Greek Chicken Marinade
Posted Jun 09, 2023, Updated May 26, 2024
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This Greek chicken recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients. The greek chicken marinade is bold and flavorful with hints of paprika, oregano, lemon, onion and garlic. It can be baked or grilled!
It’s no secret that Mediterranean cuisine is my absolute favorite. Which is why I make this Greek chicken recipe on repeat all year long!
The greek chicken marinade is easy to whisk together and is loaded with flavorful ingredients like oregano, mustard, lemon juice, paprika and garlic. It infuses the chicken with flavor so every bite is bursting with flavor.
Serve this greek chicken on top of our favorite greek salad, with a side of turmeric rice, tzatziki sauce or hummus and homemade pita bread for a meal your entire family will love!
Greek Chicken Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chicken breasts. this greek chicken marinade can be used on chicken thighs, or even steak if you’d like!
- Dijon mustard. choose your favorite variety such as yellow, spicy, etc.
- Honey. granulated sugar works well in place of honey.
- Dried oregano. you can replace 1 Tablespoon of dried oregano with 2 Tablespoons of fresh oregano.
- Smoked paprika. Regular paprika works well in this recipe, however I love the smoky flavor of smoked paprika.
- Onion powder. you can substitute 1 Tablespoon finely diced onion for the onion powder.
- Minced garlic. jarred or freshly minced both are great. Or substitute 1 teaspoon garlic powder for the 1 Tablespoon minced garlic.
How to Make Greek Chicken Marinade
Let’s walk through how to make Greek chicken step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Marinate Chicken
Begin this recipe by making the Greek chicken marinade. Measure the marinade ingredients into a medium bowl.
Then, whisk until the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).
Next, place the chicken breasts into a glass container with a lid or in a plastic bag inside another container (in case the bag leaks).
Pour the marinade over the chicken turn to coat the chicken. Marinate the Greek chicken in the refrigerator for 1- 6 hours.
Cook the Chicken
You can cook the chicken either by grilling it or baking it in the oven.
First, remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and shake off excess greek chicken marinade.
Grill
Then, grill the Greek chicken over medium heat for about 5 minutes on the first side, and 3-5 on the second side, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Bake
Or, you can bake the chicken in a 9×13″ baking dish at 400 degrees for 14-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer.
Note: both the grill time and baking time depends entirely on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
Serve
Serve the Greek chicken warm with your favorite mediterranean dishes. Here are some suggestions:
- I always serve it with a this homemade tzatziki sauce and homemade hummus or white bean hummus (you can use store-bought but homemade is so much better)!
- Make this Greek Salad, homemade tabbouleh recipe, yellow rice, mediterranean chickpea salad, greek pasta salad, or Greek Orzo Salad.
- Pair it with homemade pita bread or homemade naan!
Store
Store leftover greek chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I like to slice it into strips and store it in a glass container as a way to meal prep chicken for the entire week. If it’s already sliced, I am more likely to eat it for lunch!
Freeze
You can also freeze this greek chicken in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Greek Chicken Recipe FAQs
Yes! Double the recipe to meal prep a large amount of greek chicken or to feed a crowd.
Serve this recipe with your favorite Greek dishes like:
Homemade tzatziki sauce and homemade hummus (you can use store-bought but homemade is so much better)!
Greek Salad or Greek Orzo Salad.
Homemade pita bread or homemade naan!
Up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freeze when stored in an airtight container.
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Greek Chicken Marinade Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced thin
- ยผ cup lemon juice
- ยผ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ยผ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ยผ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ยผ teaspoon sea salt
- ยผ teaspoon pepper or regular pepper
Instructions
Marinate chicken
- In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, honey, oregano, paprika, onion powder, minced garlic, sea salt, and pepper.
- Place chicken breasts into a glass container with a lid or in a plastic bag inside another container (in case the bag leaks).
- Pour the marinade over the chicken turn to coat the chicken.
- Marinate in the refrigerator for 1- 6 hours.
Grill
- Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and shake off excess marinade.
- Grill over medium heat for about 5 minutes on the first side, and 3-5 on the second side, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Serve
- Serve warm with tzatziki sauce, homemade pita, naan bread, homemade hummus, a Greek salad, etc.
Video
Notes
- Chicken breasts. this greek chicken marinade can be used on chicken thighs, or even steak if you’d like!
- Dijon mustard. choose your favorite variety such as yellow, spicy, etc.
- Honey. granulated sugar works well in place of honey.
- Dried oregano. you can replace 1 Tablespoon of dried oregano with 2 Tablespoons of fresh oregano.
- Smoked paprika. Regular paprika works well in this recipe, however I love the smoky flavor of smoked paprika.
- Onion powder. you can substitute 1 Tablespoon finely diced onion for the onion powder.
- Minced garlic. jarred or freshly minced both are great. Or substitute 1 teaspoon garlic powder for the 1 Tablespoon minced garlic.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Soooo yummy!
This marinade was delicious!! Quick to mix up and I cooked it on the BBQ after 4 hours of marinating. I will use your recipe again, Thank you for sharing!