Easy Greek Chicken Marinade

Fast, fresh and tons of flavor!   That’s how we would describe this Easy Greek Chicken Marinade.  Olive oil, lemon juice, fresh herbs and garlic are the backbone of this easy to make chicken marinade! 

You can not have enough easy chicken breast recipes.  Great for weeknight and meal prep, this healthy chicken recipe will become a regular in your kitchen!

Why we love this recipe –

• easy, fresh, healthy
• fast marinade (30 minutes to 4 hours)
• bake, grill or air fryer friendly
• made with simple ingredients you most likely have on hand
• substitutions for dried herbs if fresh are not readily available

Ingredients for Easy Greek Marinade –

• chicken breasts or thighs.  Also works great on pork and shrimp!
• olive oil
• fresh lemon juice and lemon zest
• garlic
• rosemary, parsley, thyme.  Some or all !  Adapt to what you have on hand
• salt and pepper

Simply chop your  herbs, juice your lemons and combine in a bowl with olive oil.  Add your chicken to a zip top bag and pour in the freshness and flavor!

Will marinating chicken in lemon juice make the chicken tough?

• If you were to marinate in just straight lemon juice, you bet, it sure would!  Cutting the marinade with olive oil and limiting the marinating time will take care of that!

How long should I marinate the chicken?

• We like to keep it around 30 minutes to 4 hours.  Any longer and you will see a slight opague color to the chicken from the lemon juice and it could make your chicken a bit tough.

Can I use dried herbs in place of fresh for this marinade?

• Fresh is always better but most of us don’t have  fresh herbs available all the time.  Use as much fresh as you can and substitute dried for the remainder (see the recipe card for dried herb amounts).
• PRO TIP:  rub dried herbs in your hands to warm them up and release thier oils.  Use only fresh dried herbs….not the ones sitting in your cabinet for a year.  Yup…I got them too!
• Don’t have all the herbs in the recipe?  That’s okay 2 out of 3 will still make a great Greek Chicken Marinade.  Don’t skip the garlic though!

Air Fryer Cooking Method –

• Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees.  Put marinated chicken into basket. Discard any unused marinade. Cook for 10 minutes.  Flip and cook additional 10 minutes.  Check with meat thermometer. Remove when 160 degrees and let rest for 5 minutes.  Perfect chicken is 165 degrees internally.

Grill Cooking Method –

• Heat grill to medium high about 375 degrees.  Grill for about 8 minutes and flip.  Grill another 8 minutes. Check with meat thermometer. Remove when 160 degrees and let rest for 5 minutes.  Perfect chicken is 165 degrees internally.

Oven Baking Method –

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place chicken on a lined baking sheet.  Discard any unused marinade.
• Bake for about 20 minutes. Check with meat thermometer. Remove when 160 degrees and let rest for 5 minutes.  Perfect chicken is 165 degrees internally.

What do I serve with this easy chicken breast recipe?

• Greek Yogurt Honey Mustard Dip – all the flavor of a great dip with none of the fat and calories!
• Greek Pasta Salad –  packed with veggies and a delicous easy dressing.
• Chickpea Salad – beans and veggies are the star of this easy to make salad!
• Greek Rice with Lemon and Feta – easy on the cook with bright flavors!

To healthy fresh and fast meals!

Clink!

Kathi and Rachel

 What do you think about this recipe? Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics!

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Easy Greek Chicken Marinade

Just a handful of fresh ingredients and 30 minute to 24 hour rest in the fridge and you have your new go to marinade! Perfect for chicken breasts, thighs, pork and shrimp!

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6

Author: Kathi & Rachel

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs Approx 8 thighs or 4 large chicken breasts. Bone in or bone out
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 zest of one lemon zest before you juice!
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice about two lemons
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped or two teaspoon dried
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped or one teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped or one teaspoon dried
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or one teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and combine.
• Add chicken to large zip top bag and pour marinade over making sure all parts of the chicken are covered.
• Refriderate and allow to marinate for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.
• Place chicken breast on baking sheet. DISCARD REMAINING MARINADE.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes brining the internal temp to 165 degrees. Perfect!

Notes

• Nutritional information is based on entire batch of marinade.  The chicken will only absorb a small amount of it.
• Don't have all the herbs in the recipe?  That's okay 2 out of 3 will still make a great Greek Chicken Marinade.  Don't skip the garlic though!
• See Air Fryer and Grill instructions in commentary.

Nutrition

Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 124IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg

This post  may contain affiliate links, which means I might receive a very small commission, at no additional cost to you,  should you chose to purchase that linked item.  I only link to items I know and trust.   Clink!