The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

This simple chicken marinade infuses the classic Greek flavors of lemon, garlic and oregano plus marinating chicken in yogurt for a more tender bite.

The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

Hey, ho, whaddya know?!!! You ready for the best? Because I’m giving you the best!

It may be a bold statement to make, but unlike fake politicians, sorcerers, and that guy in Nigeria who says he’ll double your money if you’ll just wire it to him, I’m standing behind my claim that this super easy, extremely delicious Greek Chicken marinade very well could be:

the ying to your yang.

the butter to your nutter.

the pop to your lock.

That’s what make this little diddy of a recipe the best lemony, best garlicky, best Greek-y oregano-ish chicken marinade for chicken in yogurt to create the yummiest tender bite you just might ever eat.

Greek Chicken Marinade Ingredients

Technically, this Greek chicken marinade is only 5 ingredients, if you don’t count the salt and pepper.

Greek yogurt: This is a new addition to my regular Greek marinade. I added the yogurt after making my easy chicken gyros where the yogurt tenderizes the chicken for a very nice, juicy bite.

Lemon juice + zest: The acid from the lemon also helps break down the tough fibers of the chicken as it adds a flavorful zip to each bite. Adding the zest of one lemon to the marinade amps the flavor up even that much more.

Garlic: Because hello, garlic.

Olive oil: Olive oil adds a bit of fat and helps create a barrier while the chicken is on the grill. However, you’ll still want prepare your grill with additional oil and rotate your skewers so the chicken doesn’t become too charred or burn.

Oregano: Because dried herbs are stronger in flavor than fresh, I’ve found that dried oregano works best for this marinade, and a healthy dose of it is definitely required.

THE BEST Greek Chicken Marinade

This garlic, lemon, and oregano Greek marinade can be used for chicken that's grilled, baked or pan-fried and is great any which way you choose.

CourseMain Course

CuisineGreek

Keywordgrilled chicken

Prep Time5minutes minutes

Cook Time15minutes minutes

Marinate the chicken30minutes minutes

Total Time50minutes minutes

Servings4

Calories307kcal

Ingredients

1 pound boneless , skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)

⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup olive oil

4 lemons

4-5 cloves garlic , pressed or minced

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place the chicken pieces in a freezer bag or a bowl and set aside.

Add the Greek yogurt and olive oil to a medium size bowl. Zest one of the lemons and add to the bowl. Juice that lemon into the bowl with the zest. Slice the other three lemons and set aside. Add the minced garlic, oregano, kosher salt and black pepper to the lemon juice and zest and stir. Pour half of the marinade into the freezer bag or the bowl with the chicken pieces and reserve the other half of the marinade for basting. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours in the refrigerator.

When ready to grill, prepare the grill by lightly oiling the grate with vegetable oil or cooking spray and set to medium high heat.

Grill the chicken, basting with the reserved marinade and turning often so each side browns and has light grill marks, until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear. During the last 5 minutes of cooking add the 3 sliced lemons to the grill, turning once or twice. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serve with the grilled lemons. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.