Greek Chicken Marinade Recipe
This Greek Chicken Marinade recipe works with any chicken cooking method, and you honestly don’t have to measure any of the ingredients. Eyeball it all and you’re good to go!
This Greek Lemon Chicken Marinade Will Become Your Go-To
If you eat a lot of boneless skinless chicken breasts (most American families seem to), it’s possible that you’re quite bored with it. While you can’t beat the ease of simply sprinkling it with salt and pepper and cooking it, let’s face it: it can be a snooze fest.
This Greek Chicken Marinade Recipe is our go-to when we have just a BIT of extra time, and want to break out of that rut.
We’ve tested dozens of chicken marinades over the years, and we keep coming back to this one for its simple ingredients and balanced flavor.
If you’re looking for a flavorful way to upgrade your chicken dinners, this marinade is about to become a staple in your kitchen.
Why You Will Love This Greek Chicken Marinade Recipe
- You don’t need to dirty a single measuring cup or spoon – just eyeball everything and it will turn out great.
- The natural acidity of the lemon helps tenderize the chicken, meaning your cooked chicken will be super succulent and tender.
- This marinade works for any chicken cooking method – grill it, bake it, saute it, whatever!
Easy Greek Chicken Marinade Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- olive oil – the base of the lemon Greek chicken marinade, and what will help the chicken not stick to the grill or pan when it is cooked. We also tested this with canola oil, but liked the flavor of olive oil better for this marinade.
- lemon – we’ll be using both lemon zest and lemon juice to add a bright and zesty flavor to the marinade.
- parsley – this adds some herbal freshness to the Greek lemon chicken marinade.
- fresh garlic cloves – an indispensable ingredient in Greek cuisine, so of course we have to add it here!
- oregano – we use dried oregano because we don’t normally have fresh oregano on hand, but either one would work here.
- paprika – this adds a a vibrant red color and depth of flavor to the marinade.
- salt and pepper – essentials in any great marinade.
How To Make The Best Greek Chicken Marinade
1. WHISK. In a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.
2. USE. Add your chicken, marinate for at least 8 hours if possible, then cook the chicken using your desired method. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F.
Lemon Greek Chicken Marinade Home Chef Tips
- Use a glass or ceramic baking dish, or a zip-top bag, to marinate the chicken in. Acidic marinades like this can react with metal, so avoid using an aluminum pan.
- If you’re using chicken breasts, and they’re uneven in thickness, use a meat mallet to gently pound them to an even thickness before marinating, so they absorb the marinade consistently.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after cooking, before slicing, so that the juices can redistribute.
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How To Serve Greek Marinated Chicken
Greek lemon chicken is incredibly versatile. Here are a few ways to serve it:
- WITH SIDES – simply serve the cooked chicken with some sides, such as Greek Fries, Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes, Seasoned Rice or Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes. Add tzatziki sauce for dipping the chicken!
- SALAD – serve the cooked chicken over a grain salad like our Best Ever Farro Salad, tossed with greens and Creamy Feta Dressing or Citrus Vinaigrette, or in a full-on Greek salad situation, with cucumber, tomatoes, olives and red onions.
- PITA – wrap the cooked chicken up in a pita with some garnishes, kind of similar to a Grilled Chicken Shawarma or Chicken Gyro.
How To Store Easy Greek Chicken Marinade
Only store unused marinade that has NOT touched raw chicken. Once it’s been used for chicken once, it should be discarded.
To make a batch of the best Greek chicken marinade in advance and then store for later, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Greek Lemon Marinade For Chicken FAQs
Many people think that a marinade simply adds flavor to meat (which it does!), but it’s also an important tool for tenderizing meat. Chicken breast is known for its tendency to get dry and somewhat tough. But the acid (lemon juice) in this marinade will help tenderize the chicken, making it, well, tender.
This Greek lemon marinade for chicken is SO versatile. While we’ve shown it here used for grilled chicken breast, it can be used for any cut of chicken and any cooking method. Have some bone-in chicken thighs you want to sauté? Do it. Chicken drumsticks? Also great. Kabobs? Yes! This versatile marinade is also lovely with steak or shrimp.
Ideally, we think chicken is best when it is marinated overnight, so anywhere from 8 to 16 hours or so. Avoid marinating longer than 24 hours, as the texture of the chicken can break down and become mushy.
Lemon acts as a natural tenderizer, as the citric acid in lemon helps break down the proteins in meat. It also adds a bright and tangy flavor to the chicken!
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Greek Chicken Marinade Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- In medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
- Makes about 1 cup marinade, which is enough for 1 pound of chicken.
Lori, I’m curious to know if you use good quality EVOO or if you use a less expensive type. The only one I keep in my house is the really good stuff. Does the less expensive kind still add the flavor?
Hi Susan – I use California Olive Ranch oil for everything! It’s not the most expensive thing out there, but also not cheap. I think the less expensive kinds of oil will still add flavor to this marinade, but not as much.