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
This sounds so goooood!!!!!!!
But one question cook this un covered?
Thank you
Correct! :)
If I don’t have fresh parsley how much dried or could I substitute spinach? Thanks :)
I’d add a 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley to the marinade. Dried parsley doesn’t quite taste the same as fresh, but I’m sure it will still taste good. :)
hi Beth. lovely blog you have here. Question on the greek marinated chicken, if I am to bake it, should i cover in foil or just bake in an open casserole dish?
Bake it open because if you cover it the steam will be trapped and it will be kind of soggy and gooey. :)
Amazing dish, super moist, flavorful and easy dish.
I was so excited to make this. I followed the recipe perfectly even marinated it longer assuming it’d be more flavorful.
In short, it smells better than it tastes. This is the blandest chicken I’ve ever tasted. 0 stars and a thumbs down.
If I were to marinate chicken, I season it before and after so it’s not bland.
I want to make this recipe but I want to use boneless and skinless chicken. My only problem is that I don’t know how to adjust the oven temp and time. Any suggestions?
Hmm, you know, I’ve never really just baked boneless-skinless breasts before (strange, right? But I guess I usually use quick cooking methods for that cut, like grilling). I think your best bet would be to google a baked chicken breast recipe and use that as a guide. The sauce/marinade shouldn’t change the cooking time. It will also most likely vary slightly with the size of the breast.
Recipe looks good. Can this be marinated over night?
Found your recipe on Pinterest on I guess your website — Budget Bytes.
I haven’t tried marinating it that long. I’ve read that if you marinate chicken too long it can break down and become a little mushy, but I haven’t tested that to know how long is too long.
can i use bone-in chicken breasts for this? that’s my favorite cut
Yes, but you will probably have to cook longer because the pieces are so large.
Can i put this with chicken breasts in a slow cooker?
I don’t think this one will turn out very well in the slow cooker.
I made this last night for a team of softball players. I used drumsticks, because the girls are tiny, and they also are little savages who like to eat with their fingers (watching them help themselves to a platter of these drumsticks was like a scene out of Game of Thrones). I made extra sauce and put it with smoked tofu for the two vegetarians. The only change I made was to lower the garlic and the lemon just a little because of young stomachs. A great recipe and one I will definitely make again!
Adding: my sister says they were more like drunken pirates.
Ha! Drunken pirates! :D
EXCELENTE MUY RICO
Awesome recipe! Will make again.
Great Greek chicken
Could I use sour cream instead of yogurt ?
While they both have “creamy” and “tangy” characteristics, I find their flavor to be quite different. I’d stick with the yogurt for this one.
This recipe was the bomb. We just finished having this dish for dinner. I used greek yogurt but I didn’t have any parsley on hand. I did noticed that after 45 minutes the chicken was still looking a little pale so I basted it with the pan drippings. After 15 minutes the chicken was nicely browned. I also made a nice gravy with the drippings. I will definitely be making this again and again. Thank you Beth!