Greek Chicken Marinade

This Greek Chicken Marinade recipe is a simple mix of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and zest, seasoning, Dijon mustard and garlic. It makes the most tender, juicy and flavorful chicken thighs and breasts, and it’s one of our favorite (and most frequently used) marinade recipes.

Our Greek chicken marinade takes just minutes to pull together and calls for only a handful of simple ingredients that you may already have on hand in your pantry.

Greek Chicken Marinade Recipe Ingredients

• Chicken.  We use this Greek chicken marinade with thighs and breasts. 
• Olive Oil. Use regular olive oil, extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
• Red Wine Vinegar. This adds a pop of flavor and helps to tenderize the chicken.
• Dijon Mustard. We add just a little Dijon mustard which adds another layer of flavor to the chicken.
• Seasoning. We use a simple mix of dried oregano, basil, salt and pepper. You can use dried thyme instead of basil. Use fresh herbs if you like.
• Lemon Juice and Zest. Lemon juice also helps to tenderize the chicken. Use fresh squeezed lemon juice, not the bottled stuff from the store. Lemon zest adds a bright pop of flavor.
• Garlic. Garlic is a traditional ingredient in Greek food. It adds a lot of flavor to the chicken.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

How To Make Marinade For Greek Chicken 

1. Make marinade.  Add the ingredients to a mason jar and seal the lid.  Shake well to blend. You can also use a stick blender (immersion blender) to blend the ingredients in the mason jar.
2. Refrigerate. This marinade will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.  As it chills in the refrigerator, the olive may solidify a bit. Just remove the marinade  from the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes so you can whisk it again before use.

How To Bake Greek Chicken

1. Dry Chicken With Paper Towels. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. 
2. Whisk Ingredients For Marinade. Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade in a medium bowl.
3. Marinate Chicken. Place the chicken pieces in a large shallow bowl or baking dish and pour the marinade over the chicken. Make sure all of the pieces are covered with the marinade.
4. Refrigerate Chicken. Cover and refrigerate the chicken for 30 minutes. You can leave the chicken in the refrigerator overnight to marinate, but we don’t recommend leaving it in the marinade longer than 12 hours. 
5. Pan Sear Chicken. Heat oil for a minute or two in a large skillet over medium heat before adding the chicken pieces. Using tongs or a fork, carefully add the chicken breasts (or thighs) to the oil and let them cook 7-9 minutes or until the chicken lifts easily from the pan and the cooked side is a light golden brown.
6. Add Butter To Pan. Add butter to the pan and swirl it after you lift the chicken from the pan. Set the chicken back in the pan and cook another minute longer in the butter so the chicken turns a rich golden brown color.
7. Turn Chicken. Using tongs or a fork, turn the chicken to the other side and cook another 5-6 minutes. Add more butter and swirl and set the chicken back in the pan and cook another 30-60 seconds longer.
8. Transfer To Oven.  Cook in the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until the chicken  is cooked through and no longer pink inside. This step is for bone-in chicken pieces because they will need to cook through longer. If you are using boneless chicken pieces, you can cook the pieces completely in the skillet and won’t need to transfer them to the oven.
9. Rest Chicken. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest in the pan for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Grilling Greek Chicken

This is a great way to cook chicken during warm summer months!

1. Prepare Grill Grates. Clean the grill grates. Lightly oil the grates with light olive oil or vegetable oil, and adjust the grill to medium-high heat.
2. Grill Chicken. Using a pair of tongs, transfer the chicken from the marinade directly to the grill grates. Discard the used marinade. Lower the grill lid and cook the chicken for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook the chicken another 3-5 minutes, then using the tongs, flip the chicken over to the other side. Grill another 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. You can use a meat thermometer and check to make sure the thickest part of the chicken pieces registers 160 degrees Fahrenheit. 
3. Rest Chicken. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate or platter and cover with foil. Let the chicken rest about 5 minutes before serving.

Tips For Making Marinated Greek Chicken 

1. Make sure to pat the chicken good and dry before adding it to the marinade.
2. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Pat the chicken dry before adding it to the skillet.
4. Make sure the oil is sizzling hot before adding the chicken to the pan.
5. Cook the chicken without moving it for 7-9 minutes or until the cooked side is golden brown and the chicken lifts easily from the pan.
6. Use a cast iron skillet or a good non-stick skillet to sear the chicken before transferring it to the oven.
7. If the skin of the chicken starts to get too cooked, place a piece of aluminum foil over the baking dish with holes poked in it.
8. Discard the marinade after you’re done marinating the chicken in it. If you want to baste your chicken with it, we recommend bringing it to a boil in a saucepan first.

More Greek Recipes You Might Like

• Greek Chicken Bowl
• Greek Chicken
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Greek Quinoa Salad
• Greek Lentil Salad
• Greek Cucumber Salad
• Greek Salad Dressing
• Greek Tzatziki Chicken Salad

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Print

Yield: 4 Servings

Greek Chicken Marinade

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

This Greek Chicken Marinade recipe is a simple mix of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and zest, seasoning, Dijon mustard and garlic. It makes the most tender, juicy and flavorful chicken thighs and breasts, and it's one of our favorite (and most frequently used) marinade recipes.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts or 6 thighs
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1-1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Blend Marinade Ingredients: Add the ingredients to a wide-mouth mason jar and seal the lid and shake well to blend, or you can use a stick blender (immersion blender) to blend the ingredients in the mason jar.
2. Prep Chicken: Pat chicken dry using paper towels.
3. Marinate Chicken. Place the chicken in a shallow bowl or baking dish and pour the marinade over the chicken. Make sure all of the chicken is covered in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the chicken for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can leave the chicken in the refrigerator overnight to marinate, but we don't recommend leaving it in the marinade longer than 12 hours.
4. Cook Chicken: Heat oil for a minute or two in a large skillet over medium heat before adding the chicken breasts. Using tongs or a fork, carefully add the chicken to the oil and let the pieces cook 7-9 minutes or until the chicken lifts easily from the pan and the cooked side is a light golden brown. Add butter to the pan and swirl it after you lift the chicken from the pan. Set the chicken back in the pan and cook another minute longer in the butter so the chicken turns a rich golden brown color. Using tongs or a fork, turn the chicken over to the other side and cook another 5-6 minutes. Add more butter and swirl and set the chicken back in the pan and cook another 30-60 seconds longer.
5. Serve. Let chicken rest in pan for 3-5 minutes then serve as a main dish with sides or use the chicken for sandwiches, wraps and bowls.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 441mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 38g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.