Greek Chicken Marinade Recipe

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5 from 9 votes

Published on April 22, 2023

, Updated on February 19, 2024

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by Carrie Barnard

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Greek Chicken Marinade is a delicious blend of fresh lemon juice, herbs, seasoning and more. This Greek yogurt marinade is easy to make and taste amazing on chicken.

Best Greek Yogurt Chicken marinade

It is super easy to make Greek marinade for chicken. We love marinating chicken because it results in such tender and flavorful meat. The marinade ingredients are very simple and you probably have a lot of these in your pantry already.

Once you try this chicken recipe, it will be on permanent rotation. It is so yummy and Easy Mediterranean Recipe.

We love to grill chicken, but we have listed options for baking in the oven or cooking on the stovetop. This marinade is so versatile and easy to cook with numerous methods.

Ingredients

Chicken Breasts
Olive Oil
Plain Greek Yogurt (See Substitutes for Greek Yogurt)
Garlic Powder
Lemons, juiced
Lemon, zest
Fresh Thyme (chopped)
Dried Oregano
Fresh Rosemary (chopped)
Fresh Parsley (chopped)
Salt and Black Pepper

How to make Greek Chicken Marinade:

Step 1: Combine the ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the chicken. Mix well to combine.

Step 2. Place the chicken into the marinade. Add the chicken to the bowl and make sure that it’s covered with the marinade. Marinade the chicken for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.

How long to marinade Greek chicken:

The chicken needs to marinate for at least 20 minutes. However, I highly recommend letting it marinate up to 2 hours. You do not want to marinade overnight or for an extended period as it can break down the chicken.

It will give the chicken so much flavor and each bite will be infused with so much flavor.

How to cook Greek chicken marinade:

Grill:

Step 1. Preheat the grill. First, the grill needs to be preheated to medium high heat (approximately 400 degrees F).
Step 2. Prepare the grill grates. Rub oil on the grill grates to prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill. Do not skip this step or it will be hard to remove the chicken.
Step 3. Place the chicken directly on the grill grate. Cook for 6-7 minutes per side until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. This is the temperature that chicken is safe to heat. Undercooked chicken should not be consumed.
Step 4. Remove the chicken. Then, remove the chicken from the grill, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Then the chicken is ready to slice, serve and enjoy!

Bake:

Step 1. Preheat the oven. It should be set to 400 degrees.
Step 2. Bake the chicken. Next, the chicken needs to bake for 30 minutes. You can use an instant read digital meat thermometer to ensure it is cooked to 165 degrees. Depending on the size of your chicken, it may not need to be cooked for 30 minutes and I would check it at 20 minutes.
Step 3. Remove from the oven. Lastly, allow the chicken to rest before slicing.

Stovetop:

Step 1. Heat the skillet. First, set the stove to medium heat.
Step 2. Add the chicken. Next, cook the yogurt marinated chicken for 8 to 10 minutes per side. It should be slightly browned and cooked through.
Step 3. Remove from pan and allow to rest. Finally, ensure the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Then allow the cooked chicken to rest and then slice and serve.

How to store:

Refrigerate the leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 5 days. We like to go ahead and place it inside individual containers for convenient lunches or dinners already portioned out.

When ready to enjoy, reheat in the microwave. Be careful that you do not cook it for too long so that it does not dry out.

You can also heat in the oven if you prefer. Just place the chicken in a baking dish and cover with foil.

Recipe tips:

Meat thermometer. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken is cooked to a safe temperature. The internal temperature of chicken should be 165. Make sure to insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.
Good quality Ingredients. You can substitute fresh garlic for garlic powder if you prefer. We do recommend fresh lemon juice but bottled can be used in a pinch. We used fresh herbs but you can use dried if you do not have a fresh option.
Other types of chicken. We used boneless skinless chicken breasts in this grilled chicken recipe but other types can be used. Some ideas include bone in chicken, chicken thighs, chicken tenders and chicken legs. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time as each cut of chicken will vary.
Do not reuse marinade. Marinade that has had raw chicken in it should never be reused. This needs to be thrown out. Do not use it to baste the chicken as it grills.
Oil. You want to use an oil that combines well with your other ingredients. In this recipe, olive oil is perfect. However, If you want to make an Asian inspired marinade, try using sesame oil.
Plain Yogurt. This recipe calls for plain Greek yogurt and we do not suggest substituting for flavored yogurt.
Allow the meat to rest. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. This will allow the natural juices to stay in the chicken and keep it moist.

How to freeze:

Place the marinade in a gallon size ziplock bag. Then add the chicken to the bag. Seal tightly and place in the freezer.

It can be frozen up to 1 month. When ready to use, allow to thaw overnight in the fridge. Cook the chicken within 24 hours of putting the meat in the fridge.

This is a great way to meal prep and save time during busy weeknights. I actually like to double the recipe and place one in the freezer and enjoy one that night for dinner.

What to serve with Greek chicken:

Greek Pasta Salad. This make ahead pasta salad option is loaded with flavor and inexpensive to make. We also love to enjoy the leftover chicken cut up and combined with this pasta salad for lunch.
Easy Parmesan Pasta. With only 4 ingredients, this side dish is so easy and taste delicious with Greek chicken. It is an easy go to side dish for our family.
Foil Packed Grilled Red Potatoes. Foil Pack recipes are so easy and can be made in the oven or on the grill. Clean up is so easy with these toss and go foil packs.
Grilled Brussel Sprouts. These are amazing on the grill and combine perfectly with the chicken for a complete meal.