to a large, gallon-sized zip top bag and mix it around to make sure the chicken is well coated. Refrigerate the bag for 30 minutes.
After marinating, you can either grill the chicken or bake it. I don’t have an outdoor grill, so I decided to bake it. Place the chicken pieces in a large casserole dish. I ended up pouring the extra marinade over top, but later realized that this just made it take longer to brown, so I don’t suggest doing so. There is plenty of flavor in the marinade that you won’t need to add the extra.
Bake the chicken in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45-60 minutes, or until it is golden brown. It will smell SO good! Now eat!
I served this Greek Marinated Chicken with my Lemony Cucumber and Couscous salad and it was PERFECT! :D
D-licious! Lemon and garlic perfectly. Thanks for sharing. I found it on Pinterest.
*Perfectly balanced
I saw this recipe in a newspaper publication and thought it looked pretty good. I made it last night using bone-in thighs. It was delicious! The skin was crispy and the meat moist. I decided I had to share it with my friends. Rather than mixing the ingredients in a bowl, I put them in the bag and kneaded it until blended then added the chicken. I worked the chicken around in the bag until the pieces were covered. Easy peasy. I baked it for an hour but could have cut the time a bit. Still moist tho. Next time. Btw, this is my first online recipe review. That’s how much I liked it.
Outstanding
Hello, I tried the recipe once before and the family loved it. I was wondering if I could pre-make the recipe and then freeze for use at a later date.
I haven’t tried freezing this. I’m not sure how the yogurt marinade would hold up to freezing.
Thanks for sharing. Do you think that it could be made in a crockpot?
This one wouldn’t work well in a crock pot because that cooking method holds in too much moisture. You definitely need dry heat for this one.
Can I use plain greek yogurt ? or will that be too thick?
It might be a little thick, but if that’s what you already have on hand you can thin it out with a little more olive oil and extra lemon juice.
Out standing, we loved it. Will be making it again Thank You. We had it with Greek lemon spuds and pita bread and hummus. Trouble is I ate too much. We grow our own Russian garlic and it was wonderful in this recipe.
Wayne & Mona
Nakusp, B.C.
Can’t rate it yet, making it right now, but it sure smells good. And me, never too much garlic. Let you know how it is later, bet it is wonderful.
W&M
Nakusp, B.C.
I love this recipe so much! I marinate the chicken overnight and bake the chicken on wire racks with ciabatta bread underneath to catch all the drippings! Very tasty and super affordable!
Do you think it would work if I subbed sour cream for yogurt? I have some in the fridge that needs to be used up.
Thanks!
I think it would still be pretty tasty. The flavor will be different, but probably still good.
Can this be frozen?? Perhaps add the yogurt when thawing??
Honestly, I’m not sure how that would work out without trying it.
Today was the first time to visit your site. I grilled the Greek Marinated Chicken tonight. This chicken recipe is the best “new to me” recipe in a long time. Because I am allergic to citrus I substituted Marukan Lite Rice Vinegar Dressing for the lemon rind and juice. It tastes good enough to put into regular rotation. Good enough for company!
This recipe did not turn out so good for me. It looks like the picture but I find it lacking flavor especially considering it says “recipe very garlicky”. My family and I love garlic so I kept the amount as is and we couldn’t taste at all. I found this recipe to be a lot of effort for not a lot of flavor.
I have had this recipe on my pinterest board for over two years now and finally got around to making it. The result absolutely delicious. I didn’t have oregano so I used herbs de provence, which paired great with the yogurt, lemon, parsley, and garlic. I also like how versatile this recipe is-I’ll add more garlic next time.
This is my FAVORITE recipe on your site! My husband and I adore your recipes!!!
As for those that are having a tough time finding this flavorful, make sure that you zest the ENTIRE lemon and maybe use a little extra lemon juice?
Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for your site!