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
I made this last night with boneless, skinless chicken thighs on an indoor electric grill and they came out fantastic! I used Greek yogurt (no problems there) and used a bit more oregano. It paired wonderfully with a Greek salad and some roasted asparagus.
OMG – this is soooo good! I followed the recipe almost exactly except for that I used the zest and juice of an entire lemon, rather than just half. My bf loves it and raved over how good it was. It’s quickly become a family favorite dish :)
I didn’t have fresh garlic on hand either so I used Iberia brand minced garlic from a jar (half a cup of it) and used dried Badia brand parsley instead of fresh. The flavor was amazing! I marinate the chicken in a gallon-size ziploc bag for 50 minutes, then bake on a cookie tray lined with Reynold’s non-stick foil for about 55 minutes @375 degrees. I use chicken thighs and the skin always comes out nice and crisp, the chicken very flavorful.
I forgot – using a fresh lemon for the juice is important. I noticed that bottled lemon juice doesn’t work as well for marinade and when I’ve used it in the past the chicken would hardly have any lemon flavor but when I use fresh lemon juice the chicken is very strongly flavored of lemon. Also, many have mentioned they covered the chicken. The skin won’t get crisp if you do that. I left mine uncovered the entire cooking time and it got very crisp.
I’m making this for company tomorrow, without having tried it first. I never do this, but all your recipes I’ve tried worked out so here’s to hoping this one does too.
I agree with some of the other reviewers – ended up with bland chicken. I was really excited to try this since baked chicken is one of my favorites, and the pictures as well as the ingredients of this recipe bodes well for a successful recipe. I tried the marinade after I made it and it delicious (will likely make it again as a dip), and followed the recipe as is. Only difference is I covered the baking dish for 20 minutes and left it uncovered for the remaining 40 minutes. There was quite a lot of juice in the dish after baking, and I could tell right off the bat that the chicken didn’t seem like it soaked in all the flavor seven though I marinated it for 40 minutes. I could have baked it for longer but I was afraid it would dry out the chicken.
End result – chicken was moist and tender (I used drumsticks and thighs), but completely lacked flavor. Maybe using a thicker yogurt like full fat Greek yogurt may make it better/easier for the chicken to hold on to while baking.
This was really tasty! I actually did skinless boneless thighs since they ended up being cheaper, would definitely do these guys again when bone-in skin-on is cheaper (which it normally is, but sales, ya know?). I ended up dumping the marinade in with the chicken and baked it and it did end up a bit soggy in parts but that was my own fault for not following advice and being lazy!
I made the couscous on the side as well and they were perfect together! Thanks Beth!
Do you think I could freeze the marinade and then thaw it and marinate the chicken? I’m in a meal exchange group and we make freezer meals. This looks delicious!
Hmm, I’m not sure because I don’t know how yogurt holds up to freezing. Maybe try with a really small batch and see if it separates upon thawing.
Alicia – did you try freezing it? How did it turn out? I am also in a freezer meal swap group and want to do this meal because it looks heavenly!
I tried this recipe but it turned out very greasy. I had to pat the chickens with paper towels. I followed your recipe to the letter.
I think next time I will use less olive oil than the recipe calls for. Maybe 1 Tablespoon or 1 teaspoon. I also think next time I will cover my pan with foil and use Greek yogurt as others have suggested.
Can I marinade this overnight?
I haven’t tried it, but I probably would. Some say marinating too long can make the meat mushy, but I’d still try it. :P
Made this a few weeks back for a cookout and it was a HUGE HIT! Chicken was moist and delicious on the grill!
I used to get chicken like this at a Greek restaurant and have been looking for a good recipe to duplicate the flavors…… this is it. Made it tonight one word Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
This looks awesome! I’ve got mine in the fridge marinating right now… I had plain Greek yogurt, and lime- so there are a few subs, but I’m so ready for dinner!! Thanks for the idea :)
Tried this for the first time tonight. I loved it but my husband and one child of mind didn’t. Because they didn’t like lemon. But we are a family of nine so great recipe
Hey just wondering how long this would take on the grill? I want to try it tomorrow night
I think it would be great on the grill.
Found this recipe on Pinterest and made it for dinner tonight. It is amazing, I have one pleased family. I did add some red pepper flakes to top the chicken for a little kick and some extra color. Will definitely go into my recipe rotation. Thanks for the recipe!
I made it to my kids – who were always complaining about my cooking :) – and they loved it so much, that they keep asking for the chicken everyday. Thank you so much, keep the good work going :)