My family is obsessed with this Greek chicken marinade! It’s so simple to make with just a handful of ingredients and it brings the BEST flavor to chicken!
I love the versatility of this recipe! You can use this marinade to season chicken breasts or thighs, and I’ve included cooking instructions for the grill, stove, oven and air fryer. I think you’ll also love my everyday Chicken Marinade recipe!
Level Up Your Chicken with this Greek Chicken Marinade
This Greek chicken marinade is one of those recipes that I’m so glad to have in my collection. We’ve been using this marinade on repeat lately, and my kids are asking for a second helping of chicken more than ever before!
With lemon, garlic, Dijon and herbs, this simple marinade delivers fresh, bright flavors that transform everyday chicken into a meal worth getting excited about.
This Greek chicken marinade recipe is a great way to get a head start on dinner prep. It takes just a few minutes to combine the marinade ingredients, then you can let the chicken soak up the flavors in the fridge all day. Come dinner time, all you’ll have to do is put the chicken on the grill or stove, or in the oven or air fryer to cook!
Greek Chicken Marinade Ingredients
Most of the ingredients for this recipe are pantry staples, so you can make it anytime.
- Olive Oil: Helps to transfer the flavors of the marinade to the chicken.
- Lemon Zest & Lemon Juice: Brings bright, fresh flavor and tenderizes the chicken.
- Dijon Mustard: Its tangy, sharp flavor complements the other ingredients, elevating the overall flavor of the marinade.
- Garlic: I love adding lots of fresh garlic to marinades! In this recipe, I use 4 good-sized cloves of garlic.
- Herbs: I use dried oregano and dried basil to bring Mediterranean flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Seasoning essentials!
Find the printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
Looking for a marinade with yogurt? You’ll love my Greek Chicken recipe! It’s a twist on this recipe with a flavor-packed marinade made with Greek yogurt for extra tender chicken.
Chicken Breasts or Thighs: The Choice is Yours
You can use this marinade with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boneless chicken thighs or bone-in thighs. The recipe makes enough to marinate about 2 pounds of chicken, and you can scale it up as needed.
I can also see this marinade making an amazing Grilled Pork Tenderloin!
How to Make Greek Chicken Marinade
I like to combine the marinade ingredients right in a large zip-top bag, then I can just add the chicken to the bag and save washing an extra dish.
Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt and pepper in a bowl or large zip-top plastic bag. Whisk or squeeze the bag to mix.
Then, add the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours. If using chicken breasts, I like to pound them with a meat mallet for more tender chicken.
Cook chicken as desired, discarding the used marinade. See below for four different cooking methods!
How to Marinate Chicken: My Top Tips
- Pound boneless chicken breasts to tenderize them. If you’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound them to an even thickness before adding them to the marinade. This makes the meat more tender (it makes a big difference!). It also helps the chicken to cook more evenly, since it will be the same thickness throughout.
- Make sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade. I like to flip the bag over (or flip the chicken pieces if marinating in a dish) about halfway through the marinating time to make sure both sides soak up the flavor.
- Always marinate chicken in the refrigerator.
- Discard used marinade. For food safety, be sure to toss any used marinade that came in contact with the raw chicken once you’re done marinating.
- Don’t overcook chicken breasts, or they may turn out dry and tough. According to the USDA, chicken should be cooked to at least 165° F.
How Long to Marinate Chicken
Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours. Any longer and you risk the chicken breaking down and becoming mushy. I usually aim to marinate it for 1-4 hours.
Can You Freeze this Marinade?
Yes! This Greek chicken marinade is perfect for freezing, and it makes a great make ahead meal. To freeze, place the chicken and marinade in zip-top plastic bag, squeeze excess air out and seal. Then squeeze the bag to make sure all of the chicken is coated in the marinade. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook the chicken, place the bag in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Then cook as desired.
