Greek Grilled Chicken with the Best Marinade

An easy recipe for marinated Greek Grilled Chicken is simple to make, and the perfect topping for an epic Greek salad. This chicken has the same fresh flavors as my perfect Chicken Souvlaki recipe, but without the skewers!

Any time I find myself at a homey Greek restaurant, I always order the Greek grilled chicken.

Greek grilled chicken is so tender and wonderfully seasoned, and I love it on a salad, with some crumbled feta cheese, and briney kalamata olives.

The key to expertly replicating this perfect grilled Greek chicken at home is the marinade, and you’ll be happy to know that this recipe is not at all complicated!

Some good quality olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and oregano make the perfect Greek chicken marinade, and you only need to marinate it for an hour or so!

Need more easy and flavorful ways to marinate chicken for grilling? Try my Mexican Chicken Marinade, or learn my 6 favorite ways to marinate chicken!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. The Best Greek Chicken Marinade – This is by far the most important part of this recipe! Without this fresh and easy marinade, your chicken will be plain and uninspired. My greek chicken marinade is perfectly seasoned with oregano and garlic with acid from fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil for richness.
2. Traditional Flavors – This marinade is spot-on for replicating the chicken souvlaki you’ve had at your Favorite Greek restaurant, and it’s also a very common recipe in Greece.
3. An Easy Grilling Recipe – I am making this recipe on my outdoor gas grill, but it works just as well on charcoal, an indoor grill, or in a grill pan on the stove.

Ingredients In Greek Grilled Chicken

Here’s what you need to make this easy grilled chicken recipe:

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Chicken: I’m grilling chicken breasts with this Greek marinade, and I’ve sliced them in half to make thin cutlets so that they grill up quickly. You can also use this recipe to marinate up to two pounds of chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins.
• Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil to create the base of the marinade. If you can find Greek olive oil, that’s amazing, but not totally necessary.
• Lemons: Fresh lemon juice is key to giving the Greek marinade a bright flavor, but it also serves a technical purpose. The acid in the lemon juice breaks down the muscle fibers in the meat, making it super tender.
• Seasonings: Freshly minced garlic, salt, ground black pepper, and dried oregano.

How To Make the best greek grilled chicken

Recipe Tips

• Give the Marinade Time to Work. You want to marinate the chicken for at least an hour, but no more than 4 hours. If you don’t marinate long enough, the chicken won’t be flavorful, but if you let it go too long, the meat will break down too much and get mushy.
• Clean the Grill: To make perfectly grilled chicken, it’s important to clean your grill grates really well after you’ve preheated them. Coat the grill grates with a bit of oil as well to keep anything from sticking.
• Let the Chicken Rest. After you pull it off the grill, set the chicken on a plate and leave it alone for about 5 minutes. Resting allows the meat to retain its juices and remain moist and juicy.
• Use a Meat Thermometer. You will know that the chicken is fully cooked because it will read 165°F/74°C on the inside.

Storing Tips

• Once cooked, you can store grilled chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Leftover Greek chicken is delicious cold, turned into a sandwich, salad, or a wrap, but can also be gently reheated in the microwave if you like.
• For longer storage, cooked grilled chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
• Grilled Greek chicken is wonderful for meal prep! Pack it up with some roasted vegetables and brown rice and you’ll have healthy lunches in the fridge for the entire week.

What To Serve With Grilled Greek Chicken

I’m serving this delicious grilled chicken with a simple and fresh classic Greek Salad!

Simply add your favorite greens to a bowl or salad plate and top with sliced onion, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Add some kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, and place slices of Greek grilled chicken on top.

Serve with creamy Tzatziki Sauce and warmed Pita or Flatbread for the perfect meal!

You might also like to try some other tasty Mediterranean sides:

• Orzo Greek Salad
• Greek Green Beans Fasolakia
• Spanakopita
• Pearl Couscous Salad

Recipe FAQs

Do I need to Grill this Greek Chicken?

Grilling is preferred, but once it’s marinated, you can technically cook this chicken using any method you like. Instead of grilling, try pan-searing it on the stovetop using a cast iron skillet. You can also bake it in the oven.

Why is my grilled chicken dry?

Dry chicken is almost always a cause of it being overcooked. Be sure to keep a close eye on the chicken while you’re grilling it, and pull it off the grill as soon as it’s fully cooked. Use a thermometer to help you measure that the chicken has reached 165°F/74°C in the center!

Should I marinate chicken in the refrigerator?

Yes! You should always keep raw chicken refrigerated, even while it’s marinating. If you’re marinating your chicken in a bag, I suggest doing so on the bottom shelf of the fridge, just in case there are any spills or leaks.

More Easy Grilling Recipes

Beer Can Chicken

Baked or Grilled Salmon Kabobs

Grilled Potatoes in Foil

Grilled Beef Kabobs

All Grill and Smoker Recipes →

This easy recipe makes the best grilled Greek Chicken! Be sure to save this recipe, I know you’ll be coming back to it time and time again!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 1 vote

(Click stars to rate!)

Greek Grilled Chicken

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 6 minutes mins

Marinating Time: 2 hours hrs

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 11 minutes mins

Author: Diana

• Pin It

Print Rate Recipe

Juicy, and perfectly seasoned, this Greek Grilled Chicken is so simple to make, and just as delicious as your favorite Greek restaurant.

4 Servings

Juicy, and perfectly seasoned, this Greek Grilled Chicken is so simple to make, and just as delicious as your favorite Greek restaurant.

Equipment

• Meat thermometer
• Grill (gas or charcoal)

Ingredients 

1/2x1x2x3x

• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 pounds (900 g) chicken breasts sliced into thin cutlets

Instructions 

• To make the marinade, combine olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and ground black pepper in a zip-top bag and mix thoroughly.
• Add the chicken into the bag, ensuring any excess air is removed before sealing. Gently massage the bag to ensure the marinade fully coats each piece of chicken.
• Place the bag in the refrigerator and leave it to marinate for a minimum of one hour, up to a maximum of four hours.
• Peheat the grill to medium-high heat then clean and oil the grill grates.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade, place on the grill, and cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for 3 more minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F/74°C with an Instant read thermometer.
• Remove from the grill onto a clean dish, allow to cool for 5 minutes then slice and serve with salad, in wraps, or over pasta.

Notes:

• Give the Marinade Time to Work. You want to marinate the chicken for at least an hour, but no more than 4 hours. If you don’t marinate long enough, the chicken won’t be flavorful, but if you let it go too long, the meat will break down too much and get mushy.
• Clean the Grill: To make perfectly grilled chicken, it’s important to clean your grill grates really well after you’ve preheated them. Coat the grill grates with a bit of oil as well to keep anything from sticking.
• Let the Chicken Rest. After you pull it off the grill, set the chicken on a plate and leave it alone for about 5 minutes. Resting allows the meat to retain its juices and remain moist and juicy.
• Use a Meat Thermometer. You will know that the chicken is fully cooked because it will read 165°F/74°C on the inside.
• To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 389kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 48g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 1136mg, Potassium: 883mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.5g, Vitamin A: 92IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen