Greek Chicken Marinade

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Greek Chicken Marinade has all of those delicious mediterranean flavors you love in an easy to make recipe. Just minutes to put together, this marinade is the perfect way to marinate chicken breasts!

Greek Chicken Marinade recipe for chicken breasts with lemon and parsley.

This recipe for Greek Chicken Marinade is super easy to make and a great way to amp up the flavors in your chicken. Made with garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano, you’re going to love this simple and delicious marinade recipe.

Greek Chicken is a great recipe to have on hand for meal prep too. I like to make a batch in the beginning of the week and have the chicken on salads, wraps, or served with this delicious Tzatziki Sauce, Curried Couscous or Italian Tomato Onion Salad.

If you love simple marinades, don’t miss this Carne Asada Marinade recipe. And, if you’re looking to change up your salmon routine, be sure to try this Asian Salmon Marinade recipe.

Table of Contents

Why this Marinade is the Best!

If you love flavorful mediterranean-style cuisine, you are going to love this Greek Chicken Marinade recipe! It comes together quick and has all of those delicious flavors you love.

Originally I titled this recipe “make-ahead Greek chicken” because it was the one dish I always included as a part of my meal prep. Chicken breast is a great healthy protein to have on hand and this one keeps moist and flavorful for days.

With just a handful of ingredients you have a delicious and flavorful marinade that can be prepared anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours in advance. Use whatever chicken you have on hand; my preference here is chicken breasts, but tenders or thighs work too.

Give this recipe a try and I’m sure you’ll agree it’s the best too! Plus, it’s super easy to make and doesn’t require any hard to find ingredients.

Ingredients

The ingredients needed to make a Greek Chicken Marinade include: olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, dried oregano, garlic, lemon, and chicken breasts.

Olive Oil – I like to use extra-virgin olive oil, but regular olive oil works. Try to use olive oil if possible rather than canola or vegetable oil.
Dried Oregano – Dried oregano is milder than fresh. If you are using fresh, use about the same amount as indicated in the recipe.
Red Wine Vinegar – The red wine vinegar adds a nice acidic kick to the recipe. If you don’t have it, use extra lemon juice instead.
Chicken Breasts – This recipe calls for about a pound and a half of boneless skinless chicken breasts. This can range from two large breasts to four smaller breasts. The exact amount isn’t as important as getting the best quality chicken you can.

Read on to see how simple this chicken marinade recipe is to make!

Greek chicken on a white plate with a blue and white striped napkin.

How to Make Greek Chicken Marinade

This recipe comes together quick and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. You can marinade the chicken anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours in advance.

process shots showing how to make recipe include putting the meat in a zip top bag and pouring the sauce over it.

Step 1: Place the chicken breasts in a large zip top bag. Fold the top of the bag down slightly so that it stands better on the countertop.

Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, and kosher salt. To save time and a bowl, you could also just make the marinade directly in the same bag as the chicken.

Step 3: Pour the marinade over the chicken breasts.

Step 4: Seal the bag and press around the chicken to ensure that all of the pieces are coated in marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours.

Cooking Instructions

When you are ready to cook your chicken, you have a couple of options. You can bake it, fry it in a pan, or cook it on the grill.

The preferred method for making Greek Chicken is cooking it on a grill. You can cook it on an outdoor barbecue or inside on a stovetop grill pan.

overhead photo of chicken on an indoor grill skillet.

To start, heat your grill over medium high heat. You want the chicken to really get a nice sear on the outside so it gets that extra flavor. However, you don’t want it too hot that the chicken burns before it has a chance to cook through.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill. Cook the chicken for about 5 to 7 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the meat.

Use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of the chicken. You will know the chicken is ready when a thermometer reads 160-165 degrees. Remove the chicken breasts and let them rest a couple of minutes before slicing them.

You can also pan fry or bake your Greek chicken. Pan fry over medium high heat flipping the chicken half way though cooking. Check for doneness using a thermometer.

If you are going to bake your chicken, place on a lined baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven until the meat is cooked through. Let it sit before slicing so that the juices don’t run out.

Greek Chicken on a white plate with parsley and lemons.

Recipe Tips and FAQs

Check out my tips and tricks for get the most delicious Greek chicken every time.

Use organic chicken if you can. The flavor is better and you don’t have to worry about any fillers.
This marinade can work for up to two pounds of chicken.
For a healthier recipe, use skinless chicken breasts. Chicken thighs or tenders would also work here.
Let the marinade sit for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 6 hours. Anything longer could start to break down the chicken due to the acids from the lemon and vinegar.

Can I substitute fresh oregano for dried?

If you like the flavor of fresh oregano you can substitute it for dried in recipes. However, the flavor of fresh oregano is more pungent than dried. If you are going to substitute, use 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano for 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.

How long can I marinate Greek Chicken?

Because of the acids in a greek chicken marinade, you don’t want to let it sit for more than 5-6 hours or the chicken will start to break down and get mushy. You can marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes and still get great flavor.

What goes into a greek marinade?

Greek marinades for meat look very similar to how Greeks dress their salads and veggies. Essentially it is a dressing made up of olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh garlic, lemon juice, herbs and salt. Let the meat marinade in this mixture for a couple of hours before grilling.

Greek Chicken Marinade recipe with chicken piled on a white bowl with lemon slices.

What to serve with Greek Chicken

This Greek Chicken Marinade is a great recipe to have on hand whenever you are looking for a healthy and simple marinade. It’s great served over salads or in a wrap. Here are some great dishes to serve with greek chicken:

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