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 marinate potatoes with the yogourt mixture too and add them to the marinated Chicken. In the pan?
I’ve never tried marinating potatoes before, so I’m not sure how that would turn out.
Would this taste as good with Turkey?
Probably, but it’s hard to say for sure without trying it. :)
So excited to try this. I only have about a pound of chicken breast strips. Would you recommend baking or sautéing? If I bake at 375 should I bake for 30 minutes?
I would do it in a skillet. It will be faster and you’ll have less chance of them drying out, plus you’ll get some nice browning on the outside.
Do I cover this with foil before I bake it
Nope. :) That will always be included in the instructions if it is required.
I am going out of town for work. Can I pre make the marinade for my hubs and then have him ad it to the chicken day off? The marinade would be in the fridge for 3 days.
Yes, that should work fine. :)
Excellent. I was a little skeptical. But, it was surprisingly tasty. I grilled it. Ate more then I should have, it was so darn good.
Could I leave this marinade overnight?
Yes that would be great!
I made this today using a whole chicken instead of chicken pieces. It was delicious. I marinated the chicken in a bag for about 4-5 hours, then roasted it in a pan over cut up potatoes with some olive oil, slat and pepper on them. So good. Next time I’ll probably use chicken pieces because I really hate carving a chicken, but I’ll definitely use the marinade again.
How long would you bake if you were using boneless skinless breasts? This looks amazing, btw….
I’d recommend about 30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165.
Hi! Is it okay to marinate a little longer? Or will it start breaking down the chicken too much? Thanks! Can’t wait to try tonight!
No it definitely can’t hurt!
Has anyone tried this in an airfryer ?
I just did this afternoon. 10 minutes on 400F, flipped, then another 10 minutes at 400F. It came out well. Nicely browned and juicy. I marinated the chicken(skin on, bone-in, thighs) overnight.
Hi and thanks for the recipe. Was wondering if it would be good sliced after cooked and put in a tortilla wrap with lettuce, tomato and onion?
That sounds delicious!
HOLY COW. THIS IS SO SIMPLE AND AMAZING. thank you for sharing this. my two year old eats this with us, i skip the salt and fresh parsley (i didn’t have any in my fridge), add a little extra lemon juice (pre-squeezed from store-bought bottle) with a side of steamed zucchini and plain couscous. absolutely delicious!
i left it in the fridge to marinate for almost three hours. the chicken drumsticks turn a little blue because of the acid and i know it’s oven ready.
i used thighs only for the last batch, and it was a little oil-y so, next time i’ll skip the olive oil for chicken thighs.
thank you for our family dinner!
This recipe looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! For those who may be interested in the nutrition values like me:
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 434
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18.6g 24%
Saturated Fat 4.9g 24%
Cholesterol 178mg 59%
Sodium 340mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 3.5g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0.4g 1%
Total Sugars 2.4g
Protein 59.4g
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Calcium 95mg 7%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 576mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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What is the serving size? 4 ounces? 8 ounces? Thank you!
I’d say two to three drumsticks a serving.
This was SO good! I used boneless skinless thighs and it was juicy and tender.
I broiled it for a few minutes to get a nice char and sprinkled some sea salt before serving.
Can’t wait to make again, thanks !
375 Farenheit?
Yes 375 degrees Farenheit.