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Greek Chicken Marinade

4.58 from 7 votes
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By: the Evinks20 Comments
Posted: 09/29/19 Updated: 11/06/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Greek chicken marinade collage. Top image of grilled chicken breasts with sauce, bottom image of uncooked chicken breasts being brushed with marinade.
Greek chicken marinade collage. Top image of grilled chicken breasts with sauce, bottom image of uncooked chicken breasts being brushed with marinade.
Grilled chicken breasts with greek chicken marinade
Chicken breasts grilled with greek chicken marinade
greek chicken marinade Pinterest collage. Top image of chicken breasts on a slate tray, and bottom image of chicken being brushed with sauce.
Greek chicken marinade collage. Top image of grilled chicken breasts with sauce, bottom image of uncooked chicken breasts being brushed with marinade.

Greek Chicken Marinade is a quick and easy marinade recipe that will give your chicken amazing flavor and make it so tender! The combination of classic Greek flavors like lemon, garlic, and oregano will have your taste buds bursting. This is perfect for an easy grilled dinner recipe on a busy weeknight.

PIN IT HERE!

Chicken made with Greek Marinade

Tender, Juicy Greek Chicken!

You’re going to love the subtle taste and flavor of this delicious recipe. It’s so simple to make but packs on a huge amount of taste and flavor. And the best part? The chicken stays so juicy and tender, just like our Teriyaki Marinade!

Since my Greek Chicken Kabobs were such a hit I decided that we need some more grilling recipes using your favorite Greek flavors!

This chicken recipe is the perfect dish for a busy weeknight meal. It’s simple, delicious and goes well with just about any type of side dish. We especially love grilled sweet potatoes on the side!

greek chicken marinade Collage

Ingredients for Greek Chicken Marinade

If you’d rather skip my (very helpful, I think) tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this delicious this easy recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.

  • Boneless skinless chicken breast
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon
  • Minced garlic
  • Oregano
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • Basil
  • Dill
  • Thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste

How do I make Greek Chicken Marinade?

Step by Step Pictures are above!

  • Mix Marinade – In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and seasonings. Reserve ½ c. of marinade; set aside. (Picture 1)
  • Marinade Chicken – Toss together with chicken, cover with plastic wrap and set in fridge to start marinating. (Picture 2)
  • Grill Chicken – Place chicken on preheated grill on a grill pan on the stove top. Baste with reserved marinade and turning so each side has grill marks. Grill for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast. You can also pound the chicken breasts to make them more even and thin and this will reduce the grilling time. (Picture 3 & 4)

What tools do I need to make Greek Chicken Marinade?

You really don’t need a lot of tools to make this greek marinade, but you will need a nice big bowl that you can have the chicken marinating in for a few hours. (Do not put the chicken in a metal bowl to marinate as that can have a reaction with the acidic aspect of the greek marinade.)

easy Greek Chicken Marinade

Does lemon marinade make chicken tough?

If you’re using a lemon marinade, don’t marinate your chicken for longer than 2 hours. This is because the lemon has an acidity to it that will break down the chicken and actually make it a tougher meat than it was before.

How long can you marinate chicken?

That really depends on how long you have and how much flavor you want the chicken to take on. At a minimum, you’re going to want to marinate your chicken for a few hours. A safe bet would be to have your chicken marinate from anywhere from 2-6 hours.

Can you marinate frozen chicken?

Yes, you can. As long as you’re thawing out the chicken in a safe manner, you can easily add frozen chicken to a marinade.

Keep in mind though that until it really starts to thaw, the marinade won’t start penetrating through to the chicken.

If you want to marinade your chicken all day because you will be gone I highly recommend using frozen chicken in the marinade, then placing in the fridge or the lemon will start to break down the chicken after 2 hours if you used thawed chicken!

Can you marinate chicken too long?

Absolutely. In fact, if you marinate your chicken too long it will actually have an effect on it that will have it become tougher in texture. As a rule of thumb, don’t marinate your chicken longer than 24 hours time.

This marinade has lemon in it which will break down the chicken quicker. We highly recommend marinating for about 2 hours with this recipe.

What should I serve with Greek Chicken?

You can serve anything that you want! Any type of vegetable would go great with this or go on the lighter side and serve it up with a nice side salad like this Grilled Caesar Salad.

More delicious Marinade recipes!

A quick marinade can make your protein have so much flavor! Here are a few of our most popular marinade recipes!

  • Steak Marinade
  • Pork Chop Marinade
  • Teriyaki Marinade

WATCH THE STEP BY STEP VIDEO FOR THIS GREEK CHICKEN MARINADE RECIPE BELOW:

If you enjoy watching these videos make sure you subscribe to my YouTube Channel to be notified each time I post a new video!

Tag me on Instagram when you make this @gimmesomegrilling or #gimmesomegrilling – love to see your delicious eats!!

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Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @gimmesomegrilling or #gimmesomegrilling so I can see your grilling masterpieces!

