Description
This Greek Chicken Marinade recipe features a vibrant blend of olive oil, lemon, garlic, and herbs that infuse boneless chicken breasts or thighs with bright, Mediterranean flavors. Perfect for grilling, baking, stovetop cooking, or air frying, this marinade tenderizes the chicken while imparting a fresh and zesty taste. Easy to prepare and customizable to your preferred cooking method, it's an ideal choice for a flavorful, healthy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Zest of one small lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Protein
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: Combine olive oil, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and black pepper in a bowl or large zip-top plastic bag. Whisk or squeeze the bag to mix thoroughly.
- Pound the chicken (if using breasts): Place the chicken breasts between two layers of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound them with a rolling pin or meat mallet until they have an even thickness to ensure even cooking and tenderness.
- Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken to the marinade in the bowl or zip-top bag, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours, with 1 to 4 hours being optimal for good flavor infusion.
- Cook the chicken: Discard remaining marinade. Choose your preferred cooking method—grill, stovetop, oven, or air fryer—and cook chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165° F.
- Grill instructions: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (375-450° F) after cleaning and oiling the grates. Grill chicken breasts for 5-8 minutes per side; boneless thighs require 7-10 minutes per side at medium heat. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Stovetop instructions: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken breasts 5-8 minutes per side, thighs 8-10 minutes per side, until done. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Oven instructions: Preheat oven to 425° F. Place chicken in a baking dish. Bake breasts 5-6 oz for 13-16 minutes, 8 oz for 16-19 minutes, and 11-12 oz for 22-26 minutes. Bake thighs for 20-30 minutes. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Air fryer instructions: Place chicken in a single layer in the air fryer. Cook breasts at 400° F for 8 minutes, flip, then cook for 5-12 minutes more until 165° F internal temperature is reached. Boneless thighs cook 11-15 minutes total without flipping. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If using bone-in chicken thighs, add a few extra minutes to the recommended cooking times to ensure doneness.
- For freezing, seal chicken and marinade in a zip-top bag ensuring full coating, freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight before cooking.
- Nutrition estimates assume the marinade is fully consumed, which is unlikely; this may slightly alter calorie and nutrient counts.
- Pounding chicken breasts helps achieve even cooking and improved texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 recipe
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
