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
Can I marnaite the chicken overnight in the fridge ??
Pra ser bom tem que tirar a pele, do contrário assim meio cozido, é nogento!
You could add the marinade to a sauce pan and cook it to pour over the chicken after it is cooked. Looks too yummy to waste. Heading out now to get the chicken and yogurt. Can’t wait!!!!!
Yep. When cooking used marinades you need to be sure to boil it for at least ten minutes.
I made this using the chicken thighs. It was excellent. I had tried wings before on the grill but the thighs in the oven were perfect. I added some fresh rosemary because had quite a lot in the garden and because why not?
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I made this last night with greek yogurt, but accidentally left out the lemon zest. I loved how tender the chicken was (because of the yogurt?!), but I thought the dish was extremely bland and boring….
Seems like other people used greek yogurt and got a successful dish, not sure what went wrong. Especially since I thought the marinade tasted great! I can’t imagine the zest having THAT much of an impact, but maybe I will try again and see.
I made this dish last wk & it was the same for us- very bland/lacked flavor. But like you mentioned, the chicken (breasts & thighs) was very tender. We used Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt. I wonder if it just needs longer to marinate? The recipe only called for 30 min & that just doesn’t seem like enough time. What saved the meal is that we made the suggested couscous recipe as a side dish & it was delicious!!
The first time I tried it I thought is was bland as well but it had promise. I added a half teaspoon of onion powder and a tablespoon of white wine vinegar and marinated overnight. I then made a sauce similar to the marinade with a little white wine vinegar and diced onion to spoon over the chicken after is was cooked. Now that’s the stuff!
All the same! What I did differently was that I used “Greek style yogurt” replaced oregano with taragon, and had to use dried parsley since I did not have any fresh ones. It came out bland too. I think the marinade time is a bit short too, just as Ellen said. I probably won’t try this recipe again, or at least not as a marinade. But as a dip, it has potential. :)
SO glad I found your blog! This is my new favorite way to do chicken, the Greek yogurt makes it so moist! I can’t wait to try it with your recommended couscous side. Your recipes are so full of flavor and healthy!
Another home run Beth. The lemon zest really added to this recipe!
I am so excited that I found your website! The recipes look amazing and I’ve got the Greek Marinated Chicken in the fridge marinating as I type. I tasted the marinade before adding the chicken and it was delicious. I’ve also signed up and look forward to finding more goodies in my inbox.
Thanks! k
I’ve got to try this Greek Marinated chicken. This is just the change I need from the same old chicken recipes I’ve been using. Thanks so much!
I made this last night it was delicious. Used boneless skinless chicken thighs and Greek Yogurt. Don’t know how anyone could say this was tasteless or dry.
Awsome. This is so good. I´m gonna keep this resipe close at hand. Looking forward to cook this on the bbq when the weather permits.
I made these and accidently used Greek yogurt… no bueno. May I ask, did you use regular yogurt? Did you grill or bake them? I’m going to try this again, because that marinade looks too good — can’t give up just yet! Wish me luck.
Some leftover yogurt in the fridge and chicken drumsticks in the freezer- this is so happening! Can’t wait to grill these up! I included these in my weekly menu plan post http://www.bostongirlbakes.com/2016/02/28/sunday-meal-plan-week-1/ had to share :)
In a pinch, do i still need to marinade it for 30 min?
I would at least marinate for as long as you have time for. The more time, the more flavor.
I made this recipe and it had absolutely no flavor and the chicken was dry. I followed the recipe exactly. Probably one of the worst dishes I have ever made. I have no idea what went wrong. I will not be making this again.