If I won the lotto and was able to buy multiple houses, one would most certainly be in Greece. The people, the sights, the history, the weather, the FOOD, the FOOD, the FOOD. When we ate our way through Athens, Crete and Santorini, the traditional Mediterranean flavors featuring fresh herbs, citrus, sheep's milk feta cheese, Greek yogurt and honey were everywhere. There was not a bad or even mediocre meal to be had.
This super easy Greek chicken marinade is reminiscent of all of those Greek flavors we experienced and is a healthy meal to boot. This has become one of our go-to chicken recipes and is the star of the show for our Greek Chicken Gyros paired with creamy tzatziki sauce and Greek salsa.
We use this chicken heavily for easy meal prep, adding as our protein to lunch salads. This tender chicken has tons of flavor from the mix of Greek seasoning, fresh garlic, and bright acidity from the lemon juice and zest. This juicy chicken yields a delicious dish regardless of how you choose to serve it. Check out our serving suggestions for more inspiration.
Tips for Preparing
You'll just need a few simple ingredients for this Greek chicken marinade:
Chicken breasts
Extra virgin olive oil
Garlic
Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest
Dried spices: thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper
Fresh parsley
Fresh thin cut round lemon slices *optional for presentation
Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes. It's optimal to marinate for up to three hours to let all those Mediterranean flavors meld.
Serving Suggestions
Because this is such flavorful chicken, one of the best ways to enjoy it is on its own as the main dish paired with a fresh Greek salad and warm pita bread. If you're craving something more substantial, cut pieces of chicken into strips and use as the filling for Greek chicken gyros (one of our favorite ways to eat it) topped with feta cheese, tzatziki (a traditional greek yogurt sauce), red onions, quartered cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley and cucumbers. For a lower carb option, make a Greek chicken salad with crisp romaine lettuce and arugula.
This chicken stores well for up to 3-4 days, refrigerated in an airtight container. We use a full batch throughout the workweek as the protein for our lunchtime salads.
PrintThe BEST (and easy) Greek Grilled Chicken Marinade
Full of herbs and zesty lemon flavor, this Greek chicken marinade is perfect for grilling up juicy chicken breasts. Enjoy this chicken as the main dish, as the filling for Greek gyros or as a protein in a healthy salad.
- Prep Time: 10 min + 30 min-3 hours to marinate
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 7 minute
- Yield: 6 4oz servings 1x
- Category: greek main dishes
- Method: Griling
- Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
1.5 lbs skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 finely diced garlic cloves
1 lemon juiced and zested
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and spices in a shallow bowl or ziplock bag
- Add chicken breast to marinade
- Marinate chicken in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours
- Heat outdoor grill to medium-high
- Cook chicken on each side for about 3-5 minutes. Move to indirect heat on grill until cooked through. The thickest part of the chicken should have an internal temperature of 165° F when testing with meat thermometer
- Let cooked chicken rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4oz
Keywords: Greek chicken, grilled greek chicken, easy greek chicken recipe, summer grilling recipes
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