Four Cooking Methods to Choose From
In the recipe below, I’ve included specific instructions for four different cooking methods. I’ve also shared more details on cooking chicken with each of these methods in these recipes:
- Grilled Chicken Breast and Grilled Chicken Thighs
- On the stove (I like to use a cast iron skillet)
- Baked Chicken Breast or Baked Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast or Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Serving Ideas
I’ve served this Greek marinated chicken so many ways!
- Greek Chicken Bowls. With rice, crisp lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion, kalamata olives, feta and Tzatziki Sauce or Hummus, these bowls are one of our favorite dinners.
- With Grilled Veggies and Roasted Potatoes. An ideal summer meal! It’s even better if you wrap the chicken in Pita Bread and spoon on some tzatziki.
- In a wrap. Slice up the cooked chicken and add it to this Veggie Wrap with hummus. This is one of my favorite ways to serve the leftover chicken for lunch!
- On a salad. Use this Greek chicken marinade to season chicken, then cook it ahead (so great for meal prep!) to have on hand as a quick protein option to add to salads.
More Marinade Recipes
Loved this recipe? Try one of these marinade recipes next:
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Greek Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- zest of one small lemon
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or chicken thighs
Instructions
- Combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt and pepper in a bowl or large zip-top plastic bag. Whisk or squeeze bag to mix.
- If using boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before adding them to the marinade. This helps them to cook evenly and also tenderizes the meat. Place chicken breasts in a zip-top bag or between two layers of parchment paper or plastic wrap and use a rolling pin or meat mallet to pound the chicken until it is an even thickness.
- Add the chicken to the bag or bowl and coat chicken with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours. I usually aim to marinate chicken for 1-4 hours.
- Cook the chicken: Discard marinade and cook chicken in the oven, on the stove, on the grill or in the air fryer, according to the directions below. Chicken is done when the internal temperature registers 165° F on an instant read thermometer.
- To Cook on the Grill: Clean the grates of a gas or charcoal grill. Oil the grill grates and heat the grill to medium-high (375-450 degrees F). Grill chicken breasts for 5-8 minutes per side, until cooked through. (Boneless chicken thighs will take 7-10 minutes per side; reduce heat to medium when cooking.) The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165° F. For the best grill marks and juicy chicken, begin cooking the chicken on a hotter part of the grill for a few minutes and then move it to lower heat to finish cooking through. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- To Cook on the Stove: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy skillet (such as a cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan (work in batches if needed) and cook chicken breasts for about 5-8 minutes per side (cook boneless chicken thighs for 8-10 minutes per side), or until chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165° F. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- To Cook in the Oven: Preheat oven to 425° F. Place chicken in a baking dish. Bake chicken breasts according to their size: bake 5-6 ounce breasts for 13-16 minutes, bake 8 ounce breasts for 16-19 minutes, bake 11-12 ounce breasts for 22-26 minutes. Chicken is done when it reaches 165° F in the thickest part of the meat.Bake boneless chicken thighs for 20-30 minutes, until chicken reaches 165° F.Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- To Cook in the Air Fryer: Place chicken in a single layer in the air fryer. Cook at 400° for 8 minutes, then flip chicken over and continue cooking for 5-12 more minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165° F at the thickest part of the breast. (Boneless chicken thighs will take 11-15 minutes total. No need to flip them.) Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Bone-In Thighs: If using bone-in chicken thighs you will need to add a few minutes to the cook times given for boneless thighs.
- Freezer Instructions: Seal the chicken and marinade in zip-top plastic bag. Then squeeze the bag to make sure all of the chicken is coated in the marinade. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook the chicken, place the bag in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Then cook as desired.
- Nutrition estimate based on using chicken breasts. It assumes that all marinade will be consumed, which it likely will not be.
Behind the Scenes
As the weather warms up here in California (hello, spring!), we’ve been cooking dinner on the grill more often and this Greek chicken marinade has become our go-to marinade for chicken. We made it again this week and served it with roasted vegetables and fresh fruit. It was simple, delicious and easy!
This marinade makes the tenderest, most flavorful chicken. I used it for boneless thighs and grilled them – delicious!