Grilled Chicken breasts made with Greek Marinade
4.58 from 7 votes

Greek Chicken Marinade Recipe

Quick and easy marinade recipe for chicken with all your favorite Greek flavors!
Prep:5 mins
Cook:15 mins
Marinating Time:30 mins
Total:50 mins
Print Recipe Rate Recipe
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4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 Tbsp oregano
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1/2 tsp dill
  • 1/4 tsp thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and seasonings. Reserve ½ c. of marinade; set aside.
  • Toss chicken with mixture until thoroughly and evenly coated.
  • Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let chicken marinate at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 or preheat grill to medium high.
  • Prepare grill by lightly oiling the grates or oiling the grill pan over stop top. Set heat to medium high.
  • Grill the chicken, basting with reserved marinade and turning so each side browns and has grill marks. Grill for approximately 15-20 minutes or the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees F.

Tips

Nutrition Facts are based on all the marinade being used. Some of this will be discarded.
How long should I marinate my chicken? - If you're using a lemon marinade, don't marinate your chicken for longer than 2 hours. This is because the lemon has an acidity to it that will break down the chicken and actually make it a tougher meat than it was before. This recipe does have lemon in it so we recommend marinating it for about 2 hours.
Can I use frozen chicken - Yes, you can. As long as you're thawing out the chicken in a safe manner, you can easily add frozen chicken to a marinade. Keep in mind though that until it really starts to thaw, the marinade won't start penetrating through to the chicken. If you want to marinade your chicken all day because you will be gone I highly recommend using frozen chicken in the marinade, then placing in the fridge or the lemon will start to break down the chicken after 2 hours if you used thawed chicken!

Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 267kcal (13%), Carbohydrates: 3g (1%), Protein: 37g (74%), Fat: 12g (18%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Cholesterol: 109mg (36%), Sodium: 780mg (34%), Potassium: 674mg (19%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 72IU (1%), Vitamin C: 10mg (12%), Calcium: 37mg (4%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
© Gimme Some Grilling ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.

Did you make this?

Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @gimmesomegrilling. I love seeing what you made!

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Meet the Evinks

Hi! We are Jason & Julie! We focus on easy, simple recipes that everyone can tackle on their smoker and grills that the entire family will enjoy!

Read more...

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Recipe Rating




  1. Gitta says

    Posted on 8/5/22 at 9:36 am

    5 stars
    How can you reverse a 1/2 cup marinade when it barely makes a 1/4 cup

    Reply
    • Nicole Natyniak says

      Posted on 11/7/22 at 12:08 pm

      wondering the same. am I missing something?

      Reply
  2. Bev says

    Posted on 7/3/22 at 9:04 am

    Loved this. So easy and so good. Can you make the marinade in advance and store it? How long?

    Reply
    • the Evinks says

      Posted on 7/5/22 at 11:38 am

      You can mix up a few days in advance and store it in the refrigerator.

      Reply
  3. Nicol says

    Posted on 5/23/22 at 8:42 am

    5 stars
    FANTASTIC flavor, didn’t go far so we added more oil. Loved it.

    Reply
    • the Evinks says

      Posted on 5/23/22 at 1:14 pm

      Wonderful to hear Nicole! Thanks for commenting and rating the recipe!

      Reply
  4. RG says

    Posted on 2/21/20 at 9:08 pm

    I’m a little confused, there’s less than 1/2 cup of marinade, how are you supposed to save some?

    Reply
    • Megan Mitzel says

      Posted on 2/21/20 at 9:39 pm

      If you wanted to save some, you could double it. Otherwise just discard the remaining marinade if there is any.

      Reply
      • Katie says

        Posted on 7/5/22 at 8:34 pm

        2 stars
        I also don’t understand how you reserve half a cup of marinade, when there isn’t even half a cup to begin with. Is there a portion of oil missing?

    • RG says

      Posted on 2/21/20 at 11:05 pm

      Even doubled I have 7 Tbsp of liquid btw the lemon juice and olive oil, The video looks like there’s a lot more juice than a half of a lemon.

      Reply
  5. Katherine says

    Posted on 10/10/19 at 4:04 pm

    5 stars
    What an incredible combo of flavors!

    Reply
    • Megan Mitzel says

      Posted on 10/10/19 at 8:07 pm

      So glad you loved it! It is definitely a favorite!

      Reply
  6. Beth says

    Posted on 10/10/19 at 3:34 pm

    5 stars
    This marinade stole my heart! I love how a simple step like marinading, can bring a plain dish to a fabulous dish! Can’t wait to try this one!

    Reply
    • Megan Mitzel says

      Posted on 10/10/19 at 8:07 pm

      Hope you love it!

      Reply
  7. Terry says

    Posted on 10/9/19 at 2:23 pm

    What is in the dipping sauce it’s white color ?

    Reply
    • Megan Mitzel says

      Posted on 10/10/19 at 8:12 pm

      Hi Terry – it is our Tzatziki Sauce. Here is the recipe! https://gimmesomegrilling.com/tzatziki-sauce/

      Reply
  8. Danielle Green says

    Posted on 10/2/19 at 4:32 pm

    5 stars
    What a perfect flavor combination in this marinade! Yum!

    Reply
    • Megan Mitzel says

      Posted on 10/3/19 at 9:55 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  9. Malinda Linnebur says

    Posted on 10/1/19 at 2:53 pm

    5 stars
    I made these last night and they were so flavorful! I plan on making them on my grill pan this winter as well! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Megan Mitzel says

      Posted on 10/3/19 at 9:55 pm

      Awesome! Thanks for trying – glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

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Hi! We are Jason & Julie! We focus on easy, simple recipes that everyone can tackle on their smoker and grills that the entire family will enjoy!

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