Greek Chicken Marinade makes the most tender and flavorful chicken ever! Use this simple and delicious Greek-inspired chicken marinade to spice up any favorite chicken dish.
We’ve got more fresh Mediterranean flavors in store for you! Try my favorite Tzatziki Sauce, Grilled Chicken Souvlaki, Lemon Couscous, Greek Lemon Rice, One Pot Greek Chicken and Orzo, Mediterranean Salad with Greek Salad Dressing, and Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Gyros.
Why This Recipe Works
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner: Don’t let your chicken dinner repertoire get boring. For real, I know how it is to be stuck in a rut of boring chicken meals. But don’t fret! This Greek chicken marinade recipe will take you out of boring chicken dinners and into a world of flavor!
Packed with Flavor: The combination of flavors in this Greek chicken marinade is amazing. The yogurt and olive oil add moisture and a bit of fat while the dried herbs add a depth of flavor and red wine vinegar and lemon zest add some needed brightness to the mix! This is probably one of my favorite ways to marinade chicken, since it adds so much flavor and also helps to keep that chicken nice and tender when it is grilled!
Super Simple: There really couldn’t be a mores simple way of preparing chicken. The time that is required here is mostly just letting that chicken marinade in the fridge. After combining the ingredients, just let the chicken marinade for at least 2 hours to develop all the flavor! Then, fire up the grill or cast iron skillet and get to cooking!
Ingredients
- Plain Yogurt: You can use plain yogurt or a plain Greek-style yogurt, whichever you have on hand!
- Olive Oil: Olive oil pairs perfectly here to add a little bit of fat to the chicken and increase flavor.
- Honey: Honey adds just a hint of sweetness which is balanced by the salt and red wine vinegar. Honey helps the chicken to get a nice caramelized outside when cooked!
- Minced Garlic: Freshly minced garlic works best here.
- Seasonings: Dried Oregano, Dried Thyme, Salt and Pepper will season up the chicken to perfection!
- Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar adds a hint of tang!
- Lemon Zest: The most efficient way to zest a lemon is to use a microplane.
- Chicken: You can use chicken breast or boneless, skinless thighs! If using chicken breast, pound it down to about 3/4 inch thickness so that it cooks evenly and is cooked through by the time the outside is done! Plus, pounding it can help to tenderize it and keep it from getting tough.
Here’s How to Make It
Step by Step Instructions
- Combine Marinade Ingredients: Combine the yogurt, olive oil, honey, garlic, dried herbs, vinegar, salt, lemon zest and a generous amount of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and stir until coated. Marinate for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours. (photos 1-3)
- Cook the Chicken: To cook the chicken, shake off most of the marinade and either grill or cook in a cast iron pan with a splash of oil or cooking spray for 15 minutes, or until just cooked through. (photo 4)
Expert Tips
- Don’t over cook the chicken! Particularly if you are using chicken breast, it can get over cooked pretty easily since it is so lean. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer! It should be 165 F when it is done.
- Marinading time: You can marinade chicken from 30 minutes up to 24 hours. I recommend 2 hours since that gives the chicken enough time to take on the flavors but 24 hours would result in super flavorful chicken!
- Fresh ingredients are the best ingredients! Besides the dried herbs, try to use the freshest ingredients for the most flavor!
Serving Suggestions
This Greek chicken recipe is super versatile and can be served with so many things! Try pairing it with some of my favorites:
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! You can make this marinade ahead of time and freeze the chicken in it, as long as the chicken has not been frozen before. Freeze the chicken in the marinade for up to 3 months.
Definitely! If you prefer to bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and discard the remaining marinade. Bake the chicken until it has an internal temperature of 165 F. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness and the kind of chicken you are using.
More Chicken Recipes to Try
- Easy Chicken Gyros
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Grilled Cajun Lime Chicken
- Herby Chicken and Veggie Skewers
- Quick and Easy Chicken Marinade
- Easy Baked Lemon Chicken
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the review the recipe below and be sure to tag us on social when you share a photo of your CDLC creation!
Greek Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp plain or Greek-style yogurt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 ½ tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tbsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- cracked black pepper - to taste
- 2 lb chicken breasts pounded to 3/4 inch thickness - or skinless boneless thighs
Instructions
- Combine the yogurt, olive oil, honey, garlic, dried herbs, vinegar, salt, lemon zest and a generous amount of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and stir until coated. Marinate for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.
- To cook the chicken, shake off most of the marinade and either grill or cook in a cast iron skillet with a splash of oil or cooking spray for 15 minutes, or until just cooked through.
I made your lemon rice tonight with your Greek marinade chicken. They were both a “5”!
I made this without the yogurt, used the juice of 1/2 of a lemon and it was amazing!
When my daughter the picky eater says “Mom this was the most fantastical dinner, and I ate the veggies too!” We loved this recipe so much. Really flavorful. I served diced cucumbers and hummus, made a greek lemon rice, warm naan. This one is a keeper.
Oh that’s great! 🙂 So glad for her and you as the Mom! Lol
What can I use instead of red wine vinegar? I don’t have any.
You can use balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. Some even use lemon or lime juice.
So good, moist & easy to make. Airfry some white meat chicken!